Dianne Porter
Guest Opinion
In Chatelaine Magazine on Oct. 4 (online edition), two highly respected people outlined the federal parties’ ideas about climate change. One is atmospheric scientist Katharine Hayhoe and the other an Albertan environmental economist, Andrew Leach. They have co-written an analysis of the parties' ideas outlined in their platforms regarding climate change. The policies were all announced during this election campaign.
The analysis (“How The Four Federal Parties’ Climate Plans Stack Up”) is not ‘Red,’ ‘Blue,’ ‘Orange,’ or ‘Green.’ What is increasingly important today is academic research, not about what the science says, but political action that is urgently required across the country.
Nowhere can we feel the effects of climate change more than P.E.I. and the very powerful hurricane last month.
Our national park is a visible example of the reality of changes happening that impact our beaches, our campgrounds, our forests and our infrastructure today and into the future.
The sound of chainsaws has been a clear reminder of how important our vote is this time.
Our own choices and actions will only get us a tiny fraction of a solution that is necessary. The federal policies, as analyzed by Hayhoe and Leach, do not have perfect solutions. But their report card demonstrates the best way forward.
They say that the Conservatives have all the right buzzwords but the ideas are very vague.
The NDP policy sets more stringent policies than the current government but fails to talk about the impact on jobs and even the impact on their base of support.
The researchers highlight the Liberal government's plan because it promises to carry on with the already implemented, very important actions to the phase out of coal power and to set new clean fuel standards from the oil fields to the gas tanks. The Liberals have priced the cost of emissions and have set targets and ambitious goals in their continuing plan.
They call the Green party ideas “Mission: Possible” because the idea that fossil fuel use can change so fast may be very difficult.
The Chatelaine article says the Green ideas infringe on provincial jurisdiction and the negotiations will be difficult. Infrastructure and grid upgrades necessary to implement the Green policy is very challenging in such a short time and seems to be unrealistic.
Voters have a choice of policies to consider: strong ambition but unrealistic, realistic with less ambition, or weak policies that match lack of ambition. Hayhoe and Leach opt for a plan that is practical and beats ambition without a plan. Of course, they say anything beats a policy that is not worth the paper it is printed on.
Islanders have a most important decision to make in this election. We experienced the wrath of a more powerful hurricane and we know that climate change is real.
Dianne Porter, M.A., is a resident of Argyle Shore, P.E.I.
