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Imagining the Harper-Obama energy chat

Why things could get uncomfortable in short order

Danielle Droitsch, Washington-based US policy director for the Pembina Institute imagines an uncomfortable chat:

“Harper might try to make the same argument that his new environment minister, Peter Kent, made last week, suggesting Canada has a strong climate action plan in place. But as my colleague Clare Demerse pointed out yesterday, the government’s current plans would see us miss our 2020 target by 75 per cent.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the Obama administration has already implemented regulations on greenhouse gas emissions for new major facilities. Regulations for existing facilities and refineries will be finalized in 2012. In other words, the U.S. is working to cut greenhouse gas emissions even though the U.S. Congress could not pass federal legislation.”

Harper may want to bring this report. But Droitsch argues that someone at the White House will have already read this one and this one too.

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