[Fwd: Federal/Provincial Energy-Environment Conference in Halifax]

Date: Mon, 19 Oct 1998 20:49:06 -0700
From: John/Karen Pearce <jk.pearce@ns.sympatico.ca>
Organization: LLLC/T2000ATL
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
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Message-ID: <362C067C.412A@ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Mon, 19 Oct 1998 20:41:48 -0700
From: John/Karen Pearce <jk.pearce@ns.sympatico.ca>
Organization: LLLC/T2000ATL
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Subject: Federal/Provincial Energy-Environment Conference in Halifax
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An important federal-provincial conference of energy and environment 
ministers is being held in Halifax this week. The main focus is reduction 
of Greenhouse Gas emissions, particularly CO2.  

Since transportation is the biggest producer of Greenhouse Gases we must 
place our focus on ways to reduce CO2 production from burning of fossil 
fuels by the transport sector. It's unfortunate that, as usual in this 
type of conference, transportation ministers are not involved.

Here are some issues that must be addressed if Canada is to achieve its 
goal of a 6% cut in Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2010:

-The number of cars and driver's licences is growing rapidly. Trends are 
shifting to ownership of gas guzzling vans and sport utility vehicles. 
These tendencies must be reversed through more efficient vehicles and 
better public transit.

-Our cities and towns are becoming more subject to "urban sprawl" with 
longer commuter trips to work, children using dedicated buses rather than 
being able to walk to school, and shopping and leisure trips becoming 
longer and longer. Our planners must develop more compact urban areas and 
better transit to offer alternatives to auto commuting. 

-We continue to expand highways to accommodate more trucks while closing 
down rail lines. Yet rail freight is 4 to 6 times more energy efficient 
and pollution free than trucks. This trend also needs reversal 
especially for heavy freight and long distance trips.  

The Suzuki Foundation and other environmental groups are right when they 
say we can't expect education and voluntary action alone to achieve the 
Kyoto global warming reduction goals. We need action by our leaders in 
energy conservation, environmental pollution, AND especially in 
transportation.

John Pearce, Transport 2000 Atlantic.  Phone 469-3474,  Fax 469-3637,
e-mail  jk.pearce@ns.sympatico.ca

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