"Ethanol blended fuels reduced CO₂ equivalent GHG emissions by approximately 7.03 million tons in 2004, equal to removing the annual GHG emissions of 1.04 million cars from the road."
Argonne National Laboratories, GREET 1.6 Model

According to the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world is getting warmer and the average global surface temperature has risen by approximately between 0.6 + 0.2 degrees Celsius over the 20th century. IPCC projects further global warming of 2.2-10°F (1.4-5.8°C) by the year 2100.  More floods, storms, heat waves and droughts are forecast over the long term as a result of this increase in temperature.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Increasing levels of greenhouse gases produced by industrialization is one cause of climate change.

Greenhouse gases allow the sun's radiation to pass through the Earth's atmosphere.  Excess that can't be absorbed is reflected back.  Particles of greenhouse gas absorb the radiation, warming the atmosphere.  Increasing levels of greenhouse gases cause too much energy to be trapped - the "greenhouse effect" which keeps the Earth's surface much warmer than if the GHGs were absent.  The Kyoto Protocol targets reduction of six greenhouse gases:  carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, and perfluorocarbons.

Reducing gasoline consumption can help lower GHG levels.  This can be accomplished in a variety of ways: 

Conservation - using alternate means of transportation
Efficiency - manufacturing lightweight, low emission vehicles
Clean Vehicles - -fuel cell or alternative fuel vehicles (Ethanol is an ideal energy source for fuel cells.)
Clean Fuels - low CO₂ biofuels

Government action on climate change

The United Nations began a negotiating process in 1988 that resulted in the adoption of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) in 1992.  In 1997, governments agreed to an addition to the treaty, called the Kyoto Protocol, which has legally binding measures.  The Protocol entered into force in 2005.

Industrialized countries have agreed under the Kyoto Protocol, to reduce their GHG emissions by at least 5 percent relative to 1990 levels, by the years 2008 to 2012.  It is up to each country to establish ways of reaching the targets.  Countries can meet their emission targets by:

• trading emission credits from countries that don't need them to stay below their quotas
• earning emission credits through joint implementation which allows a country to benefit by carrying out a project such as reforestation in another industrialized country or economy in transition
• using the clean development mechanism that encourages investment in developing countries by promoting the transfer of environmentally friendly technologies

For more information on Canada and the Kyoto Protocol visit the Government of Canada website.