Schwarzenegger visits Canada to talk tough on emissions

It’s hard to believe any country could be worse on climate than the U.S., but Canada seems to be making a run for it. Yesterday, Friends of the Earth Canada and Sierra Legal filed a lawsuit in federal court, alleging that their government is shirking its Kyoto Protocol pledge. “This government is not free to cut and run from its international obligations,” says FOE spokesperson Christine Elwell. “You can’t just do what you want.” Conservative leaders, faced with the ugly fact that greenhouse-gas emissions in 2005 were about 33 percent above where they should be under Kyoto, blame their Liberal predecessors and maintain that they are pushing “one of the world’s toughest sets of regulated targets for greenhouse gases.” Know who could teach them a thing or two about tough targets? California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Oh look! He’s on a three-day trade mission to Canada right now! Spreading the emissions-cutting gospel to leaders including Prime Minister Stephen Harper! Who’s a total girly-man.