Meanwhile, in Canada...
Meanwhile, the Canadian government, who refused to participate in the war in Iraq (war that has initiated the rise of oil), has reacted to the rise in oil prices by doing... nothing. But, if the United States is at war against terrorism and Iraq, the rest of the world is battling something else: global warming.
Kyoto and the fourth oil crisis
The most incredible shortcoming that I've noticed when reading various articles about the oil crisis these past few days, is the total absence of the perception that is it possible here to kill two birds with one stone. As a matter of fact, it is rather surprising that NOBODY took the time to mention or even think that the increase in the price of oil could trigger a decrease in consumption and thus reduce CO2 emissions, the primary gas that causes global warming.
When the main political and economical interveners were questioned on the subject, no one would talk. Yet, there is a golden opportunity here for Canada to succeed in reaching its goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
What could we do?
Here is a list of realistic propositions that have been suggested and that can be applied right now in order to save both gasoline and, accordingly, the planet.
The federal government, the companies and governmental institutions should find ways to encourage working from home 1 day a week, wherever possible. As a matter of fact, in addition to decongesting roads, this measure would have the effect of saving gas and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, you could think of doing it yourself if you're a self-employed worker.
Rationalize your travelling. A little riddle: Which trajectories represent the highest number of kilometres in your life? Is it the commute to work? No. Could it be our trips? Neither. The answer is a lot simpler. The biggest proportion of mileage that we do is to go shopping! Going to the shopping centre, picking up the kids at school, going out to the restaurant or an evening out with friends, etc., that's what makes us consume the most gasoline. Now that we know that, it's easy to find ways to make our commuting more efficient in order to travel less.
The federal government should gradually allow a policy of credit breaks on the purchase of a new vehicle. If the federal government is serious in its quest to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, it will allow people that buy cars which use less gas to benefit from a credit, and those why buy cars that consume more to would have to pay surtax (I'll further explain this in an upcoming article).
The federal and provincial governments should help the municipal administrations reinvest in public transport. I am well aware that many people have a problem with public transport. It's because it's, well... public. As a matter of fact, since cars are as much a status symbol as transportation, a lot of people don't want to be considered as losers because they use public transport. We're not talking here about selling your beloved car, but to use it less. To give an example of the increasing problem that the bigger number of cars represents, know that in the last 5 years, the number of students in Quebec that own a car and use it to go to school has risen by 50%.
Meanwhile, the Canadian government, who refused to participate in the war in Iraq (war that has initiated the rise of oil), has reacted to the rise in oil prices by doing... nothing. But, if the United States is at war against terrorism and Iraq, the rest of the world is battling something else: global warming.
Kyoto and the fourth oil crisis
The most incredible shortcoming that I've noticed when reading various articles about the oil crisis these past few days, is the total absence of the perception that is it possible here to kill two birds with one stone. As a matter of fact, it is rather surprising that NOBODY took the time to mention or even think that the increase in the price of oil could trigger a decrease in consumption and thus reduce CO2 emissions, the primary gas that causes global warming.
When the main political and economical interveners were questioned on the subject, no one would talk. Yet, there is a golden opportunity here for Canada to succeed in reaching its goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
What could we do?
Here is a list of realistic propositions that have been suggested and that can be applied right now in order to save both gasoline and, accordingly, the planet.
The federal government, the companies and governmental institutions should find ways to encourage working from home 1 day a week, wherever possible. As a matter of fact, in addition to decongesting roads, this measure would have the effect of saving gas and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, you could think of doing it yourself if you're a self-employed worker.
Rationalize your travelling. A little riddle: Which trajectories represent the highest number of kilometres in your life? Is it the commute to work? No. Could it be our trips? Neither. The answer is a lot simpler. The biggest proportion of mileage that we do is to go shopping! Going to the shopping centre, picking up the kids at school, going out to the restaurant or an evening out with friends, etc., that's what makes us consume the most gasoline. Now that we know that, it's easy to find ways to make our commuting more efficient in order to travel less.
The federal government should gradually allow a policy of credit breaks on the purchase of a new vehicle. If the federal government is serious in its quest to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, it will allow people that buy cars which use less gas to benefit from a credit, and those why buy cars that consume more to would have to pay surtax (I'll further explain this in an upcoming article).
The federal and provincial governments should help the municipal administrations reinvest in public transport. I am well aware that many people have a problem with public transport. It's because it's, well... public. As a matter of fact, since cars are as much a status symbol as transportation, a lot of people don't want to be considered as losers because they use public transport. We're not talking here about selling your beloved car, but to use it less. To give an example of the increasing problem that the bigger number of cars represents, know that in the last 5 years, the number of students in Quebec that own a car and use it to go to school has risen by 50%.