In Europe, new emissions rules are coming into effect, and no one is happy.

The automakers are upset because the rules are too stringent.

The environmentalists are upset because the rules are not stringent enough.

Regular people are upset because the cost of a car will go up significantly.

And rich people?  Oh, they're fine.  Their cars are exempt from the rules.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 03:07 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 755 words, total size 7 kb.

Joyce Murray is the Liberal Party candidate fighting for the seat of Vancouver Quadra.  It is a strong Liberal seat, and no one would be surprised to see it go Liberal again.

Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion would be especially pleased.  Not only would the Liberals retain a seat, Joyce Murray would bolster the Liberal reputation on the environment.  As an MLA in the BC legislature, Murray was the Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection in Gordon Campbell's cabinet.

Like Stephane Dion, she didn't actually do much for the environment.  And that's a good thing for Stephane Dion should she win in Vancouver Quadra.  Stephane Dion does not need another MP in his caucus quietly doubting Dion's commitment to the environment.  Another pseudo-environmentalist would no doubt tell Stephane Dion just how much of a great environmental leader he is, without bringing up any uncomfortable facts.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 10:51 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 2699 words, total size 21 kb.

Stephane Dion believes Canada cannot meet the Kyoto targets.

Stephane Dion believes Canada can meet the Kyoto targets.

Who knows what Stephane Dion believes?  Who knows who tells Stephane Dion what to believe?

Does Stephane Dion believe in anything?

Maybe he believes in fairies.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 12:09 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 371 words, total size 5 kb.

This is a piece about the flexibility of Chris Benedetti. He is simultaneously a Liberal Party supporter, a head of several environmental organizations, a consultant encouraging companies to work hard to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, and a lobbyist for a Washington-based bromine industry front group dedicated to keeping the earth-warming chemical compounds that drive their profits from being subjected to further regulation in Canada.

Yeah, that last one is the one that is supposed to make you do a double take.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 10:45 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 1459 words, total size 10 kb.

Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are protecting the world against Chinese bullying rooted in the chronic Chinese gripe about being the victim of humiliation. The Chinese have made it clear that environmental treaties are a tool for punishing the West. Stephen Harper figures any environmental treaty designed around that premise will not be good for Canada or for the environment.

And for that, Stephane Dion and Jack Layton have labelled Stephen Harper the enemy.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 11:11 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 826 words, total size 6 kb.

I've received a dionesque threat delivered by email.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 09:24 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 484 words, total size 3 kb.

Normally, I would have no concerns whatsoever that Stephane Dion will embarrass the Canadian government in Bali, where there is a major UN conference is taking place concerning climate change. The leader of the Liberal Party has taken it upon himself to go to Bali, though it is not clear why. As the leader of the opposition, Stephane Dion cannot speak on behalf of the government or explain government policy. He has promised in the past never to criticize the Canadian government in front of foreign dignitaries.

Indeed, in a recent incident, Stephane Dion had an opportunity to criticize Prime Minister Stephen Harper to a foreign official, and yet he was very careful to avoid doing so.

At the time, I congratulated him on it, and based on that incident, I have every confidence Stephane Dion will not disappoint me this time.

And yet...I'm nervous. There are signs that Stephane Dion is planning to embarrass all of us.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 11:58 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 1334 words, total size 8 kb.

How will environmentalists succeed at terrifying people into following them by threatening death at the hands of planetary weather when the evidence shows a steady and dramatic decline in weather-related deaths?

The first thing, of course, is to point out that Big Oil is somewhere in the picture. That way the environmentalists can skip trying to actually refute the data.

Posted by: Steve Janke at 04:01 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 696 words, total size 5 kb.