Hours after the Manitoba government launched a campaign to plant five million new trees, the Tories denounced the NDP government for failing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the province.
The NDP started making good on a long-standing promise Thursday to add five million trees to Manitoba's landscape over the next five years, removing 13,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. That's the equivalent of taking 69,000 vehicles off the road.
Still, the Tories said greenhouse gas emissions in Manitoba are on the rise.
In question period Thursday, the party cited an Environment Canada report released last month that revealed provincial greenhouse gas emission went up by approximately 200,000 tons in 2006, the last year officially recorded.
Turtle Mountain MLA Cliff Cullen said the timing of the Trees for Tomorrow kickoff was suspect.
"They will do anything to offset bad news, they are good at damage control," he said.
But Energy, Science and Technology Minister Jim Rondeau said greenhouse gas emissions have declined since the NDP took control in 1999, despite the increase in 2006.
"Emissions are down 200,000 tons since 2000," he said. "Our gross domestic product has increased, our population has increased and still greenhouse gases are down. We will have spikes occasionally."
Trees for Tomorrow is one of 60 items in the Doer government's climate change plan that aims to reduce emissions to the province's legislated Kyoto target by 2012.
Manitobans eager to help clean up the environment can participate in the tree-planting campaign. Schools, community groups and even private landowners can apply for funding to plant some of the trees.
"With climate change plans, it takes individual action," Rondeau said. "With this plan, people can take action. They can go out and plant 10 trees."
Aby Doerksen and Thomas Bedarf, scouts from the ScoutsTrees program, planted the first tree Thursday morning on the southwest corner of the Legislative Building grounds.
paul.gackle@freepress.mb.ca
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