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Scrapping support for efficiency programs short-sighted, environmentally destructiveMay 5, 2006 - VANCOUVER - The decision by the Harper government to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to energy savings programs that would combat climate change is short-sighted and destructive, says the David Suzuki Foundation. “This is a tremendous step backward for Canada,” says Morag Carter, director of the David Suzuki Foundation’s climate change program. “We know that these programs are key for protecting the environment, saving money and for job creation.” The current government has repeatedly said that it will replace existing programs with a “made in Canada solution” including a proposal for a new Clean Air Act. But so far nothing has been announced that will clean the air or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On Friday, May 5, the CBC reported that several energy saving programs put in place by the previous government of Canada would be cancelled. This news follows another media report that the federal government would no longer give Ontario $538 million to help defray the costs of phasing out high polluting, coal-fired power plants. It is estimated that when the project is completed in 2009, up to 30 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions will be eliminated. Under the Kyoto Protocol, Canada is obliged to cut emissions by six per cent below 1990 levels by 2012. Canada’s emissions are now more than 24 per cent above 1990 levels. The Kyoto Protocol contains targets, timelines and requires mandatory emission reductions with penalties for non-compliance. “With these cuts, the government has signalled that it isn’t interested in promoting clean air to protect the health of Canadians or to honor our international agreements.”
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For more information or to arrange interviews, contact: Morag Carter
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