Electoral Candidate Responses
to Questions on Climate Change
The Letter
Climate Change has emerged globally as the definitive economic, environmental, political and social issue of the 21st century. The conservative Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concludes that to avoid dangerous levels of climate change, developed countries must reduce their carbon emission by 25-40% below 1990 levels by 2020.
The climate crisis requires both individual lifestyle changes and effective government policies to spark widespread economic and social changes.
The October federal election has been called the Climate Crisis Election. Any citizens concerned about the future economics and health of Canada must make informed political choices with respect to this crisis.
To this end, we have forwarded our questions to all the candidates in the ridings of Leeds and Grenville, and of Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington and asked for their responses.
We look forward to your reply.
Sincerely yours,
Alfred Von Mirbach, ecoPerth,
David Taylor, co-chair, Friends of the Tay Watershed,
Barb Hicks, president , Rideau Environmental Action League (REAL)
Peter Au, president, Rideau Roundtable.
Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington:
Scott Reid, Conservative
David Remington, Liberal
Chris Walker, Green
Sandra Willard, NDP
Leeds and Grenville:
Gord Brown, Conservative
1. As our MP, will you commit to being a driving force in getting the Canadian government to commit to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 25% from 1990 levels by the year 2020?
Scott Reid. My party has committed to reducing Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions to 20% below 2006 levels by 2020, which I believe to be a realistic target, unlike the target relating to 1990 levels that was set by the Chretien government—which then proceeded to allow Canada’s emissions to grow by over 30% without doing a thing to slow them down. Trying now to meet these older targets on a short timeline would be devastating for the economy, and would do nothing to set an example for the other nations of the world—and it is as an example of successful, economy-friendly change, that Canada can hope to make the biggest difference to worldwide emissions reductions, on a planet where our own emissions account for only 2% of world greenhouse gas emissions.
David Remington. Yes, we must be aggressive in reducing greenhouses gases.
Chris Walker. Yes. Climate destabilization resulting from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is the one of the greatest threats to our civilization that we currently face. Of course, climate change is but one of the symptomatic problems created by our unsustainable society and we need a systematic approach to address all of them in concert. (Our plan actually calls for 30% reductions from 1990 levels by 2020.)
Sandra Willard. Yes, but we must recognize that this is minimum target and will only be met by hard targets and aggressive government intervention. Intensity targets and market mechanisms like a carbon tax are insufficient.
2. Conservation is the first and most important step in dealing with the climate crisis. Will you fight for a comprehensive national energy conservation program, and what specific initiatives would you include in it?
Scott Reid. I’d like to see such initiatives as carbon sequestration (particularly in the oil & gas industry), and retrofitting of insulation, double-glazing, and weatherstripping to homes.
David Remington. A new Liberal government will commit up to a $10,000 grant to green your home which may include new windows, increased insulation, energy efficient furnaces , and renewable energy like solar and wind.
Chris Walker. Absolutely yes (I will assume that when you say ‘conservation’ you mean ‘conservation and efficiency’ – although semantically different they are intertwined strategies to achieve the same goal).
Conservation is the most rapid, least expensive method for reducing emissions, and can be achieved at all levels of society – from individuals, to small and large businesses, to local and federal government. A comprehensive national energy conservation program is an essential component of any effective strategy.
The full description can be found in Vision Green at greenparty.ca, pages 32 to 47.
Some examples of our policies for encouraging conservation
• Upgrade the building code to require all new buildings to be ‘net-zero’
• Establish a nation-wide program to retrofit all low-income buildings by 2025, (as in Germany). (Same for public buildings like universities and hospitals
• Provide strong support for walking, cycling, transit, rail, teleworking and video conferencing
• Require all federal buildings to meet LEED silver/gold, or similar standards
• Tax-deductible Green Mortgages for home-owner energy retrofit costs
Sandra Willard. Yes, this has been a centre piece of NDP policy for 20 years and well developed in the last two federal elections. I have attached a background document on the plan. You will note that it is very similar to the Renewable is Doable plan developed by the WWF and Pembina institute.
3. What will you do to stimulate research and development of renewable energy technologies in Canada, and how would you see that benefiting this riding?
Scott Reid. The search for renewable energy sources, and for the development of technologies that will allow the exploitation of these sources, should concentrate on sources that are readily available in Canada. For example, we have an ample supply of wind, and no shortage of space in which wind generators can be established with ample setbacks from populated areas, but because we are far from the equator, we will not be able to enjoy economically competitive exploitation of electricity from photovoltaic solar panels until long after areas that receive more solar radiation per acre have been able to use and exploit this power source.
David Remington. The Liberal government will make the Science Research an Experimental Development tax credit 25 per cent refundable. This will ensure that all companies, not simply those that are earning a profit in the short-term are rewarded for their Research and Development Activities.
Chris Walker. Canada is woefully behind in the development of renewable energy technologies while the Green Party recognizes the need for creating the conditions where RE technologies can compete with unsustainable energy sources we also recognize that governments should avoid making the decisions about which technology is best. We support long-term, strictly enforced and clear guidelines for energy technology operation and clear targets for performance, then as much as possible, allow the creativity of the market to profitably and efficiently produce the technology. This is achieved by such measures as RE feed in tariffs, RE portfolio requirements, carbon taxes, carbon cap and trade systems, to name a few
In the short-term we do see the need for targeted subsidies to help develop proven technologies like wind power and solar PV to create a domestic market fed by domestic suppliers.
It is also appropriate to encourage research into promising, but expensive technologies like ‘Enhanced Geothermal Systems’, large-scale wave and ocean current power, and carbon capture and storage.
We will also need rapid and substantial investment in college and universities for training and certifying workers to build and install these systems.
Green Party energy policies would be of great value to the long-term economic prospects of this riding.
Efficiency and conservation policies would:
• home-owners reduce energy consumption, eliminate dependence on imported fossil fuels
• lower operating costs and make home ownership more affordable
• Stimulate a boom in semi-skilled jobs retrofitting houses for higher efficiency in small businesses that could be started quickly at relatively low cost
• encourage the development of a local bio-fuels industry employing farmers to grow the fuel and local entrepreneurs to pelletize the fuel and supply the customers
Sandra Willard. Research and development are important but too much focus is on them. We have technologies and approaches that we know work but simply need to be implemented on a mass scale. This does not mean that there should not be more research, but this focus is often used to avoid action in the vain belief that a new technology will save us and allow us to continue producing GHGs. Widely disseminating existing technologies would directly benefit our riding to the tune of tens of thousand of jobs in retrofitting, local renewable energy production and other conservation programs. This is the only approach to a future energy policy that will produce this kind of economic development in this riding.
4. Will you support the development of better train and commuter services to link rural communities to nearby major population centres? What specifically will you do to bring the opportunities of green technologies, of energy efficiency, of renewable energy, of remanufacturing jobs to our riding?
Scott Reid. The most obvious link that can be made, in our riding, is a rail link, along existing lines, between Smiths Falls and Ottawa. The loss of existing and usable rail lines, such as the one between Carleton Place and Ottawa that was ripped up a decade ago, should be avoided in the future, wherever such rail lines still exist.
David Remington. We have created a 1 Billion dollar manufacturing fund to green our economy such as the Renewable Power Production Incentive that will more than double the non-emitting energy sources available to Canadians. This fund will help stimulate green manufacturing, and the major infrastructure surplus commitment to upgrade our sustainable infrastructure like public transit through unanticipated government surpluses.
Chris Walker. Yes. Rail is a much less polluting and efficient form of transporting people and goods than cars and trucks. We would:
• liberalize the licensing for long-distance coach lines to encourage competition and greater ridership, while maintaining rigorous safety standards
• provide federal funding to upgrade coach stations to become more appealing
• invest in our national rail infrastructure and intermodal connections
• invest joint federal-municipal light rail investments
• restore Via Rail service to all major regional cities
For the second part of this question please see my answer to Q. 3.
Sandra Willard. Yes, a priority will be paced on better train and commuter services. A background document on transferring funds for public transit is attached. Also, see the answer above and the attached plan for details to manufacturing and other well paying jobs in our riding.
5. What are you doing to make sure that your environmental platform doesn’t get lost among sifting priorities after the election?
Scott Reid. The environment is a priority today for all parties because Canadian voters have made it a priority. As long as the public is aware of the dangers that our environment faces, the media will continue to keep the issue in the forefront, and the opposition will continue to raise environmental issues in Question Period and other forums. It is through these participants in public debate that the environment will remain high on the political agenda.
David Remington. I have long been a supporter of the environment and will work with my colleagues to ensure our Green Shift policy is implemented.
Chris Walker. I’m a Green Party candidate. I don’t consider us having an ‘environmental platform’ because we don’t see ‘the environment’ as an issue, it’s our home, it’s the world and everything in it. Our policies are guided by the simple truth that our society and economy exist within the environment and are made of the environment and wholly dependent on the environment, so all our policies are designed to work towards a sustainable society in harmony with the environment. When we work in balance with the carrying capacity of the Earth, most of the other challenges humanity is struggling with will greatly diminish
Sandra Willard. Personally, the environmental crisis is one of the main motivators for my increased political involvement. I, and our riding, have been active within the party and our community for years stressing that the environment needs to be central to all parts of our platform, including economic and social justice policy.
6. In the last few years, what actions or lifestyle changes have you or your family taken to reduce their environmental footprint?
Scott Reid. Well, I just got married nine months ago, so “my family” doesn’t have a very long history. One change that I wish I had made, and didn’t, would have been to purchase a hybrid vehicle. After gas prices soared, I looked into getting a new vehicle, and discovered that Toyota now has a six-month waiting list for new hybrids. To be honest, I was as much attracted by the fuel savings that I anticipate, and by the impact that this would have on my wallet, as by any impact that my carbon emissions might have on the planet. I suspect that in this regard, I am similar to many Canadian consumers—and this points to the importance of allowing the free market (which can be defined as the rational self-interest of everybody) to do its magic in causing us all to become better conservationists.
David Remington. We have purchased a more efficient car a Ford Focus. We have changed all the light bulbs in our home to compact fluorescents. A couple of years ago we purchased a new fridge and stove that have the energy star symbol. We don’t use air conditioning very much, only on very hot days, which this year were few and far between. We want to replace our washer and dryer but can not afford it at this point.
Chris Walker.
• Installed a pellet stove (supplementing the wood stove that is the main heat source)
• Bought an electric bicycle
• Sold off my gasoline car and converted my diesel Golf to run on filtered waste vegetable oil
• Joined a local CSA (community shared agriculture) operation, plus purchase all our meet and eggs from a local organic farm.
• Started canning and pickling local foods bought in bulk
• Started composting all our organic kitchen waste
• Eliminated most imported food from our diets and carefully exclude products containing palm oil
• Purchase second hand materials for clothing, appliances, construction, etc. whenever available
• Reduced flying substantially and purchase gold standard offsets when we do fly
• Continued energy efficiency upgrades to the house, like additional insulation to the roof, upgraded windows and doors (again, all using high quality salvaged materials)
Net Result: we’re eating better, living more simply and saving money!
Sandra Willard. While I support personal lifestyle changes it is important to remember that most of these are often only options for the relatively well-off. Much of the recent focus on these approaches tends to detract from the urgent need for strong government action to deal with the problem on a systemic and societal level.
Gord Brown response letter.
We have responded to Climate Change with our Turning the Corner and EcoAction plans. I invite you to view the Environment Canada and the EcoAction web sites to learn what we have accomplished.
We are the first federal government to respond to green house gas emissions.
Since coming to power, we have introduced a regulatory framework that will impose mandatory emissions reduction targets on Canadian industry and reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions by an achievable 20 per cent by 2020.
Additionally, we launched a $2-billion ecoENERGY initiative to encourage smarter energy use, greater use of clean energy sources, and cleaner use of traditional energy sources.
We have also invested massively in ecological conservation, including the world's largest freshwater protection area.
As well, As a town councilor in Gananoque I worked to establish the Blue Box Program
I also worked hard to help establish the UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserve. I was one of the early proponents of the reserve and in my capacity as Chair of the St. Lawrence Parks Commission I ensured it received access to the building it now occupies and had support from the commission.
As the Member of Parliament I have continued working for the environment.
I championed $2 million worth of funding for the biosphere reserve network all across Canada.
I acquired a number of grants for the Agro Forestry Centre and agro forestry projects in the riding.
My constituency office operated a Project Porchlight program last year because I know that if you can get people to take the first step toward reducing their consumption and reducing greenhouse gases, you can get them to think about other ways to do more. You will have to double check but we were told at the time that ours was one of the most successful projects.
In one of my Householders I devoted an entire section to educating the public on how to reduce their carbon footprint. We were in the middle of planning another one for next spring when the election was called. If I am re-elected that will move forward and be published next spring.
I fought to get $15 million of government funding and get policies in place to build an ethanol plant in Leeds-Grenville. Using ethanol in gasoline reduces the production of green house gases every day.
Through the CFDC's the federal government has also provided funding for other projects such as the solar plant that the Opposition leader visited during this campaign.
I have attended many events in Leeds-Grenville and spoken out at these events and in other places to help educate people about how to reduce the production of green house gases in their personal lives.
I have worked with the environment minister to ensure that industries that reduce their production of green house gases get credit for doing so and are thereby encouraged to do more.
I organized a tour of the riding for the minister to show off what has been done in Leeds-Grenville.
If I am re-elected I will continue doing work such as this to help our environment.
We will post responses from other Leeds-Grenville candidates as we receive them.
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