Showdown in Regina

Rick Smith, of Slow Death by Rubber Duck fame (also Executive Director of Environmental Defence), explains why the Premiers have got to get their act together on clean energy. Excerpt from the Toronto Star:

This year … things at the Council of the Federation meeting in Regina must be different. This year, Quebec, Ontario and other provinces that understand the need to quickly transition to a clean energy economy must prevail over those that do not, or all of Canada risks significant political and economic upheaval.

A deadline is looming in December when the world will conclude international climate negotiations in Copenhagen. With the departure of the Bush administration, the Canadian government now stands isolated among industrialized countries in resisting the level of effort needed to pass along a stable climate to our children and grandchildren.

…

If the premiers all agreed in general terms about the level of pollution cuts needed and the system to accomplish this, then Ottawa’s job would be relatively straightforward.

But Alberta and Saskatchewan, instead of wanting to make pollution cuts, actually want to increase their contribution to global warming by exploiting the tar sands.

…

There is, therefore, a very real political battle both between the provinces and with the federal government that must unfold this week in Regina and during the remainder of this year before Copenhagen, one that will determine the shape of both our economy and our environment over the coming decades.

Premiers Ed Stelmach and Brad Wall of Alberta and Saskatchewan now see wealth as defined by fossil fuels and fail to take responsibility for the costs they inflict on our deteriorating atmosphere.

If our federation is to survive and thrive in the future, we have no choice but to redefine wealth by creating new jobs in a clean energy economy.

Canada is falling badly behind in that transition. Regina is an opportunity to begin to turn things around.

Full column in The Star

And a link to Environmental Defence’s Showdown in Regina action page