Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Won't the real Gord Brown please stand up, please stand up, please stand up...

-One of my pet political interests is finding leadership races I could win by signing up a rec league soccer team. Last year, I reported on the PEI NDP race, won in a close 29 to 19 vote. This week, the Nova Scotia Green Party held their AGM and, in a tight three-way race, Ken McGowan emerged the winner in a 32 to 20 to 9 nail bitter.


-Apparently the oilsands will be exempt from several of the clean air regulations...you can bet the opposition parties are just going to love this.


-Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. UPDATE: And Lawrence Cannon gets hit too...


-Leeds-Grenville Conservative MP Gord Brown (no doubt busy campaigning for Tony Blair's job), has been caught Jaffering a constituent.


-Didn't take long for Justin Trudeau to attract controversy.


-After going 7 for 8 and 3 for 4 in the first two rounds, I'll take my chances and bet against Detroit for the third straight round. Anaheim versus Buffalo is your final.

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13 Comments:

  • Who had 6 days in the Justin Trudeau pool?

    the nomination went flawlessy, so he was due.

    We should be good for a little while

    By Blogger Anthony, at 2:14 p.m.  

  • I can't beleive that the conservatives are planning to exempt the oil sands from some measures in the clean air act,as if this act wasn't bad enough already they will let the oil sands do what ever they want while everyone else must comply.

    By Blogger J@ckp1ne, at 3:24 p.m.  

  • So, smog's a big problem in Ft. Mac? Or is it, once again, only the principle that matters, not the realities?

    By Blogger The Rat, at 3:32 p.m.  

  • rat; I think there's an environment Canada report (or some report I saw quoted in a story somewhere) that says smog will be a major problem in Fort Mac within 5 years.

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 4:01 p.m.  

  • The greenies are right. harper is in the pocket of the oil patch. He will promote Alberta over the interests of everyone else in Canada.

    Shame on baird. This is his Colin Powell moment

    By Blogger JimTan, at 4:44 p.m.  

  • So, smog's a big problem in Ft. Mac? Or is it, once again, only the principle that matters, not the realities?

    Sulphur dioxide (a cause of acid rain, yay!) and particulate matter have a tendency of travel. The "realities" are that the oil sands are an enormous source of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. The resource industry tends to have a rather large impact on the surrounding environment, as anyone who's visited Sudbury (or Sydney) can attest.

    By Blogger JG, at 5:19 p.m.  

  • hey, rat, I think you're onto something there. Except it's the princiPAL that matters.

    By Blogger fox, at 11:43 p.m.  

  • It is incredible that the Cons have now blown a big hole in whatever scant value their climate change plan had. Volatile Organics (in this instance from hydrocarbons) like methane, and nitrous oxide are both classed as greenhouse gases by the IPCC. In terms of their equivalence to CO2 methane is as 21:1 and nitrous oxide is a whopping 310 according to the accounts in Wikipedia. In this
    case it means that 1 unit of methane is equivalent to 21 of CO2 and for
    nitrous oxide 1 unit of NO is equivaent to 310 units of CO2.
    There may not be a direct comparison since I believe there may be an order of magnitude difference in the units employed-the reference is not that clear to me. It remains true that to announce controls reduce GHG then exempt the planet killers of Alberta is a very large failure of government compounded by fraudulent language.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 2:54 a.m.  

  • Baird was quoted on the radio yesterday strongly denying this was the case.

    If you actually read the article, the only part that's even slightly relevant to the headline is as follows, buried near the end:

    Eric Richer, a spokesman for Environment Minister John Baird, said the oil sands exemptions were not new because they were posted on the department's web site last week.

    Why would the CP write an article with a very provocative headline, and then provide almost no details within the article to back it up? They didn't even say which "two smog-causing pollutants" are allegedly being exempted!

    Also, when reading media stories (especially from the CP), be very skeptical of any reported statements that aren't in quotation marks.

    By Blogger The Invisible Hand, at 6:51 a.m.  

  • Justin does not yet understand our Canadian multi-culturalism. He still thinks that everyone is equal and forgets that the french are more equal. Silly boy,maybe a pirouette will help.

    By Blogger wallyj, at 10:04 p.m.  

  • I checked further and found that it is true the Cons are proposing to deliver a truly massive give away to their planet killer pals, the oil sands producers in Alberta. The matter is the subject of questions in the House of Commons (May 8) with typical non answers from Harper and Baird who just fire blanks in other directions instead of answering. There are articles in several papers, and an extensive piece by Toxics Watch Society of Alberta including quotes from a number of business leaders. All this in the context of all other emitters having to cut back while the oil sands could increase GHG emissions by three times. Some leaders complained about their burdens while one, Hans Konow, pres. of Can. ElectricityAssociation said "Thats a question Canadians would need 5to reflect upon." He went on to mention oil and energy security. depends on succedss of oil sands.A number of eco orgs have commented on the favors handed out to oil sands.
    While a civil servant said these were not new because "they were posted on the Dept.s web site last week" this is dissembling. I can say that you will have a hard time finding them on this most Byzintine of all web sites, and I finally had to give up and phone Ottawa to get a pointer as to where to find them. A nice lady finally emailed to me the document, which she siad had been a big problem for them to find as well (it is their department!).
    It is an indepth "techinical briefing dated April 30, May 1 and 2 (the url is at the end of this post). Sure enough while all other sectors (ALL) are listed as having to reduce their emissions by various substantial amounts by 2020, the oil sand alone will INCREASE THEM. by 5% for nitrous oxides and 60%for volatiile organic compounds (methane). (See page 21). This is an incredible collapse of government., a failure so large the Resignation of the government should be demanded.
    Why has this disaster not been fastened on more heaviy.
    The url is :http://www.ecoaction.gc.ca/turning-virage/index-eng.cfm
    it is called Clean Air Regulatory Agenda lIn depth Technmical Briefing.
    And, oh yes, the poster invisible hand has nothing in his.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 3:31 p.m.  

  • "hey, rat, I think you're onto something there. Except it's the princiPAL that matters."

    Is that a spelling flame? Seriously? 'Cause I'm not sure how the guy who runs a school is at issue here . . .

    By Blogger The Rat, at 5:46 p.m.  

  • By Blogger raybanoutlet001, at 9:32 p.m.  

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