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Former U.S. vice-president Al Gore, now one of the world's most famous climate-change activists, has called the federal government's new green plan "a fraud."
Gore criticized the plan while in Toronto on Saturday to attend the Green Living Show and screen his documentary on the environment, An Inconvenient Truth.
The Conservatives have said their strategy, introduced earlier in the week, will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and improve air quality, but Gore said he's heard it all before, south of the border, and he doesn't like what he hears.
"I'm hearing a reduction in intensity is going to be presented to the Canadian people as a legitimate policy," he said at the consumer environmental show. "In my opinion, it is a complete and total fraud. It is designed to mislead the Canadian people."
Gore said the rest of the world looks to Canada for moral leadership, and that's why news of the plan was so "shocking."
Gore also praised Canada's best known environmentalist, David Suzuki, for confronting Environment Minister John Baird on Friday, the first day of the three-day Green Living Show.
Suzuki told Baird his plan was a disappointment and doesn't go far enough.
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http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/04/28/gore.html
more real news that matters. this post goes along with my other, "Canada and Kyoto" and confirms that maybe i'm not crazy... the fact that canada does play an important moral/leadership role in world goes without saying. so when someone with credibility like Gore, publicly calls the plan a fraud (or as i like to call it an elaborate smoke and light show, its much nicer) and that "It is designed to mislead the Canadian people", what else is left to say? the real question that remains is how will canadians react and how long can the ndp or the bloc prop up this government when they both supposedly have "strong green" ideologies?
Last edited by inphurno on Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:09 pm; edited 1 time in totalI think most governments (and most citizens) are afraid to take "big steps" when it comes to living green. Businesses whine and cry about the expense. Consumers worry about the costs being passed on to them. I am sure most changes would require an initial investment for business but I suspect the businesses would recoupe much (if not all) of the costs through efficiencies.
its not even about money anymore. its about mass genocide of thousands of lives (if not millions) which will be cause by the disruption of normal climate patterns. this isnt like a f*cking joke, serious changes have to be made with respect to how we live and the everyday choices that we make mainly centered on transportation (of products and people), energy consumption and the source of your electricity. you know the great majority of the lives that will be affected (plants, animals and poorer nations/people) are defenceless against us and whats worse is people still dont know or care about what is really happening.
Last edited by inphurno on Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:09 pm; edited 1 time in total
I completely agree that steps need to be taken. I also agree that poorer nations and poorer people in general will be most impacted by climate changes. I was not trying to say that costs is an excuse; I simply think that is what businesses and consumers will say when/if governments start forcing "green" changes. I also think that the majority of people, both consumers and businesses, will not change until forced to.
Some people and businesses have begun using high efficiency light bulbs and alternative fuels for cars started catching on as gas prices rose. As usual several technologies have come about and I suspect one will eventually be the clear winner. Will it be hybrids, e-85, hydrogen, or something else altogether? I think hydrogen is probably the most environmentally friendly option but California and New York are about the only places that have hydrogen filling stations. Even e-85 has limited stations at this point. That gives hybrids a big advantage; however, hybrids still harm the ozone.
What big businesses have or have not.done, I do not know. Hopefully someone will wake up before it is too late for us and future generations.
I agree with Gore, the Tories plan is so useless, they shouldn't even waste time debating it.
I don't even know why they are bothering when they don't even acknowledge its existence.
