Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The most urgent challenge facing our people, economy and our environment is the impact of climate change and the critical need to reduce our production of greenhouse gases. Even since the last time I spoke on this topic, new information has
shown that things are getting rampantly worse. Sea ice melt is accelerating toward the prediction of an ice-free Arctic by 2030, 2020 or even sooner now. Global precipitation on land is down 40 percent. Alberta’s rivers are running at 20 to 80 percent of their normal flow. In the NWT, melting permafrost is causing higher levels of toxins in the fish our people depend upon and the damage to public infrastructure has begun. Our springs are weeks earlier, with a dry winter leading into a potentially costly fire season here and across much of Canada.
The 16th Assembly has made positive moves
internally, replacing some of our fossil fuel systems with biomass, and with transparent costing and accounting of greenhouse gas reductions achieved. But, unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we’re still not thinking across the board. Results of our electrical reviews contain nothing to show we’re taking a systemic approach to controlling carbon outputs and getting off oil onto renewable.
We have a new Biomass Strategy, comprehensive in its intentions, but bereft of any targets or schedules to achieve them. I’ll be looking for resolution to this gap in the upcoming business plans.
Climate change is an urgent global problem, but we’re not helpless. Proven solutions and approaches are in our hands that make sense not only for our environment but for growing local businesses, employment and investment, sheltering our economy from world oil markets and dramatically cutting our costs of living, as evidenced by the statement from our Minister McLeod just now.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment has previously committed to developing a greenhouse gas reduction strategy by April 2011, yet we are well into the fiscal year and we are still awaiting the first steps in this significant undertaking. A meaningful plan will include science-based targets for reduction and a means to achieve them in ways that add to our local economies. This is a major undertaking requiring sufficient time and public consultation so that we can move to action in a timely way. We need assurance that progress is well in hand.
As the Premier has said, Copenhagen showed that when federal governments will not lead, regional governments must act. We can’t lecture the world without following our own advice. We need to recognize the urgency of today and start real action on this goal that will take years to achieve.
I will continue to ask for the support of all Members on the major task of getting a good plan in place and shifting our energy systems to approaches that make economic, social and environmental sense.
