CREDIT: JAN WILL/THINKSTOCK
Will Canada take initiative on climate change legislation before it's too late?

If taking action on climate change involved building websites like climatechange.gc.ca, Canada would be leading the pack. The website enthusiastically highlights Canada’s recent announcement that it will reduce allowable emissions from automobiles, just like the United States has announced.

It’s just the latest chapter in the story of Canada being unwilling to take the initiative on climate change legislation.

The issue of climate change is taking centre stage in Canada as the French President Francois Hollande, tours the nation.

Hollande will be the host of an international summit on climate change December 2015, and he’s using his time in the country to push for real cooperation leading up to the event. The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggests that burning fossil fuels may have to cease entirely in the next hundred years to avoid temperatures rising to a dangerous level.

One of the primary dangers that climate change poses is to communities that live close to sea level. A rise in the sea level of a couple of inches is sufficient to cause serious changes in the localized ecology and over time could lead to coastal cities ending up underwater.

The problem with garnering international cooperation for climate change initiatives rests in the tragedy of the commons – a term that refers to the inherent lack of respect for a shared public resource.

Since the same atmosphere that floats over China will eventually end up spread across the globe, countries that refuse to adopt environmental regulations are adversely affecting the participation rate in these programs.

Developing countries actually use lax environmental standards as a selling point for international manufacturing business. Between wages and environmental regulations, it’s cheaper to ship a product that costs a dollar across the globe, rather than make it in North America.

The only way for Canada to become a leader in the climate change effort is to begin seeking region-specific green energy movements. Some parts of the country have enormous hydro-electric generating power, others have excessive wind power available, while still others could benefit from the emerging bio-fuel industry.

It’s unlikely that we’ll ever reach a point where energy generation has no environmental impact, but there are already technologies available, which make our current methods look like an episode of The Flintstones.

There’s a little over a year until international experts converge in Paris, France, to discuss the next steps for member countries of the United Nations to tackle climate change. In light of the upcoming federal election, which will have taken place shortly before the climate summit, this could be a pivotal time for environmentalism in Canada.

The issue is certain to play a role in the campaign process and the candidates will be forced to take a position that will heavily influence their approach to climate change when in office.

The economics of green energy has two inseparable truths. Environmentally-friendly energy is more expensive and expensive energy drives away business. Aside from the immensely different power infrastructure, China stands as stark evidence of the cost of coal power, with some of the worst air quality ratings in the entire world.

At a certain point every government makes the choice between better business opportunities to fuel the economy, or better breathing air for their citizens, choose wisely.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.