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A report from the International Energy Agency shows that global greenhouse gas emissions went up by 5% in 2010 to achieve a record high. This increase, which coincides with the economic recovery, is attributed to transportation and power. How does Canada compare with other emitters?
Not well, according to this interactive UNFCCC map.
And the bad news gets even worse.
A recent decision from the Harper government means that data on the specific extent of tar sands pollution is no longer provided to the UN as part of the mandatory yearly report on climate change. That means that we can no longer say with certainty what percentage of our emissions are directly attributable to this one industry, which, just to give you an idea of its scale, is known to be responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all of the cars on our country's roads combined.
Even if the general public and the scientific community alike are calling for legally binding reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions that will limit the global rise in temperature to a critical 2°C, governments don't seem to be listening.
And yet the solutions exist:
- end subsidies to the gas and oil industry
- invest in the green economy
- invest in renewable energy, including solar and wind power
A recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) showed that clean energy sources could supply nearly 80% of the global energy demand by 2050.
So, Canada, what are we waiting for?
