By Chad Klassen

FEDERAL ELECTION 2019

2019 Federal Election Issues: Climate

Oct 15, 2019 | 10:51 AM

KAMLOOPS — It’s a well-known fact that our climate is changing. To what extent is still a bit of an unknown. But 97 per cent of climate scientists around the world believe warming trends over the last century have been caused by humans.

LIBERALS

The incumbent Liberals are hoping to get another terms to continue the progress it feels it made with protecting the environment the last four years. The party claims it’s ahead of the 2030 emission targets and it promises to take its targets to the next level.

“In four years, we’ve demonstrated the measures we’ve put in place gets us to within 75 per cent of our Paris targets for 2030,” said Liberal candidate for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Terry Lake. “We’ve already announced we’re going to go further than that. We’re going to reach net zero by 2050, and most people looking at climate change have pegged that as the point where we need to be around the world.”

Two and Out

PETERS: Business owners shouldn't be held responsible for nuisance calls

Nov 15, 2024

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: November 14, 2024

Nov 15, 2024

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: What is the difference between a food policy council and frontline services?

Nov 15, 2024

CONSERVATIVES

The Conservatives, looking to regain power in 2019, promise to protect the environment without affecting the country’s economic prosperity.

The party plans to eliminate the carbon tax, which it argues is too high to make a difference but high enough to hurt commuters at the gas pumps. The Conservatives also plan to focus on more green technology.

“I honestly and truly believe it is going to be technology that gets us to where we need to be,” said Conservative candidate and incumbent for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Cathy McLeod. “You look out there and people talk solar and wind, but there’s other things that are happening that we need to and can be very optimistic about. So we’re going to focus in on the large emitters. We’re going to put in place both incentives and regulations around what they can and should do.”

NDP

The NDP, if elected, says it wouldn’t be afraid to take on the big polluters in Canada, something party leader Jagmeet Singh has said the Liberals and Conservatives are too afraid to do. The new democrats feel climate change is not being dealt with seriously enough.

“We would end fossil fuel subsidies, day one,” said NDP candidate for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Cynthia Egli. “We also have a plan to create 300,000 jobs in retrofitting buildings and homes, and clean energy.”

GREEN PARTY

The Greens feel it’s the only party telling the truth about climate change. Climate scientists are saying that countries need to prevent global temperatures from increasing above 1.5 C of pre-industrial levels.

The Green Party believes it’s the only party that can realistically achieve that based on its plan.

“Transitioning away from fossil fuels as quickly as we can, which means investing in renewable energy, which means investing in the electrical infrastructure, an east-west grid, so that renewable energy can be transferred between provinces,” said Green candidate for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Iain Currie. “It includes a just transition for people working in the oil and gas industry.”

OTHER PARTIES

The Animal Protection Party sees climate change as an urgent matter. Like the NDP and Green Party, it would plan to end oil subsidies and transition to renewable energy sources.

The People’s Party of Canada believes in climate change, but it feels it’s a natural occurrence and not caused by humans. The party believes climate change alarmism is based on flawed models that have consistently failed at correctly predicting the future.

The Communist Party believes in nationalizing all major industries, so they are under the democratic control of citizens. The party also would help industries move towards green projects.

The impact of climate change on this federal election will be known on Monday, Oct. 21.