Ending fossil fuel subsidies in the next federal budget would be a "no brainer," says a former Conservative MP who played a key role advising former prime minister Brian Mulroney's government on environmental issues.
David Macdonald, the first chair of the House of Commons environment committee, established in 1989, noted that many global organizations, including the International Monetary Fund and the International Energy Agency, have urged all governments to get rid of the subsidies to avoid waste and to discourage energy consumption that is causing global warming.
"Fossil fuel (subsidies) are a drag," said Macdonald, who now supports the New Democrats. "They enforce consumption, they are unbalancing our energy future, and we should get rid of them."
David Sawyer, an environmental economist and director of climate change and energy at the International Institute for Sustainable Development has estimated the federal government could save more than $1.3 billion per year if it phases out all existing subsidies for the oil, gas and coal industries.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who is to deliver his budget on March 29, was advised by his department in 2010 to end several tax incentive and subsidy programs for fossil fuels, mainly consisting of incentives for exploration and development.
Macdonald recognized that the federal government is phasing out some subsidies, but he said it and the provinces need to do a lot more to help encourage a shift toward renewable forms of energy.
"We're far too dependent on fossil fuels, and the longer we let that go on and subsidize it, the more we're just making it so much tougher for future generations," said Macdonald.
"So I think this is a no-brainer." The Commons environment committee under Macdonald advised the Mulroney government prior to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro that produced international treaties to stabilize the level of greenhouse gas emissions warming the atmosphere.
Macdonald, a Conservative MP for 19 years, including a brief stint in former prime minister Joe Clark's cabinet, noted that the committee recognized from the start that climate change should be its focus.
"I have been concerned that Canada in particular, which had been a leader 20 years ago - internationally and to some degree domestically - was really moving to the back of the pack and we were really losing the sense of how important it was for us to really change our policies and our practices."
Original Article
Source: edmonton journal
Author: Mike De Souza
David Macdonald, the first chair of the House of Commons environment committee, established in 1989, noted that many global organizations, including the International Monetary Fund and the International Energy Agency, have urged all governments to get rid of the subsidies to avoid waste and to discourage energy consumption that is causing global warming.
"Fossil fuel (subsidies) are a drag," said Macdonald, who now supports the New Democrats. "They enforce consumption, they are unbalancing our energy future, and we should get rid of them."
David Sawyer, an environmental economist and director of climate change and energy at the International Institute for Sustainable Development has estimated the federal government could save more than $1.3 billion per year if it phases out all existing subsidies for the oil, gas and coal industries.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who is to deliver his budget on March 29, was advised by his department in 2010 to end several tax incentive and subsidy programs for fossil fuels, mainly consisting of incentives for exploration and development.
Macdonald recognized that the federal government is phasing out some subsidies, but he said it and the provinces need to do a lot more to help encourage a shift toward renewable forms of energy.
"We're far too dependent on fossil fuels, and the longer we let that go on and subsidize it, the more we're just making it so much tougher for future generations," said Macdonald.
"So I think this is a no-brainer." The Commons environment committee under Macdonald advised the Mulroney government prior to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro that produced international treaties to stabilize the level of greenhouse gas emissions warming the atmosphere.
Macdonald, a Conservative MP for 19 years, including a brief stint in former prime minister Joe Clark's cabinet, noted that the committee recognized from the start that climate change should be its focus.
"I have been concerned that Canada in particular, which had been a leader 20 years ago - internationally and to some degree domestically - was really moving to the back of the pack and we were really losing the sense of how important it was for us to really change our policies and our practices."
Original Article
Source: edmonton journal
Author: Mike De Souza
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