I guess I was snoozing because I was alerted to the existence of this discussion paper by a CBC Radio journalist!
In it the Ontario government puts forward its thoughts on the cap-and-trade system it plans to develop by 2010 and then integrate with other systems. The document reads like its a good time to provide the government with reasoned views because a lot of issues are still unresolved, such as the auctioning of emission allowances.
The paper says that the system *may* include provision for the use of offsets and refers to the categories being considered within the Western Climate Initiative (agriculture, forestry, waste management).
The most interesting and welcome ingredient of the offset section is a clear condition that valued ecosystem services, such as wildlife habitat and protecting watersheds must be assured. I have been advancing a similar position to anyone who will listen (and those that won't), that there must be a biodiversity screen to make sure offsets have positive biodiversity benefits.
The discussion paper is posted for 35 days of comment on Ontario's Environmental Registry (ending March 3, 2009).
Resources:
- Environmental Registry Posting
- Discussion Paper
4 comments:
Thank you for the article. Ontario as the industrial centre of our country will have always problems with ecology, I think it's unavoidable, on the other hand that's the reason we should try harder!
Take care
Julie
Thanks for your comment Julie!
It's an interesting point. I think it's also true that there really are two economies in Ontario - the economy of southern Ontario that is both industrial and post-industrial and the economy of the north which is still very much based on resource extraction...
At a theoretical level this resource extraction economy is at even greater odds with ecology.
But our hope is to try to smooth this relationship so we can have economic activity and conservation!
Who knows where to download XRumer 5.0 Palladium?
Help, please. All recommend this program to effectively advertise on the Internet, this is the best program!
Very interesting
Post a Comment