HEINRICHS: ‘Drill baby drill’ vs. net zero — is Canada becoming America’s poor cousin?

Gerald Heinrichs is a lawyer in Regina, Saskatchewan.According to the US government, climate change from man-made greenhouse gases is fake news. Lee Zeldin, director of the Environmental Protection Agency, brands it as nothing but "climate change religion,” while President Trump calls it a hoax and "perhaps the biggest scam in history.” The climate-change debate is dead and over — at least under one roof.On this track, the US government is now shredding a tall stack of greenhouse-gas regulations. It's being called the "single largest regulatory action in US history."The army of climate activists in Canada and elsewhere are left reeling by these big changes. The Sierra Club's Joanne Spalding describes it as "reckless" while Al Gore slams it as a "direct assault on science, knowledge, and public health.”On the other hand, Canadian families and businesses might see things differently. Some Canadians might be curious about the benefits of this US program called "Unleashing American Energy" that claims it will “bring prices down.” It is a program that, supporters claim, puts the "economic struggles of working families where they belong, at the absolute center of American policy.”.Firstly, the US is eliminating CO2 restrictions on motor vehicles. Director Zeldin states that such climate regulations "massively drove up prices for American consumers.” Cutting these regulations means "cheaper upfront costs for consumers," reports Geneva Young, with vehicle prices expected to fall by an average of $2,400 US. "You're gonna get a better car … for a lot less money,” said Trump.Next, Canadians might notice how the US federal budget is cutting funding for so-called green energy. Large cuts have been made to charging stations (electric vehicle infrastructure), plus an elimination of tax breaks for wind and solar projects. "Wind and Solar Subsidies Scrapped,” says one headline. This is big money freed up for better things, say the supporters, with Reuters putting the figure at $7.6 billion.Next, Canadians might notice changes to the US power supply. The Trump administration has "pledged to cut the price of electricity in half within 18 months", reports The New York Times. Key to that is repealing greenhouse gas standards for coal and natural gas power plants. One power company manager lauded the revival of two coal plants, stating they would provide local communities with "low-cost power" using "beautiful clean coal.”But the biggest result of deregulation might be the growth in the US oil and gas industry. Under the slogan "Drill Baby Drill,” the administration reports “record-high levels of output.” And in March a giant $300 billion refinery was announced for Texas..The United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipe Fitters praised the elimination of climate regulations saying, “too often government red tape and environmental activist groups stand in the way of these good paying and family sustaining jobs.” Like other supporters, they recognize the spin-off effect of job growth up the ladder, from labourers to skilled professionals. It is, they claim, about new wealth for families and good jobs for young people.Meanwhile, back in Canada, the net-zero war on carbon continues with little sign that the Carney government will "unleash" Canada's energy. In March, Canada joined the Advance Carbon Renewal Coalition, and the Liberal government pledged $100 million for "carbon removal projects.” At about the same time, an $8.25 billion oil sands project in Alberta was suspended. The cause, reported in the Globe and Mail, was "uncertainty over government policies as well as calling for the end of carbon pricing.”There are growing differences between Canada and the USA. One of them is wealth. In February, the Globe and Mail reported that Canada is "poorer than Alabama.” But if the Unleashing American Energy program is half as successful as it promises, that gap will get even bigger.Are Canadians steering toward becoming America's poor cousins? In the near future, we will see if that label sticks.Gerald Heinrichs is a lawyer in Regina, Saskatchewan.

HEINRICHS: ‘Drill baby drill’ vs. net zero — is Canada becoming America’s poor cousin?

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