Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his speech. We are dealing with the issue of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. The question of whether there is global warming is a valid one. The bulk of scientific experience says there is. Some say there is not. Regardless, a precautionary principle must apply. The question is, would Kyoto do the job?
Kyoto would involve the reduction of 5% to 7% of greenhouse gas emissions based on 1990 levels. The United States, the most important country dealing with the issue, has increased its greenhouse gas levels by 30% since that time.
Kyoto would not achieve the objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The timeline is too rigid. The targets are too inflexible. To accomplish the objective we must take other approaches. These could include utilizing and expanding carbon sinks, utilizing new technology, and perhaps utilizing our tax structure to encourage companies to use new technologies.
The problem is that the technology we have and are developing could not be implemented for Kyoto. That is why the United States rejected it 95 to 0 in its senate, effectively killing the Kyoto protocol.
We need to be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over a longer period of time, even more than what Kyoto asks for. Does my hon. colleague believe the way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the long term, which is most important, is to encourage the development and protection of carbon sinks which include bogs and forests? Does he believe we need greater investment in research and development and new cleaner technologies? Does he believe we need to use our tax structure to encourage the private sector to utilize and embrace new technologies? Does he believe we need a renegotiated deal that would involve more flexible targets over the long term so we could bring in the United States and developing countries and have the treaty ratified? At present Kyoto does not have the international support we would like. Only one country in the developing world, Romania, has ratified it.
Does my hon. friend see that what I have mentioned would be a reasonable alternative for reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the longer term so we would be able to address global warming in a meaningful way?