Feel Free To Copy The Letter I Sent To the PM

November 26, 2009
Right Hon. Stephen Harper
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Dear Prime Minister:

Human caused global warming is an enormous crisis for humanity. It is also a highly significant issue of global environmental justice: 80 % of greenhouse gas emissions are released by just seventeen countries – one of which is Canada. People are dying of starvation in the Horn of Africa and drowning in Bangladesh due to the changes caused by global warming. Canada has done nothing but obstruct attempts to rectify this situation. Therefore, and quite rightly, we are the subject of international criticism due to our failure to act in any meaningful way.

Now the Commonwealth is under pressure to suspend our membership due to our recalcitrance. Prominent campaigners, politicians and scientists have called for Canada to be suspended from the Commonwealth over its climate change policies.

Surely you do not wish Canada be suspended from the Commonwealth due to our lack of action on climate change – or to be mentioned in the same breath for greenhouse gas emissions as Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and South Africa are mentioned for electoral or human rights violations. Please commit Canada to legally binding, science based greenhouse gas reduction targets.

I'm Not the Only One

who thinks Canada is an international disgrace.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/26/canada-criticised-over-climate-change

Prominent campaigners, politicians and scientists have called for Canada to be suspended from the Commonwealth over its climate change policies.
Canada's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are among the world's highest and it will not meet the cut required under the Kyoto protocol: by 2007 its emissions were 34% above its reduction target. It is exploiting its vast tar sands reserves to produce oil, a process said to cause at least three times the emissions of conventional oil extraction.

We can change this. We must change this.  If we do not, each of us is morally responsible for killing people by drowning or drought in Bangladesh, the Maldives, Kenya, et al.

A Change of Mind

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/11/26/harper-copenhagen-summit026.html

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will attend the Copenhagen climate change meeting next month after all, his office said Thursday — a day after saying he would not go.

Harper decided Thursday to attend the meeting to work on a new climate change agreement after the U.S. president and Chinese premier announced that they will show up, his spokesman said.

Perhaps applying "green heat" to Mr. Harper is has been  effective.  However, going to Copenhagen is not indicative of a change of heart on his part.  Please help generate Mr. Harper's change of heart by emailing him.  Ask the Right Honorable Stephen Harper to sign on to  meaningful, legally binding, and science based greenhouse gas emission reductions on our behalf.   (Or one could try lobbying the US President as our Prime Minister appears to be following an American  lead.)
UPDATE:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-to-attend-copenhagen-after-all/article1379351/

However, there has been a surprising amount of progress in the intervening days, as nations around the world declared their specific commitments to reduce emissions.
In one respect, Mr. Harper's reversal is both embarrassing and politically compromising, forcing him to devote time and political capital on an issue the Conservatives prefer to avoid confronting, since any meaningful effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions threatens to constrain development of Alberta's oil sands.

Please send Mr. Harper an email suggesting that he should constrain development of the Alberta tar sands.

"Green Heat on Harper"

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/obamas-commitment-to-copenhagen-puts-green-heat-on-harper/article1377975/

Barack Obama's decision to attend the Copenhagen climate-change conference placed the Harper government on the defensive at a time of rising federal-provincial tensions over environment policy and an internal report that faults federal efforts.

A recent Treasury Board report on the performance of all federal departments has harsh words for Ottawa's efforts. The report found a "declining performance" in air quality, biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions.

In previous dire times, Canada responded to a crisis without checking to see what the Americans were going to do. Canada went to war a week after Britain declared war in 1939: America waited to fight the Nazis until Hitler lost his mind and delcared war on them after Pearl Harbour.  Climate change is THE biggest crisis  humanity faces. Why are we waiting to follow America instead of demonstrating leadership?

My Paper Boat

But climate change doesn't matter ...
I found this video at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2009/nov/05/one-minute-to-save-the-world

Civil Disobedience: A Call to Action by the Council of Canadians

The Council of Canadians sent the following press release.  Apparently, they are so concerned about climate change some of them are risking jail in an attempt to influence the government.  Their contact information is at the bottom of their release after the jump if you want to be involved.

November 22, 2009 (Calgary, Alberta) --- The first of a series of citizen-organized peaceful sit-ins targeting elected officials, tar sands financiers, and the coal and tar sands industries began today at Canadian Environment Minister Jim Prentice’s Calgary constituency office. Six people – five of whom are constituents of Minister Prentice – entered the office just after 10:00 AM refusing to leave, demanding that the Harper government and all parties act to combat the climate crisis and stop the millions of deaths and displacements that will result from more inaction on global warming pollution.

More after the jump:

Expect More

More flooding, that is. 
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/11/24/bc-duncan-cowichan-flood-damage.html

About 300 households in Duncan and North Cowichan were issued evacuation orders last Friday after heavy rains, melting snow and a high tide led two local rivers to overflow their dykes and flood some low-lying neighbourhoods with up to one metre of water.
As the cleanup efforts continued, some residents questioned whether the North Cowichan Regional District could have reacted more quickly to the threat, and want to know what it plans to do to prevent similar disasters.

Sounds quite familiar to anyone who browses the provincial Ministry of Environment website at
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/climate/about/impacts-bc.htm
The Ministry of Environment for BC suggests that effects of climate change will include:

 increased river flood risks in the spring and coastal flooding associated with storm surges.

The residents of the Cowichan Valley are right to wonder what plans all levels of governmnet are making to prevent similar disasters.   These disasters will become all too familiar if we don't reduce our production of greenhouse gas emissions forthwith.  Please email the Prime Minister and as him to commit to binding, science based targets at the UN Conference in Copenhagen.