Stephen Rees's blog

The appalling performance  in Copenhagen is worse than an embarrassment. I am breaking my own self imposed limitation and copying an email below from Avaaz. I have just signed this petition and rather than send it out by email I thought I would try to reach the larger audience who read this blog. I do not believe that the current policies of the Canadian government with respect to climate change reflect the views of most Canadians. I think they need to hear from us.

Enough is enough. As the world mounts a desperate effort to stop catastrophic global warming in Copenhagen, Canada should be leading the way. Instead, we’re receiving global “fossil awards” for wrecking this crucial summit! And new leaked documents show that while the entire world is increasing cuts to carbon emissions, the government is secretly planning roll back ours.

At the Bali climate summit in 07, a massive national outcry forced Harper to stop blocking the talks. But the oil companies that PM Harper works for know that Copenhagen is the make or break moment for climate. It will not be easy to win this time, but to save the planet and our country we have to.

Let’s mount a tidal wave of pressure on Harper with the largest petition in Canadian history – click below to sign, and forward this email to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/harper_enough_is_enough/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK

The petition will be delivered directly to the Canadian delegation in Copenhagen as Harper arrives this week, and names of the signers will actually be read out in the summit hall. While the Canadian delegation is the object of international disbelief and ridicule in Copenhagen, we can show the world that the Canadian people still hold our values of being good neighbours and global citizens.

Harper is undermining our deepest values and proudest traditions. But this is about more than our reputation. Studies show that climate change is already taking up to 300,000 human lives a year through turning millions of farms to dust and flooding vast areas. We can no longer allow Harper to make us responsible for these deaths, or put Canada’s economic future in jeopardy by sacrificing our green competitiveness for a brown economy based on the dirtiest (tar sands) oil in the world.

Copenhagen is seeking the biggest mandate in history to stop the greatest threat humanity has ever faced. History will be made in the next few days, and our country is the problem, not the solution. How will our children remember this moment? Let’s tell them we did all we could.

With hope,

Ricken, Laryn, Anne-Marie, Iain and the Avaaz Canada team

More information at these sites:

CBC — “Tories pondered weaker emission targets for oil and gas”

Mail and Guardian — “Canada’s climate shame”

Toronto Star — “Who are the Yes Men and why did they punk Canada at Copenhagen”

Macleans — “Suddenly the world hates Canada”

Fossil of the Day Awards
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