CLIMATE CHANGE: Ottawa Doesn’t Matter

Published 08/25/2023 · Updated 08/24/2023

You know, this release below is fine, good intentions and all.

But realistically, what we do in Ottawa about climate change doesn’t really matter in the big scheme of things … and climate change is a big thing.

However, the fact of the matter is that we share Ottawa’s atmosphere with the rest of the world and, for the most part, the rest of the world doesn’t care.

By my calculations, Ottawa produces about 0.000000035 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gases. In fact, it’s probably less. That’s because we have very little heavy industry so for the production of greenhouse gases, our population is probably below average. A friend of mine who knows these things believes your agent might have one too many zeroes in the calculation, but you get the picture.

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What we do here in Ottawa means next to nothing in the climate-change equation. The solution for climate change doesn’t reside in Ottawa. It’s an international problem on a scale that the world is unlikely to address. New York flooded twice from unusual storms and what happened? Nothing.

If ever a climate is screaming at us to change our production of greenhouse gases, it was Ottawa’s this summer. Tornadoes, heat, smoke … these aren’t the summers of my youth.

Nevertheless, all the $1-billion ebus programs won’t change the world. It will, however, cost us dearly. We’re doing something in Ottawa that’s nothing in the real scheme of things.

The answer to climate change does not reside with the city government, nor the province or even the federal government. It will come, in the unlikely event that it does, when the big industrial nations of the world get together to do something drastic … which is a long shot to happen until it is too late.

Now that’s not to say that people won’t take advantage of the situation. Politicians will garner votes from saying they’re green and so too will businesses and others. It’s good PR but that’s about it.

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Sorry, I’m getting older. I’ve seen a fair dose of human nature and the chance of us successfully dealing with climate change is smaller than the number with seven zeroes above. I’m glad I won’t be around to see the climax of this very sad story.

It’s a shame, a terrible shame, but it’s true. There’s no practical solution to climate change.

Ken Gray

This is a release from the City of Ottawa:

Moving away from gas and diesel vehicles is one of the most important actions that we can take to achieve Ottawa’s greenhouse gas reduction targets. Electric vehicles are one key way to do this.

To support the uptake of electric vehicles, our team is developing a personal electric vehicle strategy which aims to set direction for:

Increasing the number of charging stations and making it easier to charge at home
Increasing access to electric vehicles for everyone
Continuing to work with partners to deliver educational events that promote electric vehicles
Advocating to other levels of government for supportive policies and incentives for electric vehicle adoption

Have your say by completing the survey. Your input will help us prioritize the actions required to support the transition to electric vehicles and inform the personal electric vehicle strategy.

Reducing the reliance on personal vehicles and increasing the number of cycling, walking and transit trips is also important for reducing emissions in Ottawa. This is being addressed in the Transportation Master Plan. Visit Engage Ottawa to sign up to be notified of upcoming engagement opportunities for the Transportation Master Plan.