Yesterday’s Guardian newspaper featured a scathing report on Canada’s role in the Copenhagen negotiations. Among other things, journalist George Monbiot describes our nation as a “thuggish petro state” run by “oil barons .. behaving with all the sophistication of a chimpanzee’s tea party.”
Then comes a laundry list of our failures; Emission increases of 26 per cent. Refusal to be sanctioned for abandoning our international legal obligations. Future voluntary emission commitment that fall short of any other industrialized nation.
“The immediate threat to the global effort to sustain a peaceful and stable world comes not from Saudi Arabia or Iran or China. It comes from Canada.”
I’ll admit, I don’t agree completely with Monbiot. While Canada has certainly fallen short on the climate front, I maintain that the United States remains the largest stumbling block to binding emission at Copenhagen. Still, it’s clear that Mr. Harper’s failure to make climate change a top priority has made our nation an international embarrassment. I’ve never felt shame to be a Canadian, but in this moment I’m certainly not feeling any pride.
Politicians are supposed to represent the people. How are we failing to communicate the message that climate change matters to Canadians? What can we do to make our politicians act now? Leave your comments bellow.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I think it’s quite obvious that it’s all about the Benjamins, yo.
Who cares about climate change when you can dive, Scrooge McDuck-style, into a swimming pool filled with loonies? Live hard, get senile before climate change hits in earnest, and fuck ‘em all!
I’m copying what my uncle replied to my question, “what do we have to say for ourselves?!” after I forwarded him the Monbiot article.
“There is a simple answer that addresses the federal government’s lack responsibility yet can maintain a respectable image for at least some areas of Canada. Provinces have legislative and regulatory authority in the area of environment. Some provinces, including Quebec and British Columbia have been legislating impressive guidelines to reduce greenhouse gases and environmental waste (can’t be sure of others except of course Alberta which pretty well matches the complacency of the federal government).
The fact that many foreign journalists are likely not aware of the true nature of Canadian confederation and provincial autonomy is unfortunate when articles such as this one lack a more accurate portrait of the actual legislation in place here. For Quebec you can find background at http://www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca/changements/plan_action/index-en.htm and for BC, http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/index.htm. Quebec is requiring a respectable 20% reduction by 2020 in comparison to 1990 levels.”
This doesn’t change the embarrassment or justify the federal government’s track record in any way, but I though his point was worth relaying.
We’re a thuggish petro-state?
Canada can only dream of being one.
Great idea though!
Well put Louis. I always enjoy a good legal perspective, and I think we should be doing more on a provincial level to honor our Kyoto commitments. Alas, a report card released last week suggests the Ontario Liberals are falling short. Maybe it’s time we demand more locally?