Premier Gordon Campbell said B.C. is “well on track” to cut emissions to lawful levels by 2020, but climate change and transit experts disagree.
“The province has taken some of the strongest steps in Canada to deal with climate change,” the Pembina Institute’s Matt Horne told The Tyee. “But there’s definitely still more that needs to be done.”
Campbell made his optimistic prediction during the leader’s debate this morning, referencing carbon targets set in law two years ago.
“British Columbia is the only province in the country that’s got a 33 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020,” he said. “We’re well on track to accomplish that.”
Natural gas development in north-eastern B.C. and transit opportunities created by the Port Mann bridge expansion are important parts of the strategy, Campbell added.
He also committed to a cap and trade system by 2012 and an end to regular oil and gas flaring four years later. The New Democratic Party’s platform calls for similar measures.
Horne said it’s doable for the province to meet its reduction targets, but he's worried unplanned natural gas development could make progress "impossible." And to date, there’s been no study suggesting the Port Mann expansion will reduce greenhouse gases, Horne said.
UBC landscape architecture professor Patrick Condon argues the government could cover the Lower Mainland in zero-emission light rail for the cost of the new bridge.
Instead, the ruling party’s Gateway project – which calls for widened highways and more bridge lanes – will sidetrack sustainable planning for years, Condon told The Tyee.
Expanded vehicle infrastructure causes more people to drive, he added.
“I think the average person understands that building new highways does not reduce greenhouse gases,” he said.
Last June, Campbell announced the province was set to meet 73 percent of its 2020 reduction goals, based on existing policies. In July, the independant B.C. Climate Action Team released a report with 31 recommendations to hit the target.
The David Suzuki Foundation’s Ian Bruce said the government should allocate a portion of carbon tax revenue to fund public transit.
That was the recent proposal most Lower Mainland mayors called for to meet a TransLink funding shortfall. Campbell opposed the initiative.
“I certainly hope the province and whichever government forms after the election takes this proposal seriously,” Bruce said. “I think it’s extremely exciting.”
Geoff Dembicki reports for The Tyee.
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Rod Smelser
3 years ago
Landscape Architecture
Can someone please explain to me what Landscape Architecture has to do with traffic planning? Just asking.
Rob_
3 years ago
Landscape Architecture
"Professor Patrick Condon has over 25 years experience in sustainable urban design; first as a professional city planner and then as a teacher.....
As Chair he pioneered multi party sustainable community design workshops now generally known as charrettes, starting in 1995 with the seminal Sustainable Urban Landscapes Surrey Design Charrette.
Since that time he has worked to advance sustainable urban design in dozens of major charrettes, and scores of publications. He has lectured widely in both Canada and abroad, and is the author of several books, most recently "Design Charrettes for Sustainable
Communities", Island Press.
He has been instrumental in establishing the hightly successful Smart Growth on the Ground charrettes with Smart Growth BC and is currently focussed on the Sustainability by Design project, a vision for a sustainable region of 4 million."
Rod Smelser
3 years ago
Landscape Architecture
Rob_, it's nice to see your extract from a UBC website, but as you must know, it does nothing whatever to answer my question:
What does landscape architecture have to do with traffic and highway engineering and design?
edoherty
3 years ago
Freeways Reduce Emissions?
"Natural gas development in north-eastern B.C. and transit opportunities created by the Port Mann bridge expansion are important parts of the strategy, Campbell added."
Interesting how Campbell lists his actions to increase GHG emissions, such as freeway expansion, as important parts of his strategy to reduce emissions 33% by 2020.
But perhaps he has merely gotten confused and thinks that his commitment is to increase emissions 33% by 2020.
BTW - His Gateway freeway expansion scheme has delayed getting transit across the Port Mann Bridge by two years now, see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelQTsTZRfU
Rod Smelser
3 years ago
How did Gateway delay transit?
BTW - His Gateway freeway expansion scheme has delayed getting transit across the Port Mann Bridge by two years now, see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelQTsTZRfU
I don't have time to watch the picture show. I am wondering how the PMH1 project delays transit on the existing Port Mann? Could it be that buses would have to lineup for long periods?
Can you explain how more lanes of capacity and a new structure at Port Mann will in any way reduce the future capability of providing bus or rail transit across the Fraser at that point? PLease don't waste everyone's time by trying to argue that the money spent on the bridge could have been spent on Condon's sketch of a tram package for Surrey (none of which crossed at Port Mann incidentally). You know very well that motorists and truckers will be paying for the project through tolls.
On another point, I was glad to see that you had the honesty to admit in another thread that you were and are just as vehemently opposed to the construction of the Golden Ears and Pitt River Bridges as you are to the construction of any more capaciy at Port Mann. I think that's news that people in the Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge areas ought to hear.
I was somewhat less impressed by your "explanation" that you don't fill up your presentations with lists of completed projects you oppose as your reason for not telling reporter Phil Melnychuk or your audience in Maple Ridge that you and your organization are just as opposed to the Golden Ears and Pitt River projects as you are to Port Mann. I think that's a bit too precious. Have you been taking public speaking lessons from Gordon Price and Stephen Rees, perhaps?
politico
3 years ago
Huh?
How does Natural Gas Development in the Northeast help with:
"British Columbia (being) the only province in the country that’s got a 33 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020,” he said. “We’re well on track to accomplish that.”