When Michael Bourque visits industry leaders and ministers to talk about global warming, he always brings along a tattered, black nylon briefcase containing an unlikely report. The report was written in 1994, three years before the Kyoto Protocol was adopted, and it was about 15 years ahead of its time. It contains a thoughtful, practical plan for how chemical manufacturers could tackle climate change, and it was written before many consumers even heard of the term "greenhouse gas." Bourque, who is a spokesperson for the Canadian Chemical Producers' Association (CCPA), says that it provides clear evidence that far from being an environmental monster, the chemical industry is actually ahead of the curve when it comes to taking real action on the environment.

Of course, the report does come from the industry that gave us the Bhopal disaster and Agent Orange, so any claims of environmentalism should be greeted with a healthy dose of skepticism. However, the numbers show that while Canadian emissions as a whole have been skyrocketing, the chemical industry has reduced its contribution by considerable amounts. Between 1990 and 2004, Canada's total emissions of greenhouse gases rose by 26 per cent. Energy use increased by about 25 per cent. Yet, over the same period, the Canadian chemical industry cut its emissions by 60 per cent, according to the CCPA, which tracks the emissions of its members. Carbon dioxide emissions, which peaked in 2002, have fallen by a quarter. Methane, a gas that has 21 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide, fell by about 75 per cent, and nitrogen oxides fell by 52 per cent. The industry also reduced toxic emissions by 84 per cent and emissions into water by 99.5 per cent. Benzene, a carcinogen linked to immune deficiencies, is down by 95 per cent - even as its use in the production of rubber, plastics, and medications has increased.

These changes have been brought about partly by social pressure, but they are also due to new technologies, and, perhaps surprisingly, companies acting in their own self-interest to lower costs. The industry has discovered that new, high-tech equipment that lowers energy use not only cuts down on emissions, it also pleases shareholders.

Full Story: http://www.macleans.ca/science/environment/article.jsp?content=20081029_59284_59284

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