EnviroSpin Watch

Pollution: Canada and the UK - "like unto whited sepulchers" .....

When it comes to chastising the USA, the governments and bien pensant elites of both Canada and the UK should first turn to their Gospels:

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5).

And why? Just look at these statistics:

(a) Canada: the annual 'Taking Stock' report, based on the submissions of more than 20,000 polluters in Canada and the USA, shows that Canada is lagging the US in curbing toxic pollution. Although total North American emissions declined by 18% from 1998 to 2001, Canadian emissions rose by 3%. The maple leaf is looking pretty moth-eaten to me;

(b) UK: in the very week that Tony Blair tries to insist that the issue of climate change is "very, very critical" (furrowed brow, smile as wide as a tiger) and Margaret Beckett, the Environment Secretary, claims that the UK is a world leader in reducing 'geenhouse gas' emissions, official statistics would have shown an 85% increase in pollutants from the airline industry and 59% from freight transport since 1990 - that is, if they had been allowed to be made public. And in the EU as a whole, it's up, up, up and away.....

Oh! "... for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones..." (Matthew 23:27).

So much for moral leadership! Of course, it's known as 'growth' and the whole Kyoto emissions targets are just a nonsense. But please can we drop the cant and the 'holier-than-thou' politics!

Philip, tub thumping from his pulpit. "For I see all too clearly those that talk-the-talk, but do not walk-the-walk." Cucumber sandwiches with the vicar, anyone?