Is "going green" a waste of money?

Not that I'm against conservation of our resources or keeping the planet clean, but maybe we're going about it the wrong way.

A report tabled in the House of Commons yesterday found that our federal governement is spending billions of our dollars to help stop pollution and curb greenhouse gases, but are largely unable to show that these programs actually work.

According to a story by the CBC, Scott Vaughan, commissioner of the environment and sustainable development, said "The government cannot demonstrate that the money it is spending on some important environmental programs is making a difference." 

"The government needs to know what works, what doesn't and why. However, our audit work for this report found gaps in the information."

So while there's an argument to be made for conservation, perhaps we should start looking at the actual cost-benefit of fighting pollution instead of the environmental whackos ramming it down our throats.  After all - the government is spending OUR money, right?