Ontario thumbs its nose at Ottawa and Washington

May 27, 2009 No Comments by
ottawaThe cap-and-trade debate is getting more fired up . . . or offset . . . or making others green with dollar signs or exasperation . . .

 the provincial government of Ontario is about to introduce legislation pushing a cap-and-trade system.

Picture California, Texas, and New York, and the next six largest US states' population combined, and you've got the idea of how influential Ontario is in Canada. It's home of the country's capital and largest city, and has most of the country's largest banks and cities.

While the province's premier, Dalton McGuinty, was evasive about some tough questions, including if and when the provinces coal plants would close, the degree to which polluters would be penalized, or even how the system would work, the impending legislation shows that this debate won't go away--and may be one of the cogs in sorting out how we can wean ourselves off of fossil-based fuels.

And any step taken by a Canadian government is a great step--yes, the USA consumes about 25% of the world's energy, but surveys show that the country with the highest energy consumption per-capita is . . . Canada!

air - land - quality of life, energy, International, politics

About the author

Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division, GGP Media. Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event. His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Currently he is in the United Arab Emirates exploring opportunities. He writes for San Francisco-based Triple Pundit, and now The Guardian , where he writes about waste, water, low carbon initiatives, and green building. He has also written for AIA's Architect Magazine. Leon lives in San Jose, the capital of Silicon Valley, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 50+ countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.
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