GreenDude

This was sent to me by my good friend Vanessa. I’m sure that you’ll see this many times across many blogs over the next couple of days, but I think it’s worthwhile, so you’re going to see it here too.

Dear friends,

Time is running out to prevent catastrophic global warming, and a historic UN summit in Bali has just a few days left to hammer out an agreement. But instead of helping out, Canada is actually sabotaging the talks! On Saturday, experts gave Canada the global “fossil” award for the worst country in the world on climate change.

Enough is enough. Prime Minister Harper’s short-sighted and big oil-driven policy on climate change has become an attack on who we are. We’re supposed to be the nice guys, who try to do the right thing in the world.

There’s still a few days left to save Canada and the climate, but we need a massive democratic roar to remind our Prime Minister what Canada is all about, and stop him from blocking the world at Bali. Click below to sign the petition and we’ll advertize the number of signatures we get in an ad campaign across Canada this week. Our goal is to get 100,000 people to sign in the next 3 days — one of the largest petitions in Canadian history. Click below and then forward this email to all your friends and family right away:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/another_canadian_climate_crime/1.php

Why is Harper doing this? The scientific debate is over, climate change is real and man-made. Studies show us that the costs of addressing climate change are FAR less than the cost of doing nothing. And experts agree that the ONLY way to get poorer countries to act on climate change is for richer countries to act first. Yesterday, Canada’s mild-mannered and most respected environmental scientist, David Suzuki, slammed our government’s spin on climate change as “humiliating” and “ludicrous”.

The truth is, Harper is following the line of his close ally US President Bush. They’re both pursuing the short-term profits of a few large oil corporations, and don’t care whether this wreaks destruction on the world as a result. We can’t let our government get away with this. A massive outcry this week could at least soften the Canadian position at Bali, so that we get out of the world’s way. Click below to sign up and then forward this email on!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/another_canadian_climate_crime/1.php

The vast majority of Canadians are hopping mad on this issue — we can win this. We just need to show Harper how serious we are that he reverse course. Sign up now and forward this email to everyone you know – we’ve got just 3 days to hit 100,000 signatures!

Thanks so much for pitching in, let’s pull out all the stops on this one,

With much respect and hope,

Ricken Patel,
Avaaz.org

PS – Here are links to some more info on this:

David Suzuki (the Nature of Things) calls the government’s spin on climate change “humiliating” and “ludicrous”
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/283829

The former editor-in-chief of CBC news discusses the damage done by Canada’s climate policy to our international reputation:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_burman/2007/12/canada_flounders_on_issue_of_c.html

The Fossil of the Day Award site:
http://www.avaaz.org/fossils

My Sister sent this video to me on Facebook. I can’t find a flaw in this fellow’s reasoning, so I’m doing my bit and putting it out there as well.

“British Columbia is teaming up with European Union countries and U.S. states in an international effort to fight climate change.” the CBC reported yesterday.

In the absence of leadership from Canada’s “past-the-best-before-date” Government, B.C. premier Gordon Campbell has signed his province on with the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP).

According to Campbell:

“We believe that if we co-ordinate the development of our cap and trade system with the European system, with the Norwegian system, and with the system in the northeastern part of the United States, we build a larger marketplace, we build consistency and stability over the long term for this and it’s a critical component of us reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gases globally,”

Good for him! Just because Mr. Harper has no intention of helping to fight climate change, doesn’t mean that the provinces need to follow suit. In fact, California, Maine, New Jersey and New York were also signatories to the initial Political Declaration released from Lisbon on Oct. 29, 2007

ICAP exists to create facilitate a global framework allowing individual Carbon Markets to learn from each other with an eye to combining them worldwide.

Where was Canada while this historic meeting was taking place? According to Environment Minister John Baird in question period today (Oct 30, 2007), “Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada was represented at the meeting by our ambassador in Lisbon.” When pressed by Liberal member John Godfrey as to the ambassador’s capacity and on the Conservative’s inaction on climate change in general Mr. Baird replied:

Mr. Speaker, we sent a senior representative of the Government of Canada, the most senior representative in the country to be part of these meetings. I look forward to meeting Premier Campbell to-morrow to learn more about these exciting things.”

Apparently “the most senior representative of the Government of Canada” has not bothered to brief the Environment Minister on the talks since he has to wait to meet with Mr. Campbell to find out what went on!

It is clear, the Conservative government has no intention of doing anything on the climate file. It is up to the rest of us to do what is right and advance Canada piece by piece towards meeting our Kyoto targets.