Hey guys
My kudos would be so much less grudging if I just didn't feel that Cretien is going to push the Kyoto accord through as part of his 'legacy'. Just watch, the next two years Canadians are going to see all kinds of cool and brave legislation going through, all so this vain old man can be remembered as a 'Great' Prime Minister. He's no Trudeau....
But - cynacism aside, I will be tremendously pleased if Canada ratifies the Kyoto accord!
Love,
Terri

Chretien stirs delight and fury with pledge to send Kyoto pact to Parliament

JOHANNESBURG (CP) -- Prime Minister Jean Chretien delighted environmentalists and infuriated the Alberta government on Monday by promising that Parliament will be asked to ratify the Kyoto climate accord before the end of the year.

"Extreme weather events around the world have underscored the reality of climate change as well as the imperative for global action, an imperative that is strongly felt by Canadians," Chretien said in a speech to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa.

The prime minister said the government is finalizing a plan of implementation to comply with the 1997 Kyoto accord, which required Canada to cut greenhouse gas emissions six per cent from 1990 levels by 2008-2010.

"When the consultations have concluded and before the end of the year, the Canadian Parliament will be asked to vote on the ratification of the Kyoto accord," he said.

Chretien's announcement marks a major divergence between U.S. and Canadian foreign policy, since Washington has rejected the accord as potentially damaging to the U.S. economy.

Scientists say that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide are transparent to incoming rays from the sun, but prevent those rays from being bounced back into space, leading to a warming of the Earth and a disruption of weather patterns.

Burning of fossil fuels is the main source of carbon dioxide pollution.

Since all opposition parties except the Canadian Alliance support the accord, parliamentary approval is virtually certain.

But Alberta Environment Minister Lorne Taylor accused Chretien of breach of trust, and warned that Alberta will consider all options to fight the federal decision, including a court challenge.

The province's economy is tied to the energy-producing industry, which expects to be hurt by ratification of the Kyoto accord.

Taylor said there have been no consultations with the provinces, although the Kyoto accord has been the topic of intense federal-provincial discussions for years, most recently at a meeting of energy and environment ministers this spring in Charlottetown.

"That was not a consultation with particularly the energy-producing provinces," he said. "We are the biggest energy-producing province in this country and we expect to be consulted on any plan, on any implementation, and we have not seen a plan."

Some months ago, Ottawa released a Kyoto implementation proposal consisting of four scenarios. Provinces, industry, and the public were invited to submit comment, and one of the options is being revised in light of those comments.

Stephen Guilbeault, a campaigner with Greenpeace, disputed Taylor's claim that there has been no consultation. "There's been huge consultation with the provinces."

"In fact his own government was co-chairing a federal-provincial working group on climate change," Guilbeault said. "Alberta has been lying on this issue in and out and they just keep doing it."

If Russia ratifies the treaty as promised by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Canada's decision will bring international support for the accord to the level where it can take effect.

However, a Russian deputy minister, Mukhamed Tsikanov of the ministry for economic development and trade, hinted last week that Russia is reconsidering its stance. That means the implementation of the treaty remains in doubt.