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      VotumE
      35
      Issue
      14
      UPEI
      STUDENT
      NEWSPAPER
      Marcu
      8,
      2005
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Environment
      Minister
      Talks
      Kyoto
     
     
      with
      Students
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nick
      Stewart
     
     
      -
      News
      Editor
     
     
      Canadian
      Environment
      Minister
     
     
      Stephane
      Dion
      visited
      the
      UPEI
      campus
     
     
      last
      Thursday
      and
      spoke
      to
      students,
     
     
      faculty
      and
      other
      guests
      about
      the
     
     
      Kyoto
      Protocol.
     
     
      Dion
      told
      students
      that
      the
     
     
      federal
      government
      is
      increasing
      its
     
     
      ~
      commitment
      to
      the
      environment,
      calling
     
     
      ~
      last
      month’s
      budget
      the
      ‘greenest’
     
     
      ~
      budget
      in
      the
      history
      of
      Canada,
      as
      it
     
     
      -
      promised
      $10
      Billion
      dollars
      for
      the
     
     
      environment
      over
      the
      next
      5
      years.
      He
     
     
      also
      promised
      that
      the
      government
      will
     
     
      release
      their
      plan
      to
      meet
      its
      Kyoto
     
     
      -
      commitments
      soon.
     
     
      Ee
      He
      told
      the
      crowd
      the
     
     
      ~
      Canadian
      government's
      main
      priority
      is
     
     
      ‘sustainable
      economic
      growth’.
      The
     
     
      -
      three.
      components
      to
      this
      priority
      are
     
     
      ~
      improving
      the
      quality
      of
      life,
      ensuring
      a
     
     
      ~
      competitive
      economy,
      and
     
     
      ~
      environmental
      protection.
      He
      claimed
     
     
      |
      the
      aim
      of
      the
      Kyoto
      Plan
      will
      be
      to
     
     
      _
      decrease
      emissions
      while
      growing
      the
     
     
      economy.
     
    

    
     
      Although
      the
      plan
      to
      meet
     
     
      Kyoto
      commitments
      has
      yet
      to
      be
     
     
      released,
      Dion
      revealed
      some
     
     
      components.
      He
      stressed
      that
     
     
      environment
      education
      of
      the
      public
      is
     
     
      very
      important,
      and
      pointed
      to
      the
      One-
     
     
      Tonne
      Challenge
      as
      increasing
     
     
      environmental
      awareness
      amongst
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (L-R:)
      UPEI
      Director
      of
      Environmental
      Studies
      and
      Sustainability,
      Dr.
      Almut
      Beringer,
     
     
      Joshua
      Darrach,
      student,
      Honourable
      Stéphane
      Dion,
      and
      Soon
      Cherng
      Chau,
      student
     
    
   
   
    
     
      population.
      He-also
      mentioned
      the
     
     
      Climate
      Fund,
      an
      agency
      that
      will
      give
     
     
      companies
      financial
      support
      if
      they
      are
     
     
      able
      to
      convince
      the
      government
      that
     
     
      their
      project
      will
      decrease
      pollutants
      such
     
     
      as
      carbon
      dioxide.
     
    

    
     
      When
      asked
      about
      the
     
     
      effectiveness
      of
      the
      protocol
      without
      the
     
     
      participation
      of
      the
      world’s
      two
      largest
     
     
      pollutants,
      China
      and
      the
      United
      States,
     
     
      he
      answered,
      “Kyoto
      is
      only
      a
      first
      step.
     
     
      Even
      if
      all
      the
      countries
      in
      the
      world
     
     
      reached
      Kyoto
      targets
      it
      would
      only
     
     
      mark
      a
      5
      %
      decrease
      in
      greenhouse
      gas
     
     
      emissions,
      while
      scientists
      are
      saying
     
     
      they
      must
      be
      reduced
      by
      50
      %.
      If
     
     
      Canada
      reaches
      its
      target
      it
      will
      not
      be
     
     
      much
      when
      compared
      to
      how
      much
     
     
      more
      China
      is
      polluting,
      but
      Kyoto
      is
     
     
      only
      a
      beginning,
      a
      first
      step.”
     
    

    
     
      Dion
      hoped
      that
      other
      countries
     
     
      such
      as
      major
      pollutants
      such
      as
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      United
      States
      and
      China
      would
      join
      the
     
     
      Protocol
      in
      the
      years
      ahead.
      “Start
      with
     
     
      this,
      then
      engage
      people,”
      he
      said
     
     
      referring
      to
      the
      One-Tonne
      Challenge
     
     
      and
      other
      initiatives
      the
      Canadian
     
     
      government
      will
      be
      pursuing.
      “I’m
      sure
     
     
      that
      through
      the
      years
      we
      will
      have
      a
     
     
      better
      protocol.”
     
     
      Charlottetown
      Public
      Transit
     
    

    
     
      UPEI
      Student
      Nathan
      Dubeau
     
     
      told
      the
      minister
      a
      big
      environmental
     
     
      problem
      in
      Charlottetown
      is
      the
      lack
      of
     
     
      public
      transit
      in
      Charlottetown.
      He
     
     
      asked
      if
      the
      federal
      government
      could
     
     
      give
      the
      municipal
      government
      funding
     
     
      for
      a
      public
      transit
      system.
      Dion
     
     
      responded
      that
      Ottawa
      is
      transferring
     
    

    
     
      Continued
      on
      page
      7
     
     
      What
      are
      your
      thoughts
      on
      City
     
     
      Transit?
     
     
      Reply
      to
      wellness@upei.ca