Council of Canadians protest as first ministers fail to take needed action on climate change
[ http://canadians.org/blog/council-canad ... ate-change ]
March 4, 2016 - 8:22 am
The Council of Canadians Vancouver-Burnaby, Surrey-White Rock-Langley and Delta-Richmond chapters took part in a rally outside the first ministers summit on climate change yesterday.
The outreach for the rally noted, "Come join us in telling Trudeau, the Premiers and the nation about the ambitious national climate plan we need. A plan based on real justice for indigenous peoples, workers and local communities and keeping the oil in the soil." [ https://leapmanifesto.org/event/vancouv ... nce_id=207 ] The Council of Canadians had called on the first ministers to embrace the demands of the Leap Manifesto at their summit. [ https://leapmanifesto.org/en/sign-the-manifesto/ ]
CBC reports, "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the provincial premiers emerged from their meeting in Vancouver to say they are working toward a national climate change plan that includes an agreement in principle for a carbon-pricing mechanism — although they did not offer specifics on how it would work. ...[Trudeau] said they have agreed to break off into working groups to study four main areas of the climate change file: clean technology, innovation and jobs, carbon pricing and mitigation. The working groups will report back in October and the findings of those reports will be used to create a 'Canadian framework for clean growth and climate change'." [ http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/first-m ... -1.3474380 ]
That article adds, "The text of the Vancouver Declaration on Clean Growth and Climate Change, [ http://www.scics.gc.ca/english/Conferen ... nt&id=2401 ] which outlines the consensus reached at the Vancouver meeting, indicates that when an agreement is reached on carbon pricing it will be 'adapted to each province's specific circumstances and in particular the realities of Canada's indigenous peoples and Arctic and sub-Arctic regions'."
During the election campaign, the Liberals had promised, "A Liberal government is committed to attending the Paris climate conference, and within 90 days, holding a First Ministers meeting to work together on a framework for combatting climate change. Central to this would be the creation of national emissions reduction targets." [ https://www.liberal.ca/petitions/suppor ... te-change/ ] Yesterday's meeting did not result in the "creation of national emissions reduction targets", but the Trudeau government has now committed to "supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation through investments in green infrastructure, public transit infrastructure and energy efficiency, the development of regional plans for clean electricity transmission to reduce emissions, and other actions.
Most regrettably, tar sands pipelines have not been ruled out, in fact, quite remarkably, the prime minister has even suggested they could help pay for the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Calgary Herald notes, "[Alberta premier Rachel Notley] said she took advantage of the meeting with the premiers and prime minister to advocate strongly for expeditious approval of pipelines that Alberta needs to get its oilsands bitumen to new markets. ...'I think there was truly no objection around the table when I made the point of the urgency of this.'" [ http://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/ ... ays-notley ]
The Globe and Mail adds, "Notley said she was pleased that leaders recognized the 'urgency of moving Canada’s resources to market in a responsible, timely, predictable and sustainable way'. She said she will be working with the Prime Minister, and premiers from British Columbia and Quebec, to win approval for oil pipelines to the west and east coasts." [ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/pol ... e29010730/ ]
And while speaking at the Globe 2016 Leadership Summit in Vancouver the day before the first ministers meeting, Trudeau was asked if building the Energy East and Kinder Morgan pipelines was consistent with the goals set at the COP21 climate summit in Paris last December. Trudeau replied, "We want the low-carbon economy that continues to provide good jobs and great opportunities for all Canadians. To get there, we need to make smart strategic investments in clean growth and new infrastructure, but we must also continue to generate wealth from our abundant natural resources to fund this transition to a low-carbon economy." [ http://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/03 ... en-economy ]
As noted above, the first ministers are expected to meet again in October. That will be just before the Nov. 7-18 United Nations COP22 climate summit in Morocco.
For Council of Canadians energy and climate justice campaigner Andrea Harden-Donahue's commentary on the summit as it was underway, please see her blog Breaking down the narratives around the First Ministers meeting on a National Climate Policy. [ http://canadians.org/blog/breaking-down ... ate-policy ]
Tags: chapters
[ http://canadians.org/tags/chapters ]
Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
How First Ministers' Meeting fell short . . . .
4 posts
• Page 1 of 1
How First Ministers' Meeting fell short . . . .
by Oscar » Fri Mar 04, 2016 10:14 am
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Re: Council of Cdns. protest failure to act on climate chang
by Oscar » Fri Mar 04, 2016 10:36 am
‘Canada failed terribly, the provinces failed terribly,’ Chiefs disappointed after climate talks with PM, Premiers
[ http://aptn.ca/news/2016/03/03/canada-f ... -premiers/ ]
Uncategorized | March 3, 2016 by Brandi Morin | APTN National News
VANCOUVER — Athabasca Chipewyan Chief Allan Adams stormed out of the meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada’s premiers and Indigenous leaders on climate change in Vancouver Wednesday because he said it fell to shambles.
“I think Canada’s in a crisis and it ain’t going to get any better now. Canada failed terribly, the provinces failed terribly in regards to addressing this issue,” said an infuriated Adam.
According to Adam the meeting didn’t include any talks of taking care of mother earth, instead the focus was placed on economic development and transitioning to a green economy.
Adam whose community sits three hours north of the Alberta tar sands said he’s now prepping to take the federal and provincial governments to court.
“The time has come to say that we are done with this. We’ve had enough. We’re not going to stand around and wait for these guys to do what they’ve got to do. Alberta wants to develop more, well, we will be there to stand in the way. We will not sell out to corporations nor will we ever be silenced ever. That’s our right,” he said.
Requests from chiefs to acquire more time to engage in discussions on climate and attend the first minister’s meeting Thursday were abruptly turned down by Trudeau, said Treaty 6 Grand Chief Tony Alexis.
“The question was brought forward to him (Trudeau) that the National Chief should be at the First Ministers meeting (tomorrow) and in a very diplomatic or constructive way he said there’s a process and within that process we will not be a part of it,” said Alexis who is advocating for Alberta chiefs to be at the front and center of talks on climate change.
Alexis sat in on the meeting after being invited last minute by the Alberta government to attend with the Alberta delegation alongside Premier Rachel Notley.
“Alberta deals with the most impact, there’s more damage happening there than in any other part of the country and here we are, we had to hitch hike to get here,” said Alexis.
Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day also expressed disappointment with the meeting and is rallying Canada chiefs to gather at the convention center Thursday outside where Trudeau and the premiers will be meeting.
“The process that the first minister’s meeting is proposing is that they’re going to now go away and determine what a declaration on our issues look like. That’s wrong, it’s not acceptable and might actually be to the peril of any pan Canadian climate change strategy,” said Day.
Day is advocating for a First Nations led climate change accord to be established in response to the growing “crisis” of climate change.
“What it all boils down to is us going back to our communities now and having to explain that we didn’t really have any say or input and that there was nothing resolved,” said Day. “We are now going to be faced with the leaders at the local level within our treaty territories saying ‘listen something else has to be done here’. We have no time to waste.”
MKO Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson also attended the meeting and said there’s a whole lot of work to be done on improving the nation to nation relationship.
“Our Indigenous leaders need to be respected and given the space to share our concerns. We shouldn’t have to beg for time with the prime minister. We should have time to speak with him on a nation to nation basis that he keeps talking about and we have yet to see that,” said North Wilson.
Neither Trudeau nor any premiers attended a media availability following the meeting.
MORE:
[ http://aptn.ca/news/2016/03/03/canada-f ... -premiers/ ]
- - - -
WATCH VIDEO: Athabasca Chipewyan Chief Allan Adams stormed out of the meeting
[ https://www.facebook.com/andrea.harden.7 ]
- - - - - -
[ http://aptn.ca/news/2016/03/03/canada-f ... -premiers/ ]
Uncategorized | March 3, 2016 by Brandi Morin | APTN National News
VANCOUVER — Athabasca Chipewyan Chief Allan Adams stormed out of the meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada’s premiers and Indigenous leaders on climate change in Vancouver Wednesday because he said it fell to shambles.
“I think Canada’s in a crisis and it ain’t going to get any better now. Canada failed terribly, the provinces failed terribly in regards to addressing this issue,” said an infuriated Adam.
According to Adam the meeting didn’t include any talks of taking care of mother earth, instead the focus was placed on economic development and transitioning to a green economy.
Adam whose community sits three hours north of the Alberta tar sands said he’s now prepping to take the federal and provincial governments to court.
“The time has come to say that we are done with this. We’ve had enough. We’re not going to stand around and wait for these guys to do what they’ve got to do. Alberta wants to develop more, well, we will be there to stand in the way. We will not sell out to corporations nor will we ever be silenced ever. That’s our right,” he said.
Requests from chiefs to acquire more time to engage in discussions on climate and attend the first minister’s meeting Thursday were abruptly turned down by Trudeau, said Treaty 6 Grand Chief Tony Alexis.
“The question was brought forward to him (Trudeau) that the National Chief should be at the First Ministers meeting (tomorrow) and in a very diplomatic or constructive way he said there’s a process and within that process we will not be a part of it,” said Alexis who is advocating for Alberta chiefs to be at the front and center of talks on climate change.
Alexis sat in on the meeting after being invited last minute by the Alberta government to attend with the Alberta delegation alongside Premier Rachel Notley.
“Alberta deals with the most impact, there’s more damage happening there than in any other part of the country and here we are, we had to hitch hike to get here,” said Alexis.
Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day also expressed disappointment with the meeting and is rallying Canada chiefs to gather at the convention center Thursday outside where Trudeau and the premiers will be meeting.
“The process that the first minister’s meeting is proposing is that they’re going to now go away and determine what a declaration on our issues look like. That’s wrong, it’s not acceptable and might actually be to the peril of any pan Canadian climate change strategy,” said Day.
Day is advocating for a First Nations led climate change accord to be established in response to the growing “crisis” of climate change.
“What it all boils down to is us going back to our communities now and having to explain that we didn’t really have any say or input and that there was nothing resolved,” said Day. “We are now going to be faced with the leaders at the local level within our treaty territories saying ‘listen something else has to be done here’. We have no time to waste.”
MKO Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson also attended the meeting and said there’s a whole lot of work to be done on improving the nation to nation relationship.
“Our Indigenous leaders need to be respected and given the space to share our concerns. We shouldn’t have to beg for time with the prime minister. We should have time to speak with him on a nation to nation basis that he keeps talking about and we have yet to see that,” said North Wilson.
Neither Trudeau nor any premiers attended a media availability following the meeting.
MORE:
[ http://aptn.ca/news/2016/03/03/canada-f ... -premiers/ ]
- - - -
WATCH VIDEO: Athabasca Chipewyan Chief Allan Adams stormed out of the meeting
[ https://www.facebook.com/andrea.harden.7 ]
- - - - - -
- Oscar
- Site Admin
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- Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm
Re: Council of Cdns. protest failure to act on climate chang
by Oscar » Fri Mar 04, 2016 11:29 am
Breaking down the narratives around the First Ministers meeting on a National Climate Policy
[ http://canadians.org/blog/breaking-down ... ate-policy ]
March 3, 2016 - 2:56 pm
If you didn’t realize the Prime Minister was meeting with Premiers today to talk about a national climate plan, congrats on finding a way to effectively block mainstream media coverage from your day.
The long-anticipated meeting in Vancouver has been consistently making headlines.
There are distinct themes emerging in the coverage.
Indigenous leaders are clearly unhappy with what they heard at their meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau and Premiers. From Athabasca Fort Chipewyan’s Chief Allan Adams storming out of the meeting threatening legal action, to the denial of Chiefs for more time to discuss climate policy, tensions were running high. [ http://aptn.ca/news/2016/03/03/canada-f ... -premiers/ ]
As quoted by APTN news, Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day stated “What it all boils down to is us going back to our communities now and having to explain that we didn’t really have any say or input and that there was nothing resolved.... We are now going to be faced with the leaders at the local level within our treaty territories saying ‘listen something else has to be done here.’ We have no time to waste.” This is not promising for Prime Minister Trudeau who has made big promises for improved relationships with Indigenous communities in Canada on an issue for which Indigenous communities are on the forefront (often both in bearing the brunt of negative climate impacts and often the fossil fuel industry driving them).
The narrative of Energy East as a West vs. East fight is again being trumped up. [ http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canad ... t-pipeline ] This narrative began with Montreal’s announced opposition to the project – 6 out of 10 Quebec residents oppose it, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall joined with Alberta’s Wild Rose leader Brian Jean, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and even Rick Mercer, piling on Quebec as standing in the way of the national interest in getting a 1.1 million barrel per day pipeline to Saint John, NB. The latest flare up comes after Quebec has sought an injunction requiring TransCanada to submit to the Quebec environmental regulatory process – of which there is legal precedence for in BC. [ http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016 ... hbert.html ]
Despite the fact that arguments for Energy East as a national interest project fall flat on facts – it is an export pipeline [ http://canadians.org/blog/myth-busting- ... -canadians ] – like the cage rattling around Quebec ‘owing’ the Prairies approval of Energy East for years of equalization payments (fact check here [ http://www.vueweekly.com/alberta-doesnt ... n-alberta/ ] ), this is likely a narrative we’ll continue to see play out. A destructive one that treads far from the true national interest, as Maude Barlow has argued, we all have in protecting water as a fiercely managed public trust in an era of increasing water scarcity and pollution.
There are questions of whether Trudeau will impose a national carbon price [ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/bri ... e28996991/ ] and an emphasis on the opportunities that come with developing a ‘green economy’ [ http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/first-m ... -1.3472189 ]. On these two points it is important to remember that we need to not only look at the end goal, but also how we plan on getting there. As argued in the Leap Manifesto [ https://leapmanifesto.org/en/the-leap-manifesto/ ], carbon pricing is one tool (of many) that can be used to generate needed funds for the transition to a green economy. How it is implemented is critical. It must effectively target industries and actions that are particularly polluting, while also not penalizing people already struggling to support their families. For more on what a progressive carbon tax could look like, see economist Marc Lee’s work with the Canadian Centre of Policy Alternatives. [ http://www.straight.com/news/343006/mar ... rtunity-bc ]
Similarly, there are clear economic opportunities that arise from a transition to a green economy but questions around who owns what and who benefits matter. We express clear support for a democratization of energy production. For example, generating good green jobs in public and community owned, increasingly decentralized renewable power production. Ensuring Indigenous and low-income communities are at the front of the line for needed building retrofits.
One of the more bizarre narratives emerging came from Prime Minister Trudeau's statement in his opening comments to the Globe 2016 Leadership Summit suggesting pipelines like Energy East can help pay for Canada’s transition to a green economy. [ http://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/03 ... en-economy ]
This is like saying we can bomb for peace. It’s like committing to weight loss with a all-poutine diet. It just doesn’t make sense.
I think it is symptomatic of Trudeau and the Liberals trying to play (at least for now) the middle ground in an increasingly heated debate on pipelines and tar sands expansion versus effectively tackling climate change, respecting Indigenous Free Prior and Informed consent and communities and provinces ability to protect their waterways.
It’s more of the same from the Liberals who, on the one hand are making promises to revamp pipeline reviews including adding a ‘climate test’ [ http://canadians.org/blog/feds-new-pipe ... il-details ] while continuing to assures pipeline proponents that they agree on the need to get oil to tidewater. [ http://ipolitics.ca/2016/01/15/governme ... says-carr/ ]
Filling the Energy East pipeline could spur an up to 40 per cent increase in tar sands production and generate up to 30 to 32 million tonnes of carbon pollution. [ http://www.pembina.org/media-release/2520 ] Along with Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain expansion [ http://www.pembina.org/media-release/2441 ], 45.4 million tonnes could be unleashed annually. This is more than the annual climate pollution of eight provinces and territories. It is the equivalent of adding 9.7 million cars to the road. [ https://www.ec.gc.ca/ges-ghg/default.as ... 5&toc=show ]
Eighty-five per cent of tar sands bitumen has to be left in the ground in order to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. [ http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v5 ... 14016.html ] This means no more than 7.5 billion barrels of oil from the tar sands can be produced over the next 35 years. Energy East alone threatens to exceed that carbon budget within
about 19 years. A 1.5 degrees Celsius target, which the Canadian government supported at the UN climate talks in Paris, requires a limit to the amount of oil that can be extracted from the tar sands and shipped via Energy East.
Further, the economic argument for getting oil to tidewater continues to crumble. Dropping oil prices have drastically changed the price differential, or discount on tar sands crude, that underpinned the drive to get 'oil to tidewater.' Even when oil prices go up (and they eventually will), tar sands production will inevitably face increasingly difficult barriers in the wake of climate policies targeting high carbon crudes like tar sands.
The rapidly dropping oil prices have left producers scrambling in the tar sands, with many realizing industry proposals for unbounded expansion are just not viable anymore. But don't take my word for it, check out what retired Canadian energy industry manager Ross Below recently wrote in ipolitics on the failing business case for Energy East. [ https://ipolitics.ca/2016/03/01/the-bus ... ell-apart/ ]
Further reading:
Top 5 actions for a national climate plan - Feb. 24/16
[ http://canadians.org/blog/top-5-actions ... imate-plan ]
100% renewable by 2050 is entirely doable - Jan. 4/16
[ http://canadians.org/blog/100-renewable-2050-doable ]
Council of Canadians supports the call for 1 million climate jobs - Mar. 3/16
[ http://canadians.org/blog/council-canad ... imate-jobs ]
Council of Canadians comments on the Acting on Climate White paper - (2015?)
[ http://canadians.org/sites/default/file ... e-1015.pdf ]
Leap Manifesto - (2015?)
[ https://leapmanifesto.org/en/the-leap-manifesto/ ]
Climate Action Network's demands for the First Minister's meeting - Feb. 22/16
[ http://climateactionnetwork.ca/2016/02/ ... te-change/ ]
Andrea Harden-Donahue's blog
Energy and Climate Justice Campaigner
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/andrea-harden-donahue ]
[ http://canadians.org/blog/breaking-down ... ate-policy ]
March 3, 2016 - 2:56 pm
If you didn’t realize the Prime Minister was meeting with Premiers today to talk about a national climate plan, congrats on finding a way to effectively block mainstream media coverage from your day.
The long-anticipated meeting in Vancouver has been consistently making headlines.
There are distinct themes emerging in the coverage.
Indigenous leaders are clearly unhappy with what they heard at their meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau and Premiers. From Athabasca Fort Chipewyan’s Chief Allan Adams storming out of the meeting threatening legal action, to the denial of Chiefs for more time to discuss climate policy, tensions were running high. [ http://aptn.ca/news/2016/03/03/canada-f ... -premiers/ ]
As quoted by APTN news, Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day stated “What it all boils down to is us going back to our communities now and having to explain that we didn’t really have any say or input and that there was nothing resolved.... We are now going to be faced with the leaders at the local level within our treaty territories saying ‘listen something else has to be done here.’ We have no time to waste.” This is not promising for Prime Minister Trudeau who has made big promises for improved relationships with Indigenous communities in Canada on an issue for which Indigenous communities are on the forefront (often both in bearing the brunt of negative climate impacts and often the fossil fuel industry driving them).
The narrative of Energy East as a West vs. East fight is again being trumped up. [ http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canad ... t-pipeline ] This narrative began with Montreal’s announced opposition to the project – 6 out of 10 Quebec residents oppose it, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall joined with Alberta’s Wild Rose leader Brian Jean, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and even Rick Mercer, piling on Quebec as standing in the way of the national interest in getting a 1.1 million barrel per day pipeline to Saint John, NB. The latest flare up comes after Quebec has sought an injunction requiring TransCanada to submit to the Quebec environmental regulatory process – of which there is legal precedence for in BC. [ http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016 ... hbert.html ]
Despite the fact that arguments for Energy East as a national interest project fall flat on facts – it is an export pipeline [ http://canadians.org/blog/myth-busting- ... -canadians ] – like the cage rattling around Quebec ‘owing’ the Prairies approval of Energy East for years of equalization payments (fact check here [ http://www.vueweekly.com/alberta-doesnt ... n-alberta/ ] ), this is likely a narrative we’ll continue to see play out. A destructive one that treads far from the true national interest, as Maude Barlow has argued, we all have in protecting water as a fiercely managed public trust in an era of increasing water scarcity and pollution.
There are questions of whether Trudeau will impose a national carbon price [ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/bri ... e28996991/ ] and an emphasis on the opportunities that come with developing a ‘green economy’ [ http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/first-m ... -1.3472189 ]. On these two points it is important to remember that we need to not only look at the end goal, but also how we plan on getting there. As argued in the Leap Manifesto [ https://leapmanifesto.org/en/the-leap-manifesto/ ], carbon pricing is one tool (of many) that can be used to generate needed funds for the transition to a green economy. How it is implemented is critical. It must effectively target industries and actions that are particularly polluting, while also not penalizing people already struggling to support their families. For more on what a progressive carbon tax could look like, see economist Marc Lee’s work with the Canadian Centre of Policy Alternatives. [ http://www.straight.com/news/343006/mar ... rtunity-bc ]
Similarly, there are clear economic opportunities that arise from a transition to a green economy but questions around who owns what and who benefits matter. We express clear support for a democratization of energy production. For example, generating good green jobs in public and community owned, increasingly decentralized renewable power production. Ensuring Indigenous and low-income communities are at the front of the line for needed building retrofits.
One of the more bizarre narratives emerging came from Prime Minister Trudeau's statement in his opening comments to the Globe 2016 Leadership Summit suggesting pipelines like Energy East can help pay for Canada’s transition to a green economy. [ http://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/03 ... en-economy ]
This is like saying we can bomb for peace. It’s like committing to weight loss with a all-poutine diet. It just doesn’t make sense.
I think it is symptomatic of Trudeau and the Liberals trying to play (at least for now) the middle ground in an increasingly heated debate on pipelines and tar sands expansion versus effectively tackling climate change, respecting Indigenous Free Prior and Informed consent and communities and provinces ability to protect their waterways.
It’s more of the same from the Liberals who, on the one hand are making promises to revamp pipeline reviews including adding a ‘climate test’ [ http://canadians.org/blog/feds-new-pipe ... il-details ] while continuing to assures pipeline proponents that they agree on the need to get oil to tidewater. [ http://ipolitics.ca/2016/01/15/governme ... says-carr/ ]
Filling the Energy East pipeline could spur an up to 40 per cent increase in tar sands production and generate up to 30 to 32 million tonnes of carbon pollution. [ http://www.pembina.org/media-release/2520 ] Along with Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain expansion [ http://www.pembina.org/media-release/2441 ], 45.4 million tonnes could be unleashed annually. This is more than the annual climate pollution of eight provinces and territories. It is the equivalent of adding 9.7 million cars to the road. [ https://www.ec.gc.ca/ges-ghg/default.as ... 5&toc=show ]
Eighty-five per cent of tar sands bitumen has to be left in the ground in order to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. [ http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v5 ... 14016.html ] This means no more than 7.5 billion barrels of oil from the tar sands can be produced over the next 35 years. Energy East alone threatens to exceed that carbon budget within
about 19 years. A 1.5 degrees Celsius target, which the Canadian government supported at the UN climate talks in Paris, requires a limit to the amount of oil that can be extracted from the tar sands and shipped via Energy East.
Further, the economic argument for getting oil to tidewater continues to crumble. Dropping oil prices have drastically changed the price differential, or discount on tar sands crude, that underpinned the drive to get 'oil to tidewater.' Even when oil prices go up (and they eventually will), tar sands production will inevitably face increasingly difficult barriers in the wake of climate policies targeting high carbon crudes like tar sands.
The rapidly dropping oil prices have left producers scrambling in the tar sands, with many realizing industry proposals for unbounded expansion are just not viable anymore. But don't take my word for it, check out what retired Canadian energy industry manager Ross Below recently wrote in ipolitics on the failing business case for Energy East. [ https://ipolitics.ca/2016/03/01/the-bus ... ell-apart/ ]
Further reading:
Top 5 actions for a national climate plan - Feb. 24/16
[ http://canadians.org/blog/top-5-actions ... imate-plan ]
100% renewable by 2050 is entirely doable - Jan. 4/16
[ http://canadians.org/blog/100-renewable-2050-doable ]
Council of Canadians supports the call for 1 million climate jobs - Mar. 3/16
[ http://canadians.org/blog/council-canad ... imate-jobs ]
Council of Canadians comments on the Acting on Climate White paper - (2015?)
[ http://canadians.org/sites/default/file ... e-1015.pdf ]
Leap Manifesto - (2015?)
[ https://leapmanifesto.org/en/the-leap-manifesto/ ]
Climate Action Network's demands for the First Minister's meeting - Feb. 22/16
[ http://climateactionnetwork.ca/2016/02/ ... te-change/ ]
Andrea Harden-Donahue's blog
Energy and Climate Justice Campaigner
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/andrea-harden-donahue ]
- Oscar
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9102
- Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm
Re: Council of Cdns. protest failure to act on climate chang
by Oscar » Fri Mar 04, 2016 3:36 pm
First Ministers climate framework a start, but stronger targets needed
[ http://www.greenparty.ca/en/media-relea ... ets-needed ]
March 03, 2016
(OTTAWA) - Following today’s meeting between the Premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Green Party of Canada calls on the federal government to deliver stronger climate targets to meet its Paris Agreement commitments.
“I congratulate the Premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on making progress towards a pan-Canadian framework for clean growth and climate action. However, I believe Canada can still achieve stronger greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets before we sign the Paris Agreement on April 22,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands).
To avoid a global temperature rise of more than 1.5 degrees C, Canada will need to improve upon our current GHG target of 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 – the weakest target in the G7, Ms. May said.
“As Environment Minister Catherine McKenna has stated, our current target is ‘the floor.’ We need an improved target now so that Canada can walk the talk on its new-found ambition and push other countries to do more on climate action,” Ms. May said.
Bruce Hyer, Green Party Deputy Leader and Climate Critic, said a First Ministers meeting is an improvement over the Harper era, but it is no substitute for a national strategy that includes a price on carbon.
“We need real leadership now, not in six months,” Hyer said. “The Green Party will continue to advocate for the Carbon Fee & Dividend model, introduced by NASA’s climate guru, James Hansen, and promoted in Canada by the Citizens Climate Lobby. Rather than Cap & Trade or another carbon tax, Carbon Fee & Dividend returns every penny of carbon fees directly to every Canadian on an equal per-capita basis, and in a totally revenue-neutral manner. The larger the dividends, the faster it reduces both CO2 and poverty. Let’s get a real plan for future generations now.”
For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Dan Palmer
Press Secretary | Attaché de presse
Green Party of Canada | Parti vert du Canada
dan.palmer@greenparty.ca
mobile: (613) 614-4916
[ http://www.greenparty.ca/en/media-relea ... ets-needed ]
March 03, 2016
(OTTAWA) - Following today’s meeting between the Premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Green Party of Canada calls on the federal government to deliver stronger climate targets to meet its Paris Agreement commitments.
“I congratulate the Premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on making progress towards a pan-Canadian framework for clean growth and climate action. However, I believe Canada can still achieve stronger greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets before we sign the Paris Agreement on April 22,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands).
To avoid a global temperature rise of more than 1.5 degrees C, Canada will need to improve upon our current GHG target of 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 – the weakest target in the G7, Ms. May said.
“As Environment Minister Catherine McKenna has stated, our current target is ‘the floor.’ We need an improved target now so that Canada can walk the talk on its new-found ambition and push other countries to do more on climate action,” Ms. May said.
Bruce Hyer, Green Party Deputy Leader and Climate Critic, said a First Ministers meeting is an improvement over the Harper era, but it is no substitute for a national strategy that includes a price on carbon.
“We need real leadership now, not in six months,” Hyer said. “The Green Party will continue to advocate for the Carbon Fee & Dividend model, introduced by NASA’s climate guru, James Hansen, and promoted in Canada by the Citizens Climate Lobby. Rather than Cap & Trade or another carbon tax, Carbon Fee & Dividend returns every penny of carbon fees directly to every Canadian on an equal per-capita basis, and in a totally revenue-neutral manner. The larger the dividends, the faster it reduces both CO2 and poverty. Let’s get a real plan for future generations now.”
For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Dan Palmer
Press Secretary | Attaché de presse
Green Party of Canada | Parti vert du Canada
dan.palmer@greenparty.ca
mobile: (613) 614-4916
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