Tuesday, September 05, 2006

When Hel Freezes Over


The federal government could hold consultations for up to five years before it finalizes new regulations for limiting greenhouse gas emissions, CBC News has learned.

Which the Tories had better hope happens.

Hel freezing over that is, since it is actually an arctic wasteland in Norse Mythology.

And last time I checked the Arctic was melting faster than the Tory focus groups meeting to discuss Harpers non- existent Green plan.

Tory government pays for focus-group research on environmental policy
Prime Minister Stephen Harper insists he doesn't govern by polls, but a leaked report indicates his government has been paying for research to see what Canadians think about the environment. Conservative plans for a new environmental policy - said to rely heavily on pollution-fighting measures rather than climate change - fall in line with what focus groups told researchers this summer.The report, prepared for senior officials by the Strategic Counsel and obtained by The Canadian Press, is a compilation of the views of 75 Canadians across the country.

Seventy Five Canadians will determine the environmental policy of Canada wonder who they were? Maybe these guys or these guys.

The report added that while people in the focus groups didn't feel a strong sense of urgency about environmental problems, the issue is potentially a powerful tool for the Tories in the next election.

Yep must have been these guys. Because they are right out of touch with the rest of Canadians.


So why worry if the arctic is melting right....

Even if 2006 is not a record-breaker, it will mark the fifth straight year of dramatic Arctic sea-ice declines. If the trend continues - and it's expected to - the summertime Arctic could be completely ice-free well before the end of the century, the Boulder researchers say. The change would open previously inaccessible shipping lanes but would be bad news for wildlife and native peoples who rely on the Arctic ice.



Let it melt. Because then you don't need a Green Plan when you have a plan to build a military industrial complex in the Canadian North......

Arctic meltdown

THE Arctic ice cap is melting at a rate that could allow routine commercial shipping through the far north in a decade and open up new fisheries. But a report for the US Navy seen by New Scientist reveals that naval vessels will be unable to police these areas.

But in 10 years' time, if melting patterns change as predicted, the North-West Passage could be open to ordinary shipping for a month each summer. And the Northern Sea Route across the top of Russia could allow shipping for at least two months a year in as little as five years.

The new routes will slash the distances for voyages between Europe and East Asia by a third, and open up new fisheries. The resulting boom in shipping could lead to conflicts, as nations try to enforce fisheries rules, prevent smuggling and piracy, and protect the Arctic environment from oil spills. To complicate matters, Russia and Canada consider their northern sea routes as national territory, while the US regards them as international waters.



Also See

Arctic

Environment

Rona Ambrose

Green Plan

Kyoto

Oil

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