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Clean energy economy imperative

Herb Nakada makes the case for a clean energy economy in his letter to the editor.

Editor:

Imagine Premiers saying we’d like to look after your children’s climate future 67 per cent of the time.  Will global 440 ppm of CO2 “capped,” give us a 67 per cent chance to stay below 2 C?

We are at 400 ppm of CO2 now.  Take time for your answer.  Canadian Premiers meet next summer(2014) to create a National Energy Policy.

Imagine Premiers saying we will take care of your children’s climate future 90 per cent of the time.  Will global 400 ppm of CO2 “capped,” give us a 90 per cent chance of stabilizing global temperatures at 2 C?

The Premier’s energy policy, led by Allison Redford, will look after our children’s climate future 0 per cent of the time.  James Hansen says passing 2 C “guarantees” global disaster.  The UN agrees.  Just care for our children’s climate future.

Imagine a global climate energy policy which guarantees 100 per cent of the time, our children’s climate future.  2 C is disastrous.  1.5 C is dangerous.  0.8 C isn’t safe enough.

The International Energy Agency(IEA) warned us on May 1, 2012, that we have five more years “left” to act on a low-carbon energy plan which will keep us from passing 2 C by 2030.

With Harper, 2012/13 has passed exponentially increasing our carbon emissions.  In “2014,” our Premiers will have a high-carbon energy plan...”doubling GHG’s.” We have four years left to plan ... to act?

Most scientists say “2017” is enough time to act.  There is a 30 per cent chance we don’t have four more years.  The exact time for “irreversible” global warming isn’t certain.

Canadians need to be thinking ... acting through 2017. A stabilized clean energy economy “reducing” GHG’s is a categorical imperative.

We are on the edge of passing the tipping point of no return for global warming.  Guarantee our children’s climate future with a 100 per cent margin of safety. Activate a plan which will return us to 350 ppm of CO2.