Re: 鈥淐ould pain at pump be good for climate?鈥� column, April 6.
Unfortunately, Jack Knox has accepted the too-common linkage of greenhouse-gas pollution and population in the climate blame game.
To relate a country鈥檚 percentage of total world population to its responsibility for a percentage of the world鈥檚 greenhouse gases makes no sense. There is no such thing as a per-capita greenhouse-gas allowance. Nor do greenhouse gases stay within a producing country鈥檚 national boundaries, but readily move worldwide across international borders.
The too-seldom seen paired relevant figures in global greenhouse-gas pollution are (1) a country鈥檚 share of the world鈥檚 total greenhouse-gas emissions, and (2) that country鈥檚 percentage of the world鈥檚 land mass.
Well-substantiated sources confirm Canada鈥檚 share of the world鈥檚 total greenhouse-gas emissions is 1.63 per cent. That鈥檚 a figure we should be proud of, considering we occupy 6.1 per cent of earth鈥檚 land mass. It makes us the 10th least polluting industrialized country.
Although we can further lower our greenhouse-gas production, it鈥檚 still at a level we can be proud of.
Ron Johnson
Saanich
