Harper & Baird still not getting it

Environment Minister John Baird is in Paris today for the release of a report which says evidence of climate change is unequivocal — and that human activity is likely to blame.
Great, but his reaction to this report, according to the Toronto Star, is to promise to regulate industry that accounts for about half of Canada’s emissions using intensity targets that require companies to produce fewer emissions per unit of output — but could still allow total emissions to increase. Baird rejected the notion of green taxes to promote more careful use of energy by individuals and small businesses, which account for the other half of Canada’s emissions.

Despite all the talk, Baird and Harper still do not get it.  Intensity targets are unequivocally the wrong approach.  If they were to require the tar sands to reduce intensity by even 50% while allowing the environmental carnage in Northern Alberta to continue unabated, allowing oil extraction to double as is predicted, then they do NOTHING to reduce emissions.  And they are not talking reductions anywhere close to 50% in the same time frame as the production growth rate, so emissions will still grow.

And this does not even address the damage being done in the oil sands by the extraction and use of fresh water.