(Bloomberg) — Scientists agree coal is choking the planet—so why is it so hard for governments to ditch? This is the last in a three-part series. Read parts one and two.
Set against lush hills, deep inlets and snow-kissed mountain peaks, Vancouver is the wellspring of Canadian environmentalism—and the heart of its climate dilemma.
British Columbia’s premier city prides itself on its green bona fides. The province is the birthplace of Greenpeace, ushered in Canada’s most successful carbon tax and is governed by a coalition that includes Green Party lawmakers. It’s also the one-time home to a young Justin Trudeau.
Less celebrated is Vancouver’s status as a major hub for coal and crude oil. That awkward paradox is an example of how Canada’s climate ambitions regularly bump up against its reality as one of the world’s top crude producers, coal exporters and per-capita emitters of carbon—even with an avowedly progressive prime minister like Trudeau.
Politically, Canada is riven over how to square the nation’s vast resource wealth with action to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Trudeau has pushed a green agenda only to see political opposition mount: The more he insists “the environment and the economy go hand in hand,” the more both sides feel betrayed. With national elections due this fall, his attempts at having it both ways threaten to derail his bid for a second term.
For the rest of this article: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/even-trudeau-s-canada-won-t-rid-itself-of-coal-1.1256800