Capital Region local governments are increasingly making efforts to reduce their environmental footprints, especially where it involves greenhouse gases.

Most have emission reduction targets in place that they are striving to hit by a certain self-imposed deadline.

So what does it say to those municipalities and individuals when the top level of government is backing away from plans to be part of the global climate change solution?

The Conservatives paid lip service to the problem when Environment Minister Peter Kent said Canada planned to B次元官网网址渨ork toward a new international climate regime which will include all the major emitters.B次元官网网址�

Rather than continuing in a leadership position in this critical time of international co-operation, Canada is saying it doesnB次元官网网址檛 want to play ball unless the U.S. B次元官网网址� by far the worldB次元官网网址檚 largest polluter, although China is fast catching up B次元官网网址� is on its team.

The U.S. refused to join the Kyoto Protocol from day one and continues to do so, for wholly protectionist reasons. That the Conservatives are choosing a similar path B次元官网网址� their eyes remain sharply focused on the revenue-rich oil sands B次元官网网址� shows more weakness than leadership.

The fact emerging superpower China assumed a leadership position at the recent international climate conference in Durban when Canada, No. 8 on the polluters list, so clearly distanced itself from one, indicates weB次元官网网址檙e moving in the wrong direction.

The effects of climate change wonB次元官网网址檛 get put on hold just because governments decide that for now they must throw all their energies into economic recovery.

Sadly, this step backward in CanadaB次元官网网址檚 efforts to be part of the solution could have the net effect of reducing the long-term economic prospects of future generations.

Ironically, the people making such decisions now likely wonB次元官网网址檛 be around to witness the aftermath of their short-sighted choices.