Ottawa Dashes Hopes? Not Of the Canadians I’m Meeting

Ottawa Dashes Hopes for Climate Treaty in Copenhagen blares the front-page headline facing Canadians across the country today. But the Canadians converging for Saturday’s day of action give me plenty of hope.

There’s a group of laid-off autoworkers on their way to Ottawa to call on government to catalyze a new generation of jobs in the clean economy. One of their leaders is Tammy Shoep who was laid off by GM last year and knows that the future lies in a transition to a “green” economy.

The nuns from The Sisters of Providence of Saint Vincent de Paul in Kingston are on their way. They see global warming as the great moral issue of our age.

96-year old Harold Beach is on his way from Toronto with his son Norm. His passion brought tears to my eyes.

There are events around the world tomorrow (actually they’ve begun) and more than 200 events across Canada:

• More than 1000 students from across the country are converging to strategize and learn skills in Ottawa.
• In Yarmouth N.S. they’re chalking projected sea-level rises on the buildings in the downtown core.
• In Whitehorse, 350 participants will join hands and hug the Yukon Legislature in a giant circle.
• In Vancouver, the Cambie Bridge will be closed to cars as 350 salsa dancers put on a show. Mayor Gregor Robertson put out a YouTube video urging people in Vancouver to participate.  He will be there himself on this bike.
• In St. Johns and Saskatoon human hourglasses consisting of 350 citizens each will be formed and photographed.
• Schools across the country, including the entire student and staff population of Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Kingston — 1300 students — are posing for photographs in the shape of a giant 350.

I could go on, but you get the idea!

The most galling thing about Canada’s government is that they just aren’t even trying to move domestic or international action. Yes, it’s politically difficult at home. Yes, the international negotiations are enormously complicated. But we’re one of the Top Ten global warming polluters in the world and the government hasn’t spent an ounce of political capital to move the ball forward.

And there are ways to try: Europe just offered carbon cuts of 95% if others join in. Japan’s new government has offered ambitious near-term cuts to mobilize others. Obama just today put his famous communications skills to the task of rallying his nation behind a transition to clean energy (video). There has been a sea change in China in the last year.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. We won’t solve things once and for all in Copenhagen. But don’t let Ottawa dash your hopes — that’s something that’s inside each of us — in the autoworkers, nuns, students, seniors and Canadians from all walks of life.