The Council replies: Letters to the editor
Tar sands to blame

By Jean-Yves LeFort
The Ottawa Citizen
November 29, 2007
Re: Be careful how you criticize parties on climate change, Nov. 27.

Stephen Harper argues that we can't meet our Kyoto targets and should abandon the accord completely. It's like saying that we can't eradicate crime and should get rid of the police.

Letter-writer and self-described conservative environmentalist Andrew MacVicar wonders why the United States is actually more successful than Canada in limiting greenhouse gas emissions increases.

One reason -- indeed the main one -- is that, according to The Pembina Institute, the Alberta tar sands are now Canada's single fastest growing emitter of greenhouse gases. The tar sands ship most of the crude oil it produces south (not to eastern Canada) for U.S. consumption. So much for Canadian environmental and energy security.

Jean-Yves LeFort, Energy Campaigner, Council of Canadians

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