Angry in the Great White North

A Private Members’ Bill that would effectively phase out the sale and use of incandescent bulbs is being drafted by NDP MP Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre).

Reaction is remarkably similar. Consider that Australia has made the same move ahead of Canada.

From the right:

Australia, not a signatory to Kyoto, takes concrete action under its Liberal government.

Canada, signatory to Kyoto, achieved nothing in a dozen years of its Liberal government.

But remember, the Liberal Party of Australia is centre-right, that is, conservative. Canada's Liberal Party is centre-left, that is, ineffective.

From the left:

This one simple act by the NDP will do more to reduce GHG emissions in this country than the Liberals’ 13 years of inaction did or the Conservatives have over the past year. I won’t be surprised though, if this bill faces fierce opposition from the global warming ditherers.

Actually, this "ditherer" thinks it's a great idea. Not that I think it'll affect the climate -- that's absurd. But lightbulbs are a 19th century technology that wastes over 90% of the energy put into them.

As an engineer, I abhor waste and inefficiency. It smacks of inelegance.

I don't need apocalyptic fantasies of the eco-warming-jihadists to appreciate that.

Recall what I said about the Australian move:

But, of course, environmentalists are never happy:

Environmental groups said the initiative was a step in the right direction. However, they insisted that a more meaningful gesture would be for the government to sign the Kyoto Protocol.

More meaningful? Just how stupid do you have to be before you can qualify to be an environmentalist?

I invite these Australian moonbats to come to the Up Over from Down Under. Canada made the "meaningful gesture" of signing the Kyoto Protocal in 1998 and formally ratified it in 2002. In that time, nothing else happened. The government spent millions on studies, and not a single member of the Liberal brain trust came up with the idea of swapping out lightbulbs, which of course through away 95% of the energy put into them as useless heat.

It ought to be mentioned that the Tories did not suggest this idea either. But let's state the obvious. When the NDP offers this move up, the roar of approval from the greenies is deafening. If a Conservative had suggested it, the mocking ridicule of how this token move is the piddling best that Canadians could hope for would have drowned out any reasonable commentary. Sometimes the messenger really matters.

Nice to know that there are smarts across the floor. That bodes well for measured and constructive debate in this country. I hope the Tories come on board with this one.