B.C.'s greenhouse gases drop as the economy boomsVICTORIA -- When Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gordon Campbell meet today in Vancouver each will be playing the role of anti-global warming crusader.
But it just may be ordinary British Columbians are already ahead of the California governor and B.C. premier.
The newest data from Environment Canada, which was provided to The Vancouver Sun by the B.C. government Wednesday, found greenhouse gas emissions in the province declined significantly in 2005, even as the economy remained one of the hottest in Canada.
"According to Environment Canada, greenhouse gas emissions for 2005 actually decreased by 2.4 per cent," Campbell told NDP leader Carole James in a little-watched debate in the legislature Tuesday evening.
"That was in spite of an economy that grew at 3.7 per cent."
Fluctuations in greenhouse gas emissions aren't unprecedented in B.C. Despite a steady increase in emissions from 50.6 million tonnes in 1990 to 65.7 million tonnes in 2005, there have been small decreases from time to time.
From 1996 to 1997, when the economy struggled, there was a decrease of 1.8 million tonnes. And in 2001-2002, another period of sluggish growth, there was also a drop of 1.4 million tonnes.
But the 2004-2005 drop -- a 1.6-million tonne reduction from 67.3 million tonnes -- occurred when the economy was growing at a rapid rate.
"These are preliminary numbers given to us by the feds," said Environment Minister Barry Penner.
"It's significant that this happened when the economy was also growing so strongly at the time."
Campbell's purpose in meeting with Schwarzenegger today is to sign a memorandum of understanding to signal B.C. is committed to joining California in setting stiff reduction targets, penalties for companies who don't meet those targets, as well as a carbon trading market enabling "green" companies to sell carbon credits to polluters.
If that policy continues, as Campbell has vowed, reducing greenhouse gases will be a major fixation of both government and the private sector for years to come.
What is notable about the 2005 decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in B.C. is that it occurred before the B.C. government's recent elevation of fighting global warming to a top priority. The government itself was surprised at the drop.
Some of the reasons for the reduction included a decreased use of personal vehicles, which saw emissions drop 5.2 per cent, or half a million tonnes.
Boating also saw a major decrease of 7.4 per cent, or 200,000 tonnes and manufacturing decreased by 11.7 per cent, or 750,000 tonnes.
"We've actually seen people driving less," said Penner. "Higher gasoline prices likely encouraged people to reduce unnecessary trips in their personal automobiles and/or move to more efficient vehicles," he said.
"And we're hearing anecdotal evidence that boaters are just not burning as much fuel on the water."
Penner attributed the decrease in greenhouse gases from manufacturing primarily because of changes in efficiency, such as reductions in power consumption by Alcan at its giant aluminum smelter in Kitimat. He also said there was a decrease of 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases coming from landfills thanks to new technologies to burn off methane gas.
"These numbers are good news for us," says Penner.
But they're also a drop in the bucket. Campbell has vowed to decrease the province's total greenhouse gases emissions to one-third of current levels by 2020.
That would mean a decrease of more than 20 million tonnes within 13 years.
The NDP has in fact accused the premier of creating his new "climate action plan" on a back of a napkin to copy the lead of Schwarzenegger.
The NDP has been trying, unsuccessfully, to get Campbell to explain where the 33-per cent reduction target came from and to provide the economic analysis of what it will mean for British Columbia.
"Full of words and full of photo ops," James said of Campbell's global warming initiative and his plan to meet the former Hollywood action hero today.
"While I appreciate that the premier is going to enjoy his time with the governor, I think it's important that we see action."
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