Canadian Minister Attacks Leading Climate Scientist

Canada's natural resources minister Joe Oliver is stepping up personal attacks against climate scientists. Oliver may be feeling insecure about the fate of the Keystone XL pipeline in the wake of the release of a recent EPA report that clearly outlines many concerns with the pipeline project which if completed will ferry unprecedented amounts of carbon-heavy tar sands bitumen from Alberta to Texas. In the face of a scientific consensus and growing popular support for efforts to combat global warming, Oliver appears to be pulling out all the stops to sell his government's support for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project.

During a visit to a Washington DC Thinktank, Oliver lambasted NASA climatologist James Hansen, saying he should be "ashamed" of his warnings about the dangers of the tar sands and his opposition to the Keystone XL.

For more than a quarter century Hansen has been raising public awareness about climate change, more recently he has been focusing his efforts on opposing the Keystone XL. However, Oliver told the audience at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, "this is exaggerated rhetoric. It's frankly nonsense. I don't know why he said it but he should be ashamed of having said it."

Canada has the Dirtiest Oil on Earth (Video)

In June, the Sierra Club released The Dirtiest Oil on Earth, an animation on the dangers of tar sands crude and pipelines transporting the world’s dirtiest oil from Alberta, Canada, through the US The animation illustrates the dangers of spills, destruction of natural areas, contamination of air and water supplies and political influence exerted by the oil industry to build pipeline projects designed to transport tar sands across the US to reach foreign markets.

Canada an Environmental Pariah at Rio+20

Canada has once again attracted attention for its environmental contempt. At Rio+20 Canada along with nations like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia tried to undermine a motion calling for a phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies. Even though the International Institute for Sustainable Development estimates that the federal government could save more than $1.3 billion per year if it phases out all of the existing subsidies for the oil and gas industries. Canada's federal government is fighting hard to do all it can for dirty sources of energy while US President Barack Obama has called for an end to oil and coal subsidies, and the European Union has called for a firm commitment to phase-out of fossil fuels altogether.

Website Blackout In Support of Canada's Environment

On June 4, 2012, diverse groups from around the world blacked out their websites to protest Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government’s war on the environment. Through a combination of sweeping budget cuts and legislation that prevents debate the ruling Conservatives are engaged in genocide against Canada's environment. On June 4, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and 350.org featured "Black Out Speak Out" actions on their websites. These groups have joined others from across Canada, the First Nations and the EU with a simple message, “we will not be silenced.

Former Environment Canada Employee on Harper's Conservative Government

Here is an open letter written in May by a former employee of Environment Canada. She describes herself as "a Canadian that cares about science and the environment." In this letter she gives an insiders perspective on what it is like to work for a government that is systematically dismantling Canada's environmental protections. 
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Dear Everyone,

My name is Naomi. I am Canadian. I worked for Environment Canada, our federal environmental department, for several years before our current Conservative leadership (under Stephen Harper) began decimating environmentalism in Canada. I, along with thousands and thousands of federal science employees lost any hope of future work. Their attitude towards the environment is ‘screw research that contradicts the economic growth, particularly of the oil sands’.

Canadian Conservatives Silence Opposition to the Northern Gateway Oil Pipeline

Canada's ruling Conservatives have passed legislation to silence dissenting voices on the Northern Gateway oil pipeline and other environmental review processes. The Conservatives have made no secret of the fact that they want to quell dissent on environmental issues.

Canadian Conservatives Admit to Killing Environmental Dissent

Most of us know that Canada's ruling Conservatives cut environmental spending for ideological reasons, what we did not expect is that the government would admit this publicly. As reported in the National Post, Foreign Minister John Baird unabashedly announced that the Conservatives wanted to get rid of federally-funded environmental advocacy group because they do not agree with their recommendations.

Report: Canadian Government is Not Helping Business Prepare for Climate Change

The Canadian government needs to do a better job disseminating climate change information to companies. Governments also need to be more mindful of how critical infrastructure will be affected by climate change, and make this information available to firms. This is the conclusion of a report from the National Round Table. The report also says that governments need to anticipate climate-related market failures and be ready to step in when necessary.

Report: Canadian Businesses are Unprepared for Climate Change

Federal government advisors are warning that most Canadian businesses are unprepared for the inevitable effects of climate change. This is the crux of a report released by the National Round Table on the Environment.

Canadian Government Spending on Dirty Projects

While the ruling Canadian Conservatives are making major cuts to spending including venerable institutions like Environment Canada, the government is spending hundreds of millions on dirty energy projects. These dirty projects will have a significantly negative impact on Canada's already dismal level of GHG emissions. This spending includes support for coal fired power projects and the tar sands.

The Farce of Canada's Carbon Capture

Canada's carbon capture and storage efforts are grossly inadequate. Not only will these projects do little to reduce Canada's GHG emissions, the three major companies involved in tar sands exploitation have pulled out of  Alberta's carbon capture efforts.

Canada's GHG Rankings

As reported in the Montreal Gazette, Canada has a woeful record on GHG emissions. The 2012 Climate Change Performance Index, the Environmental Performance Index and the Pembina Institute all indicate that Canada is amongst the worst GHG emitters in the world.

According to the 2012 Climate Change Performance Index, compiled by the environmental lobby Germanwatch and the Climate Action Network, Canada is the worst performer among the world's 10 largest carbon-dioxide emitters. It ranks 57th out of the 58 countries that together are responsible for more than 90 per cent of the global energy-related carbon-dioxide emissions.

Canada's Ruling Conservatives Muzzle Scientists

Canada was host of the International Polar Year conference, which came to an end on April 27. Hundreds of scientists from around the world came together in Montreal to discuss the dramatic changes to the Arctic's biodiversity, energy dynamics and ice melt. In an outrageous act of censorship, Harper's ruling Conservatives prevented Canadian scientists from speaking to the press.