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Politics : The Environmentalist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ron who wrote (6285)	4/12/2006 12:59:41 PM
From: average joe	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 36917

Group claims environment funding will be slashed Updated Wed. Apr. 12 2006 12:26 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff An environmental advocacy group claims the Conservative government plans to cut funding to climate change programs by 40 per cent in order to fund tax cuts, a move the group calls short-sighted. The Climate Action Network Canada made its accusations public on Wednesday. "We learned through some excellent sleuthing that the federal Cabinet decided to cut all climate spending by 40 per cent with all external spending going first (science and outreach)," said John Bennett, executive director of the organization in a press release. "This will be followed by cuts to government programs. Environment Canada will be subject to an 80 per cent cut, including the entire Climate Fund." Though progress has been slow in the fight against climate change, Canada has been gradually moving, Bennett said. The cuts the group claims are coming will reverse that progress. "While the past position may have been 'not enough, we need more', it has always been within the context of continual advancement on the issue," Bennett said. "The situation is now entirely reversed. Regardless of what one may think of the limited progress obtained so far, what's coming next is a disaster." A spokesman for Environment Minister Rona Ambrose would not confirm the rumours, and said final decisions have not been made. Though Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn has said a number of climate change initiatives had been deemed ineffective, he didn't say which ones or what the consequences will be. But the Climate Action Network contends the decision to slash 40 per cent in funding has already been made, and will directly impact Canada's ability to meet its goals under the Kyoto Protocol. "There are still decisions to be made on precise program cuts but the amount of the cut has already been established," Bennett said. David Coon, policy director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, encouraged the government to make the fight against climate change a priority, and said the government should reduce the use of fossil fuels and work harder to reach emissions goals set under Kyoto. "Canadians need a vision of hope in the face of the frightening consequences of rapid climate change," Coon said at the press conference on Wednesday. "For that hope they look to their government, and their expectations are high." Canada's Kyoto targets were set in 1997, but Ambrose recently said they were unrealistic and dismissed any hope that the goal of reducing Canada's emissions by six per cent from 1990 levels could be reached by 2012. "My departmental officials and the department officials from Natural Resources have indicated that it is impossible - impossible for Canada to reach its Kyoto target," she said. Citing unpublished government figures, Ambrose said emissions are up by almost 30 per cent since 1990. She said the increase is "very disconcerting," but said Canada is not alone in its situation. Ambrose is expected to express her concerns when she presides over the next round of Kyoto talks on April 15. John Godfrey, a Toronto MP who recently dropped out of the race to lead the Liberal party said the rumours are evidence that the Conservative government needs to adjust its priorities. "That seems to me that they have it completely wrong. Government is there to lead and to respond and to anticipate, not simply to cut back and give tax cuts," Godfrey told CTV Newsnet. The Climate Action Network is encouraging Canadians to contact their MPs, the prime minister, and local media to voice their opposition to the alleged plan. ctv.ca