Policy: January 2009 Archives

World leaders from U.S. President Obama to Canadian Prime Minister Harper are moving quickly to announce and implement stimulus packages (click here and here). Indeed, a consensus appears to have emerged among economists and politicians that massive government spending is required to pull the world economy out of the tailspin that it is in now. In Canada, the stimulus package is an integral part of the budget the Conservatives are introducing on January 27, 2009.

Saskatchewan has the highest per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of all Canadian provinces and ranks fourth among provinces in terms of total emissions. Saskatchewan is also a province that stands to lose a great deal as a result of climate change impacts. The province sits in an area where significants impacts are predicted. Complicating matters further, an important part of Saskatchewan's economy - namely agriculture - is especially vulnerable. The question of how much Saskatchewan should do and what specific steps to take are topics of discussion, debate and controversy.