Olympic organizers announced California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, singer Michael Buble and famous dad Walter Gretzky will all serve as Olympic torch bearers when the flame arrives in Vancouver. As a kid growing up in Calgary, I got to experience the 1988 Winter Olympics firsthand and I'm amazed at all the glitz and glamour now associated with the games. Within the context of the big show I can understand Buble and Gretzky's participation given their national reputation, but the inclusion of "the Governator" left me scratching my head... at first.
No doubt his inclusion is, at least in part, due to his warm relationship with B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell - an association that's developed in large part because of their cooperative efforts to fight global warming. (If accurate, this rationale is rather poignant given the links between climate change and the snow shortage threatening the Winter Olympics.)
California has played a leading role in pushing forward a range of policies to reduce its use of fossil fuels and emissions of greenhouse gas pollution, and has worked closely with six other U.S. states and B.C., Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec to fill the void left by the Canadian and American federal governments when it comes to taking action on global warming.
A fan of Quebec's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, Schwarzenegger noted last November, "Like California, Quebec is not waiting for national and international commitments; they are taking action now to reduce emissions and dependence on fossil fuels."
Indeed, Quebec is now following in California's footsteps by implementing tough new auto emission standards that will limit greenhouse gas pollution from cars and light trucks sold in the province between 2010 and 2016. Last week, federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice sparked a war of words with Quebec Premier Jean Charest when he characterized these efforts as "one of the most glaring examples of the folly of attempting to go it alone," while the auto sector suggested that Quebec was "out of step" with the rest of North America.
Let's not confuse the facts though - Quebec is neither "going it alone" nor are they "out of step" with the rest of North America.
In addition to California, 13 other U.S. states have also adopted these same auto emission standards. All told, state and provincial governments representing more than 120 million citizens (or about one third of the Canadian and American auto market) have set this performance benchmark for the auto sector. That's a lot of drivers.
According to John Lorinc writing in the New York Times' energy and environment blog: "Much smaller markets than Quebec's have adopted tough vehicle emission rules. Vermont's population, for example, is only one-twelfth of Quebec's."
When Vermont first got involved five years ago lobbyists warned of substantial costs. But "Since the rules have changed, however, there have been no obvious signs of consumer revolt," writes Lorinc.
And lastly, there's the ironic twist that, as Mike deSouza points out, draft legislation indicates that Canada's federal government is planning to implement simmilar vehicle emissions standards by summer.
So how is Quebec going to manage its way through this supposed "folly?" Well, to paraphrase the Beatles (and Prime Minister Harper), I guess they'll get by with a little help from their friends.
