For Immediate Release
April 30, 2009
OTTAWA--The Conservative government tried to dissuade California from climate action while telling the Canadian public it was going to follow the US lead. Letters posted by the Natural Resources Defence Council written by our Ambassador to the United States, the Hon. Michael Wilson and Natural Resources Minister, the Hon. Lisa Raitt, reveal the government’s intention to thwart international action on climate change. The letters, addressed to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, urge him not to proceed with California’s low carbon fuel standard --- one of California’s world leading measures to combat global warming.
“The Harper government has attempted to create the impression that we are working closely with the Obama Administration on continental climate action. This piece of fiction was already disputed by former TransAlta Vice President Bob Page in his comments on the National Round Table report,” said Elizabeth May, “Bob Page made it clear no US official with whom he spoke thinks that a cap and trade programme
including Canada is on the works. Now we know that the Conservative government is actively trying to derail action in the United States.”
The letters express concern that California’s low carbon fuel standard will prevent tars sands oil from being exported to California as well as potentially setting a standard that other states will attempt to follow.
The letters also suggest the low carbon fuel standard could lead to unfavourable and discriminatory treatment of tar sands oil. The use of this language can be read as a subtle threat to invoke the North American Free Trade Agreement to challenge California’s regulation.
Minister Raitt’s letter also attempts to mislead Governor Schwarzenegger by confusing Canada’s national emissions reduction target with improvements in the carbon intensity of tar sands production, giving the impression that emissions from the tars sands will be reduced when they are expected to more than double.
“The Harper government has attempted to create the impression that we are working closely with the Obama Administration on continental climate action. This piece of fiction was already disputed by former TransAlta Vice President Bob Page in his comments on the National Round Table report,” said Elizabeth May, “Bob Page made it clear no US official with whom he spoke thinks that a cap and trade programme
including Canada is on the works. Now we know that the Conservative government is actively trying to derail action in the United States.”
The letters express concern that California’s low carbon fuel standard will prevent tars sands oil from being exported to California as well as potentially setting a standard that other states will attempt to follow.
The letters also suggest the low carbon fuel standard could lead to unfavourable and discriminatory treatment of tar sands oil. The use of this language can be read as a subtle threat to invoke the North American Free Trade Agreement to challenge California’s regulation.
Minister Raitt’s letter also attempts to mislead Governor Schwarzenegger by confusing Canada’s national emissions reduction target with improvements in the carbon intensity of tar sands production, giving the impression that emissions from the tars sands will be reduced when they are expected to more than double.
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Copies of the letters are available at
http://greenparty.ca/files/raitt_letter_lcfs.pdf
Contact:Michael Bernard
Communications Officer
Green Party of Canada
613-562-4916 ext. 244
(c) 613-614-4916
michael.bernard@greenparty.ca
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