Canadian Premiers' Talks On Carbon Trading Collapse In Disarray - Globe & Mail

[hatrack]

MONCTON -- Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty yesterday said he was ready to take the controversial step of applying California-style emission standards on the already troubled auto sector if it salvaged talks for a new plan on climate change.

But Mr. McGuinty made the offer in vain to his fellow premiers, who ultimately fell out over the idea. He said he was ready to apply the standards, provided other provinces accepted some pain of their own by agreeing to a so-called cap-and-trade system to bring down carbon emissions. He also asked that Ottawa provide his province with $650-million to help his industry deal with the adjustment.

"To go to California emissions is not easy," Mr. McGuinty said yesterday afternoon. "But as part of a broader package - where we all put something on the table, everybody's got a bit of skin in the game - I'm saying I'm prepared to go there."

EDIT

Alberta's Ed Stelmach opposed the idea of cap-and-trade from the start of the meetings, despite the support for the system by provinces such as Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba. "No one was very successful in convincing me," he said. A cap-and-trade system would place limits on the amount of greenhouse gases individual polluters can emit. Companies that exceed the limits would be forced to pay a fee to companies that come in under their limits.

EDIT

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070810.PREEMS10/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/

[GliderGuider]

1. In related news

"Ed Stelmach mails Dalton McGuinty a horse's head."

[razzleberry]

2. if this is good for Ontario ...

he doesn't need someone else's permission
to apply this to Ontario