CANADIAN federal budget 2011 cuts to the environment
Natural Resources Canada is estimating a $928-million (21%) decrease in its spending for the next year, including a $390-million decrease in spending due to the end of a popular retrofit program that subsidized homeowners for renovations that reduce energy consumption and utility bills.
Other funding cuts at Environment Canada include a $19.5-million reduction related to the government winding down an action plan to deal with contaminated federal sites, as well as about $3 million (four per cent) in reductions for compliance promotion and enforcement for wildlife and pollution.
I do not know why Mr Harper's government are doing this knowing that they want to be among the best when it comes to environment awareness and accountability. Harper's government has decided to cut the federal budget 2011 to the environment and put more money in law and order (National Defence spending is $21.185 billion in 2009-2010, making Canada’s rank 13th highest in the world, and 6th highest among NATO’s 28 members, dollar for dollar. “Government spending on National Defence is twenty times that of federal Environment Department spending,” said Robinson. “By comparison, the Department of the Environment was allocated only $1.064 billion.”
The most amazing thing is that 71% of Canadians are against this decision because they think that Climate change is unfolding even faster than previously predicted and the gap between spending on the environment and climate change and defence is so huge, according to Environics poll, "money spent on wars and the military would all be better spent on efforts that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the impacts of climate change.” but it is as if they were deaf.
US federal budget 2011 cuts to the environment
The US government thinks that decreasing federal spending is no longer just a prudent choice; it is now an unavoidable necessity. Accordingly, President Obama has proposed to cut EPA’s annual budget nearly 13%. But they carry on protecting those companies (coal companies, oil companies and so on- because they create job probably more than those "environmentally friendly" -) that "only" enhance global warming (consciously or unconsciously) as well explained by James Lovelock in his book entitled The Vanishing Face Of Gaia.
By taking such a decision Obama's government should be aware of the consequences given that, according to the EPA:
"These cuts mean our drinking water has a far greater chance of contamination," We are facing touch economic times, but tough times call for intelligent decision-making and wisdom, not reckless cuts that will do more harm than good."
By mean of conclusion, I will just say that both US' and Canada's government are wrong with their respective decision, even though they just want to the right thing for their respective citizens. Always is it that the environment is really important for us since we're human being and that we need clean air and space(environment) in order to tackle other decisions such as those mentionned above.
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