It would appear the “love-in” between Prime Minister Harper and Quebec’s Premier Jean Charest will be short lived.

Only a few weeks ago they were front page buddies after signing an agreement that gives the province a role on the international stage through the UNESCO (an agency of the United Nations that promotes education, communication and the arts).

This week, Mr. Harper’s Environment Minister, Rona Ambrose served notice that Canada’s new government intends to withdraw from the Kyoto Accord (an international agreement that includes 163 countries and deals with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions). The United States is notably absent from the agreement and some have suggested that Canada’s new position on Kyoto is intended to mirror the U.S. view.

The United States does not support the Kyoto Accord because the Bush Administration says to do so would undermine the American economy (read the Texas oil and gas industry).

The Administration also claims the cost would be prohibitive. Estimates from Yale University’s William Nordhaus and Joseph Boyer put the number at $325 billion over decades. The Americans have already spent more than that amount in Iraq and that’s just in a couple of years. How ridiculous is it to spend billions on an illegal war when those monies could be used to help save the planet.

New Brunswick’s Environment Minister, Trevor Holder applauds Mr. Harper’s position on Kyoto while international environment groups, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and the European Community criticize Canada for “trying to sabotage 15 years of international efforts to address climate change” and global warming.

Harper’s reaction was to announce a program to increase the amount of ethanol used in gasoline from 1% to 5%. Expert say that ethanol, made from corn and other agricultural crops would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions but the problem is that production of ethanol requires the use of fuels that emit greenhouse gases. It’s estimated that the net benefit of a 5% ethanol injection would be less than 1%.

The New Brunswick Liberals announced that they want to enshrine the Kyoto targets in law.

That seems like a bit of overkill although there may be need for legislative change to encourage the actions that lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. It seems to me that more benefit would flow from a declaration of intent and a very real investment in new technologies to reduce gas emissions, legislation that would require lower emission vehicles and tax incentives that would reward the reduction of green house gas emissions in industry.

This week, Premier Charest announced that Quebec will meet its Kyoto targets regardless of what Canada decides to do. “We have every intention of pursuing our efforts (to reduce greenhouse gas emissions) in order to abide by the Kyoto Protocol” said Mr. Charest.

Mr. Harper’s response was to say actions are more important than words on reducing greenhouse gases.

“There are lots of people around the world who have bold and ambitious statements about limiting greenhouse gases but I’m more interested to see what actual effective actions are undertaken”.

Mr. Charest’s Government received unanimous support from the National Assembly for a motion urging Ottawa to meet its commitments under the Kyoto Accord. The motion also called for the federal government to honour a previous agreement to contribute financially to the implementation of Quebec’s action plan on climate change.

NDP leader, Jack Layton praised the Quebec action and encouraged other provinces to follow Quebec’s lead. Manitoba Premier Gary Doer has already said that he has no intention of changing his province's commitment to its Kyoto targets, even if the federal government backs out of the agreement.

In my view, Prime Minister Harper’s do-nothing stance is irresponsible.

The link between carbon dioxide increases in the environment and global warming is well established. Carbon dioxide levels in the 1930s were below 300 parts per million. This year, they reached 382 parts per million. Ice is beginning to melt in the Arctic. Glaciers have disappeared in Patagonia. The hurricane Katrina that decimated New Orleans could be the precursor to what is coming if we do nothing.

Poor mouthing the Kyoto objectives exposes cracks in Harper’s grand plan for majority election (a coalition of voters from western Canada, rural Ontario and Quebec). It’s difficult to reconcile his promise of a made-in-Canada solution with his cuts in conservation and alternative energy programs. His determination to protect Alberta’s oil and gas industry can be seen behind his Kyoto stance.

The biggest crack may be found in the strain he puts on his relationship with Quebec and Premier Charest by withdrawing Canada from the Kyoto Accord. This comes just days after the Prime Minister rammed through his Afghanistan extension, a move that does not have a lot of support in Quebec.

I’m sure the Kyoto Accord has its imperfections. Its goals may be overly ambitious but at least they are goals. If wealthy, technologically advanced countries like Canada and the United States refuse to take the lead on this issue, less developed countries will continue to pollute the environment and our sons and daughters will bear the consequences.

Premier Lord has promised a program to achieve the greatest reduction of greenhouse gases of any province in Canada over the next five years. His Minister of the Environment must have been camping out with Mr. Harper when the Premier made his promise.