Building Support for Action on Climate Change Before We Reach Tipping Points

We need to take aim at those who are environmentally indifferent and hit them with an effective call to action. If climate advocacy is to succeed, we must do more than regurgitate the same tired rhetoric, we must work on a targeted message that encourages action. While a growing number of people accept the facts about our environment, inaction threatens the survival of our species. Time is running out, and unless we can find a way to get through to those who refuse to act, we will not make the needed changes in the time we have available.

It is easy to understand why many laugh at the Luddites who ignore climate change. However, this group is no laughing matter; they are in fact a serious threat to planetary health. Deniers are in the way of efforts to enact progressive national and state policies on energy and the environment.

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. 
___________________________________

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.

Canada's Conservative Government at Odds with the Public on Climate Change

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government have a deplorable environmental record. It is believed to be one of the factors behind the failure of Canada's bid to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Although Canada has a massive footprint, the ruling Conservatives are avoiding action on climate change. In a political strategy that would make American Republicans proud, Harper's Conservative government has managed to do nothing to reduce Canada's contribution to climate change.

Most recently, Canada's Conservatives defeated a climate change bill that had passed in the House of Commons last year. The bill called for 25% cuts in the country's CO2 emissions below 1990 levels. Conservatives in Canada's non-elected Senate killed the motion, which was backed by opposition parties, in a vote on November 14th, just 13 days before COP16, the UN climate change summit in Cancun, Mexico.

Even before the most recent climate insult, the Canadian government was the target of a great deal of criticism on the climate change front. Canada's record on the environment is so poor they were repeatedly singled out for the dubious 'Fossil of the Day' distinction during last year's COP15 climate change conference in Copenhagen.

In February 2010, the Guardian unearthed a leaked document from a Chinese think tank that condemned Canada for being "devoted to conniving" at COP15. According to The Guardian, the Chinese text says that Canada spent the conference trying, "to convince the world that its pledge of a 3% emissions reduction between 1990 and 2020 is significant, while having no intention of meeting its Kyoto protocol target of 6%."

Canada has indeed abandoned its Kyoto commitments and the CBC reported that the Conservatives have no plan to reach the 3% target (20% below 2006) that they had promised.

The government's view is at odds with Canadians. According to one poll, Canadians believe climate change poses a significantly bigger threat to the “vital interests” of the nation over the next decade than international terrorism.

While nearly half of those surveyed said climate change is a “critical threat,” only about one in four people said the same about international terrorism. A similar poll conducted in 2004 showed Canadians believed the two threats were about equal.

A more recent poll indicated that 70 percent of Canadians said they would somewhat support or strongly support government action to reduce oil subsidies in Canada, estimated to cost taxpayers about $2 billion per year.

In a separate question, 65 percent of respondents said they opposed the Harper government's strategy of waiting for the US and other nations ''to develop their plans for climate change before it implements further measures to address climate change."

A new poll confirms that the Harper government is indeed out of step with Canadians. The poll indicates that the Canadian public has far different priorities than the government when it comes to climate change.

Over 80 percent of Canadians believe the Canadian government should invest in “green jobs” and transition programs for workers and communities negatively affected by a shift off of fossil fuels.

It is ironic that in 2007 Stephen Harper called climate change, “perhaps the biggest threat to confront the future of humanity today.” As 2010 draws to a close, Canadians are indicating that they want action on climate change, yet Harper's Conservatives appear content to do nothing.

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