Green plan's cost pegged at $8-billion a year (Canada)

[Dogmudgeon]

Economists and Dads tell us that the longer you wait to deal with your problems, the more expensive they become to fix. The price for environmental responsibility to Canada is going be CDN$7-8 billion dollars per year (about USD$5 billion). And this is for the Conservative Party's version, which is sub-Kyoto and arguably not all that much an effort of "environmental responsibility".

TORONTO, OTTAWA — Canadians will pay more for many of life's necessities under a new environmental strategy that falls far short of the Kyoto accord but reduces greenhouse-gas emissions faster than the Conservative government's first climate-change plan.

It is estimated the new proposal will cost the Canadian economy $7-billion to $8-billion a year.

Environment Minister John Baird, who unveiled the strategy yesterday, reminded Canadians that there are costs associated with turning the corner on global warming.

"The prices for consumer products like vehicles, natural gas, electricity and household appliances could go up. But it's a small price to pay to ensure a lasting environmental legacy for future generations," Mr. Baird told a press conference.

...

(Read more in The Globe and Mail online.)

Speaking of which, the USA has about 15 times the population and 20 times the industiral and consumption base that Canada has. Instituting even an anemic environmental plan will cost ... about ... half a war.

--p!

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Gore has denounced the plan

Rightly, IM(NS)HO.

I guess $CDN 8 billion doesn't buy as much as it used to ...

--p!

[GliderGuider]

2. That's less than 1% of GDP

Our GDP is over $1 trillion, so this will be .7% or so. It's about what we should be giving in official foreign development aid (but don't). It's a pittance, it's shameful, it's an international embarrassment. As a Canadian I am humiliated by Governor Harper's cavalier stance on the climate and all other environmental issues. He is successfully greenwashing this plan as "middle of the road", but it's not. It's simple pandering to the automotive and oil interests. I hope the opposition parties find the collective gonads to bring down the government and fight an election over this issue.

[Dogmudgeon]

3. 1% is survival on the cheap

If you think your country is taking a bye on this, I'm sure you can imagine how much "pain" similar efforts will cause down here in the States. That's why I posted it -- most of us United Statesians look at Canadians as a superior breed. If Canada balks at such a meager task, how will the USA handle it?

I'm afraid that no substantial action (let alone planning) will take place until there is some real pain happening. This isn't just a foible of the leadership of the USA; it's world-wide, but in the USA, stupidity is writ large. Take George Bush.

Please.

--p!

[GliderGuider]

5. This is why I've gone through despair on my way to acceptance.

I'm utterly convinced that we (individuals, nations and the species as a whole) will do absolutely nothing whatsoever to prevent the coming catastrophe from happening. Once it has happened we will get busy trying to survive it, and that's where most of my energies are now focussed.

[razzleberry]

4. how much would carbon offsets cost?

talk about buying power!

[razzleberry]

6. carbon offsets, from the IPCC, ten cents a ton

from the IPCC report of 2001, first sentence, second paragraph
http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg3/156.htm

why spend 8 billion when
20 million a year would be enough

Canadians need to stop this ripoff