Don't like the plan? Give alternatives or STFU II

**Note: Updates and additions below**

Lately it seems we hear nothing but verbal barbs from the parties on the environment."Kyoto!" one bellows. "Not Kyoto!" screams the other.

It seems there is a competition for who is worse on the environmental file, those that failed to do anything substantial while they were in office, or those that have done the same thing for the last year (not to mention while they were in opposition).

Ok then, if its Kyoto, how do we do it? What's the plan?

Not Kyoto? Ok, what's the alternative to Kyoto you were working on all those years you were opposing Kyoto?

While I agree with Olaf that in principle "anti-Kyoto doesn't mean anti-environment", I need more than just a good word and a promise from a party that until mere weeks ago opposed it because they didn't think there was even a problem to solve. And I need the same thing from the party that had the chance and blew it, besides a feel-good "Support Kyoto" motion.

I want concrete plans and actions. Ideas of what to do, rather than the constant recriminations of what the other guy didn't do.

Here are some examples:

My example on acting locally to reduce dependence on cars.
Steve V.'s ideas about changing the auto industry over at Far and Wide.
Robert has an ongoing series about his plan to meet Kyoto in 2 years by tackling power generation, the biggest GHG producer besides the Tar Sands.
Zorph has some practical ideas each of us can do, with or without the Government.

So what are some other ideas and plans?

• Carbon Tax
• Carbon credit trading within Canada
• Highly decentralized grids of alternative power - wind, solar, tidal, geothermal
• Bio-fuels from sources other than feed grains or corn
• Others....
  

I don't care if they help meet Kyoto or not, so long as they do something to reduce air pollution and GHG emissions. Create a post, drop a line, leave a comment. Tell me how this will help the environment, create a carbon neutral foot print, reduce GHG, create jobs, create a new economy, conserve fuel and power or any combination of these. Do that and I'll post the links and the ideas.

Put our money where our mouths are. Or STFU.

(PS. No sci-fi suggestions like magic cooling dust or space umbrellas - realistic plans we can do now).

Update:

Olaf gets the ball rolling with 3 of his previous posts: Using nuclear to reduce emission from power generation, an interesting piece on Carbon Trading, and how Carbon Taxes would be good for Alberta. Thanks buddy.

John at Dymaxion World weighs in with a good post about the silliness of being "Anti-Kyoto" and what it really means.

Robert jumps in with more, how unplugging appliances can save. Every little bit helps.

For the "intensity-based targets" fans that are posting: they are a no-go. Why? They don't work.

"The government intends to set targets based on the intensity of emissions of greenhouse gases per unit of economic activity. Unfortunately, intensity-based targets can be used to take credit for improvements largely due to better energy efficiency and not as a result of climate policies. According to this measure, Canada’s greenhouse gas intensity decreased by 14 per cent between 1990 and 2004 while in absolute terms, greenhouse gas emission have increased 27 per cent.7

Emissions intensity targets were used by the Alberta government in its 2002 position on climate change, underlining the fact that intensity-based targets are simply a way of deflecting attention from the real absolute increases in emission levels. So while Alberta’s intensity targets are a reduction of 16 per cent bt 2010 and 28 per cent by 2020, these targets would actually allow absolute increases of 34 per cent in 2010 and 38 per cent in 2020.8"

I appreciate the thought. Keep the ideas coming.

My buddy Ian Scott, while remaining skeptical, still thinks respecting nature is a good idea and offers his small advice to get plastics and other unnatural chemicals out of the kitchen.

Alison at Creekside and Declan at Crawl Across the Ocean provide some interesting facts about India and China's CO2 emissions, compared to ours.

And Dazzlin' Dino at the Blogging Party of Canada bursts forth with frustration and demands some action. Of course, he might just be having a mid-life crisis... ;-)