Via Sinister Thoughts comes the latest Kyoto dodge from the Martin Liberals.

Here's a quote from the CTV.ca article:

Prime Minister Paul Martin is reportedly close to accepting a voluntary agreement with the auto industry on the manufacturing of fuel-efficient cars.

The deal would avoid the creation of legally-binding regulations for the auto industry, which says it cannot produce special fuel-efficient cars for the small Canadian market.

The article doesn't really suggest what the automakers will be voluntarily doing, except probably nothing. As Greg says: "'All assistance short of help'" should be the Martinite motto. Just tell us you have no intention of living up to Kyoto and be done with it.

Of course, it actually goes beyond the Kyoto question, since automotive fuel efficiency would reduce many pollutants besides just greenhouse gases.

The silly part is that it really wouldn't hurt Canadian industry much be asked to improve average fuel efficiencies by 25% by 2010. Especially since the State of California wants to do the same thing. There certainly would be no need to "produce special fuel-efficient cars for the small Canadian market".

Anyway, since the Martin government isn't interested in helping the environment by using any legislation that affects consumers or producers, they are essentially reduced to gently asking for cooperation. Which changes just about zero from where we are today.

(Here's an interesting background piece from last October.)

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