Canada third worst polluter

by Rob Peters | April 24, 2008 at 08:56 pm | 405 views | 6 comments

For once bronze is better than silver or gold, but it would be nice if we didn't medal at all.

OTTAWA -- Gas-guzzling vehicles are one of the key factors behind the notorious environmental record of Canadians who are among the highest per capita polluters in the world, according to figures released Tuesday by Statistics Canada.

Each Canadian produces an average of 23 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year, trailing Americans, who create an average of 24.4 tonnes of emissions per year, and Australians, with an average of 27.7 tonnes of emissions per year, according to the federal statistical agency.

An average car produces about five tonnes of CO2 emissions in a year, according to the report, Human Activity and the Environment, released to coincide with Earth Day. It found that the production and the individual consumption of energy were the main sources of Canada's high per capita emissions.

Although some developing countries, such as India and China are among the biggest polluters over all, the per capita emissions of those countries are up to 20 times less than those in Canada.

The report also noted that such developed countries as the United Kingdom, France and Germany have per capita emissions that are about half of those produced by Canadians, who are increasing their pollution faster than any other industrialized country.

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jayr_patron

at 21:32 on April 24th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Peters, I like this story. It's good stuff. I'm not really a fan of SUVs... just a side note :)

Barry Artiste

at 00:43 on April 25th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Peters, I like this story. It's good stuff. But then the story is a tad bias, especially since all cars, trucks and transport account for only 10% of Greenhouse gases in Canada in a study by Environment Canada. The finger pointing should be aimed at Industries around the world such as Europe, Russia, India, Japan and Asia which use Coal exclusively, Coal is the 90% of Co2 Emissions amongst other toxic emissions in the air in the world today. If we did a ranking on industrial pollution you would find we are even behind Germany and just above eco friendly Britian which now imports coal from Russia. While certainly pollution from cars is a concern, when you see the big picture, we are not as bad as most Junk scientists and media and political fear mongers would like the Public to believe. I could go on about advances in pollution controls etc, but sanyone concerned with the Environment as I am can research it more, By the way I own a 2007 Cadillac Escalade, an Suv, it is a requirement for me to have one for my profession and is relative to other SUVs, but more reliable when in the interior far from service station.

Thanks for letting me comment on here.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/19/AR2008031903859_pf.html

http://www.wheels.ca/article/20196

http://www.naftc.wvu.edu/naftc%20enews/June%2006/aroundtheworld.html

http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science/each-countrys-share-of-co2-emissions.html

eastvanray

at 17:21 on April 26th, 2008

Hey Barry,

Glad to see you making an important point about where most of the CO2 really comes from. As you point out it is the burning of coal to make power that is the big threat. Why aren't the "environmental activists" out there protesting about that? Another fact to put it into perspective....if China reduced it's emissions by 3% it would be equivalent to Canada reducing it's emissions by 100%. Further that means with automobiles making up 10% of our emissions that if China reduced its emissions by 0.3% it would be equal to taking every internal combustion engine driven vehicle off the road in Canada. Now I don't feel so bad driving my 6000lb 10 MPG SUV occasionally.

Barry Artiste

at 22:19 on April 26th, 2008

Protestors, still protest coal burning facilities. Media whores, political fear mongers and environmentalists alike feel Joe Average Driver is a much easier target. Some Drivers mistakenly believe it is they who are contributing to all the World's problem and feel guilt and remorse. It doesn't help that their Children "Ranting" on their parents for driving a non hybrid. The ideas in Kids heads, most likely ingrained in the childrens brains by Unclued and misinformed Teachers and Environmentalists whose Environmental Bandwaggonry Jumping is legendary in this Province and across Canada. Though Cars are a problem, I feel less guilt driving than those in coal burning plants who express no guilt whatsoever. People just do not realise the Big Picture.

Little do people realise the inconvienent truth, that while Biofuels are cleaner buring, raising Biofuels contributes to as much if not more pollution and waste, such as farm vehicles to plant it, water to grow it, fertilize it, gather it, and then process it, not to mention transport it to market, whereas oil has a non polluting pipeline to bring it to market. And do not even get me started on the pollution aspects of manufacturing Hybrid cars. Both Oil and Biofuels pollute, you just have to decide which one causes World Hunger, when being environmental at home and in the office and recycling or repairing clothes and appliances can make a world of difference. Anyone ever think of bringing their own cup from home when hitting the Starbucks? I thought so..... Believe it or not Tim Hortons prefer you do.

I also think using perfectly edible food in a starving world for filling your Hybrid is akin to Genocide. Something I reported on publicly in Now Public last year when the Inconvienent Truth came out and the Nobel Society was going to award Gore his Nobel Prize, before an impending food crisis was in the making.

Guess how many responses or hits I got on my NewBreaking Opinion Story, last year? You can count the hits on both hands, as for a Good Stuff Flag? Yeah Right!! Shows some want to just believe the Al Gore Junk Science Dream that is now proving to be a Third World Food Shortage Nightmare. And I said it here first and also in the Vancouver Sun and Globe and Mail in Spring of 2007, all for naught.

Here is a 2007 story I printed on gas prices and biofuels, it actually got a good stuff flag, but not on the food shortage issue. In fact Matte even made reference to the issues that I wrote about today.

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/ethanol-may-not-be-miracle-its-made-out-be