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Gas Going Up, Government Getting Green, Governor Good As Gone
Gas prices in Toronto are at $1.09 or more a litre today, reflecting all-time record oil prices of over US$108 per barrel. For all our driving readers, it might cheer you up to consider that it’s still cheaper to fill up your car with gas than say, orange juice or Diet Pepsi. By the way, if you do decide to go with orange juice, remember that the pulp-free kind is less likely to gum up your engine.
The federal Tories, whose green track record thus far consists of dismantling most significant environmental programs and working diligently to derail the Bali climate change treaty, have unveiled an anti-emissions plan that almost looks real. The new rules would require, among other things, that any new operations built in the Alberta oil sands after 2012 capture and store all carbon emissions underground or in the janitor’s room or somewhere. However, even that future requirement is a little light on detail, and the most likely scenario still sees oil sands emissions doubling by 2018, so you might not want to invite Environment Minister John Baird to your Kumbaya circle just yet.
New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer, who built his career on fighting corruption, is under pressure to resign after media reports revealed that he had paid a call girl more than $5,000 for several hours in a hotel room. Spitzer apologized to his family and supporters at a press conference yesterday, saying, “I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I paid way too much for that prostitute.”
Montreal songwriter-singer Leonard Cohen joined Madonna and John Mellencamp in being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a ceremony in New York yesterday. The funny thing is that Cleveland paid $55 million to have the Hall of Fame built there, but they have to hold the parties at cities where celebrities are actually willing to go.
And the Maple Leafs open a sad little two-game series with the Philadelphia Flyers tonight that could determine which team misses the playoffs and which team gets knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. Should make for good hockey, though.
Photo by jercraigs.