Can Canada Survive Climate Change Policy – Time to Talk and Stop Climate Bullying
Calgary, Alberta, Canada (May 17, 2017)
Friends of Science Society's recent May 9, 2017, Climate Dogma Exposed event had the audience in shock as guest speaker Robert Lyman, Ottawa energy policy consultant, asked "Can Canada Survive Climate Change Policy?". See blog post here.
Lyman walked the audience through the years of political agreement on absurd greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets saying that politicians felt they had nothing to lose by agreeing, as it bought them votes, but environmental groups have used these targets as a wedge as evidenced by Bill McKibben's April 17, 2017 diatribe against Prime Minister Trudeau in The Guardian, see here.
According to Lyman, reducing GHGs to meet the Paris COP-21 agreement would completely cripple the Canadian economy.
An excerpt from Lyman's presentation presents the outcome of trying to reach proposed targets with a shocking conclusion: "In Canada, 2014 emissions were 722 megatonnes. …We are still bound in principle to reduce Canadian GHG emissions by 50% from 2005 levels by 2050. The U.N. still wants us to "show leadership" by reducing emissions by 80% from 2010 levels by 2050….That is comparable to completely eliminating the current emissions from oil and gas production, electricity generation, and all emissions-intensive industries like mining, petrochemicals, auto and parts manufacturing, iron, steel and cement. Gone. Achieving the aspirational goal of 80 per cent reduction, recommended by the IPCC, would mean reducing emissions to 147 megatonnes CO2 equivalent. That would be comparable to reducing Canada's per capita emissions and our energy economy to the current levels of Bolivia, Sudan or Iraq."
In the absence of breakthrough technology, to cost-effectively deal with emissions, industries would simply have to be shut down if Paris GHG targets were to be met.
Alberta Wildrose Opposition MLA Drew Barnes attended the Friends of Science event. He spoke with Friends of Science saying "One hundred and fifty years ago Canada started as a trade confederation, with the hope of growth. Let's work with our Canadian partners to do the best for all of us."
Video Interview with MLA Drew Barnes here.
However, Barnes is concerned about the on-going climate bullying and name-calling in the Alberta Legislature, calling it an attempt to shut down free speech and debate on issues like the climate policy, coal phase-out and carbon tax. He expressed his views in hope that others will be encouraged to speak up with their concerns.
"I hope it will encourage others to get strong on this topic," Barnes said. "to have open debate and ensure we do our very, very best for Alberta, for Canada and for the next generation."