QuoteToday I am going to explain why you, as a Canadian citizen, are not an energy-consuming glutton who is helping to burn up the planet by greedily consuming fossil fuels.



In fact, as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked to climate change go, Canada is small potatoes.



According to the World Research Institute, 2011, China is the world's largest energy-related emitter of greenhouse gases at 10,552 megatonnes annually. (A megatonne, or Mt, represents one million tonnes.)



China is followed by the U.S. at 6,550 Mt.



India is third at 2,486 Mt; Russia fourth at 2,374 Mt; Japan fifth at 1,307 Mt; Brazil sixth at 1,131 Mt; Germany seventh at 882 Mt; and Indonesia eighth at 834 Mt.



Canada is ninth at 716 Mt. (As of 2013, our emissions were 726 Mt which doesn't affect the rankings.)



Canada legally withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol to reduce GHG emissions, which expired in 2012, at the end of 2011.



At that time, Prime Minister Stephen Harper cited its fundamental unfairness to our country.



While we were required by Kyoto (thanks to former PM Jean Chretien, who ratified it) to reduce our emissions under the United Nations treaty to an average of 6% below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012, China, the U.S., India and Russia -- the world's top four emitters -- were not required to reduce their emissions by a single tonne.



Nor was Brazil, the sixth largest emitter, or Indonesia, the eighth largest emitter.



Despite the fact that when the Liberals lost power under Paul Martin in 2006 Canada was 30% over its Kyoto target, our emissions since 2006 as a share of global emissions -- 43,372 Mt in 2011 -- have been steadily dropping.



In 2005, Canada was responsible for 2.1% of global emissions.



By 2011, it was 1.6%, because we have been reducing the growth rate of our emissions faster than the rest of the world.



So-called environmentalists and Canada's opposition parties ignore these figures, which tell the true state of Canada's contribution to global GHG emissions.



Contrary to myths perpetuated by U.S. President Barack Obama's billionaire political pals, oil extracted from Canada's oilsands is not the "dirtiest on earth."



The dirtiest oil on earth comes from Nigeria. The dirtiest oil in North America comes from California.



In reality, the biggest problem today when it comes to global GHG emissions is burning coal to generate electricity.



China gets 80% of its electricity from coal, India 70%, the U.S. almost 40%. In Canada, it's less than 11%.



Again, those who falsely smear Canada as the world's leading climate ogre, never cite these facts.



Instead they focus on one misleading fact, without providing any context, which is that Canadians are among the largest emitters of greenhouse gases per capita on earth.



The context which they never mention is that Canada is the second largest and second coldest country on earth, with one of the lowest population densities on earth -- 230th out of 244 sovereign states and dependent territories.



That, along with the fact we are an oil and natural gas producing and exporting country, is what drives up our per capita emissions.



That is, we use them out of necessity, not because everyone in Canada is conspiring to waste energy.



Those who suggest otherwise should be ashamed of themselves.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2015/05/27/oilsands-not-the-dirtiest">http://www.edmontonsun.com/2015/05/27/o ... e-dirtiest">http://www.edmontonsun.com/2015/05/27/oilsands-not-the-dirtiest

Quote from: "SPECTRE"With your vast uranium deposits, why do you burn oil at all?

Quote from: "cc la femme"Yes. Prog self infliction / self destruction to the max

Quote from: "SPECTRE"4 words.



Not in our lifetime.



Not until they work out a way of guaranteeing sunshine at least 12 hours a day.

Quote from: "Keeper"2 words!!



Solar Energy.

Quote from: "Fashionista"

Quote from: "Keeper"2 words!!



Solar Energy.

If the solar panels are made in China, I would prefer to burn coal.