Gimbol's diatribe and screed

The big loophole in the Kyoto Protocol

Read this article in the FP on friday, I must say its spot on.

First I did a bit of research on the writer Mr Herman and he is a lawyer by trade, has written on trade issues and global trade in particular. He's worked for UWO doing some work for the Ivey School. From the writers perspective this isn't one of Al Gore's disciples.

But I digress.

The article is in a well writen brief basically lays out an arguement that all we have to do as a nation to avoid being penalized under this "international agreement" is to rag the puck.

The part that nails it is this:

"But here's the rub. All this depends on the Kyoto parties defining the terms of the "second commitment period," post-2012. Without agreement on this post-2012 period, the compliance committee is just a paper tiger. It can't enforce anything against Canada because, so far at least, the period after 2012 remains a huge void. Nothing has been agreed."

So if there is no agreement amoung the signatories before the deadline of 2012, nobody gets penalized. Let me be specific, if the rest of the signatories can't get the major emitters to sign on to a plan that is going to potentially constrict them economically the protocol is basically dead.

....Gee I can't see any reason why so-called major emitters like China, India, and the US would be reluctant to sign on.....sacasm off.

Long ago I prescribed to the idea that there is always someone else somewhere in this world that is smarter, or stronger, or wiser than me. So if Lawrence can figure this out, so did others including those in a position of power.....its they just didn't or can't say so. I'll go further and name names.
Jean Chretien knew when he signed us up without any debate in the house.

Oddly this logic that until the "major" emitters agree to targets Kyoto will not achieve its so-called goal is the type of talk we've been hearing from Harper and his past and present enviroment ministers. Go figure, they understand international agreements.

This begs the next question that I feel warrants some investigation.
Who might be the people that don't want to realize this reality?

Labels: Global tax regime, kyoto

posted by gimbol @ 3:35 AM