Keeping Up With The Provinces
by Tzeporah BermanIs the tanker starting to turn? Prime Minister Harper now says he wants a binding deal and will attend the leaders’ summit on the last days at Copenhagen.
Over the weekend, President Obama announced he was changing plans and would be attending the final days’ leaders’ summit, as opposed to a cameo at the beginning. His position had been that he would attend if enough progress was made with Asian giants like China and India and he felt showing up could clinch a deal.
The Premiers of BC, Quebec and Ontario were already committed to attend. In this Real News video, we look into why Canada’s federal government seems to be moving so grudgingly. And why the feds are falling so far behind provinces like BC, Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba – each of these provinces is doing worthy things on their own and all have joined in the Western Climate Initiative which now covers 80 per cent of Canada’s population and 75 per cent of the country’s gross national product.
The politics and provincial divides are a hot topic these days. I recommend catching up on why Ekos pollster Frank Graves thinks climate is an “exposed flank” for the Tories which “… is already acting as a significant break on Conservative fortunes and it has been for some time.”
Also, Chantal Hebert gives an overview of why the climate issue puts Harper on unity hot seat. Joseph Heath turns Quebec’s influence inside out in Doomed to be dirty and makes the case that for all the clean energy action in that province, “with many Quebecers on the sidelines of Canadian federalism, there’s nothing to stop the oil patch from carrying the day on climate change.”
5 Responses so far...
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Chris Turner Video: The Great Leap Sideways
Rogerlg, Sunday, March 7th, 2010 Oh, so that's our Calgary author Chris Turner! Boy, he talks fast! But can there be any doubt that we need leaders and proponents like him? I had a wake up call about the ocean acidification from a CBC radio program about six months ago, and I cried... What can I do to speed up this great leap sideways? When I'm not praying and advocating for a carbon tax, I remember two of my favorite quotes: "A twig can turn a flood, but the twig must be well placed." spoken by Coll in The High King, by Lloyd Alexander; and "When we study the biographies of our heroes, we learn that they spent years in preparation, doing tiny, decent things before one historic moment propelled them to center stage and used them to tilt empires." by Danusha Veronica Goska Read More 3 comments
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Chris Turner Video: The Great Leap Sideways
jflsys, March 8, 2010 What a tightly packed 15 minutes! The parts about urban development reminded me of the great Canadian documentary film... Read MoreChris Turner Video: The Great Leap Sideways
jflsys, March 8, 2010 What a tightly packed 15 minutes! The parts about urban development reminded me of the great Canadian documentary film... Read MoreChris Turner Video: The Great Leap Sideways
Rogerlg, March 7, 2010 Oh, so that’s our Calgary author Chris Turner! Boy, he talks fast! But can there be any doubt that we need... Read MoreUPDATED – Ex-Foreign Affairs Minister Defends “Skeptics,” Condemns Climate “Alarmism”
Barry Saxifrage, February 25, 2010 LOL. Own goal. Even... Read MoreKeep Calm But Don’t Carry On
Barry Saxifrage, February 23, 2010 There are some good things to do in this list, but I disagree with the overall message that we need to back away... Read More
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Open letter to Harper on UN Climate Summit Copenhagen
Tzeporah Berman, December 3, 2009 Tzeporah Berman addressing Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Read MoreIn the Fight Over Clean Energy, Will “Environmentalists” Stand With Science?
March 23, 2009 By Professor Andrew Weaver, Lead author for the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Read MoreBacklash Against the Green Economy in BC
Tzeporah Berman, March 19, 2009 "You mean they want to ban all renewable energy companies from your province?" This is the point when I sigh inwardly during conversations with colleagues from outside B. Read MoreWhat Is The Next Generation of Environmentalism?
Tzeporah Berman, March 5, 2009 I'm planning a series of posts on the state of play of "environmentalism" in Canada and to work through the thorny questions over what environmental "leadership" (icky term I know) means at this pivotal moment on Earth. Read MoreFederal Budget: where’s renewable energy?
Chris Hatch, January 28, 2009 The Conservative government is talking “green stimulus” but, in a surprise move, did not renew support to green energy production in its budget. Read More
What the Sami people can teach us about adapting to climate change.
As accelerating climate change and other man-made environmental degradations create growing alarm across the planet, the Sami people have much to teach the world about how to adapt, survive, and thrive, says Elina Helander-Renvall.Conversation about growth in global energy demand begins with China.
China is already the world's largest producer of heavily polluting coal, and the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide.The promise of green chemistry.
Although Grossman is not a trained chemist, she has done a remarkable job of compiling a tremendous amount of technical information and translating it into language nonscientists can appreciate.Hyperbole erodes credibility.
After the Copenhagen shambles, IPCC head Rajendra Pachauri's alleged conflicts of interest and the fabricated propaganda of the University of East Anglia emails, proponents of climate change action need to rebuild credibility.Polar explorer to take on new challenge.
A Scottish explorer who was part of the first British team to walk unsupported to the North Pole is to take on a new challenge helping scientists gauge the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the Arctic Ocean.Open letter to Harper on UN Climate Summit Copenhagen
Tzeporah Berman, December 3, 2009 Tzeporah Berman addressing Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Read MoreCanadian Industry Leaders Call For Carbon Caps
Chris Hatch, October 20, 2009 Some of the leading player in Canadian industry are calling on the federal government to set hard, declining caps on global warming emissions in a statement released today. Read MoreOttawa Dashes Hopes? Not Of the Canadians I’m Meeting
Tzeporah Berman, October 23, 2009 Ottawa Dashes Hopes for Climate Treaty in Copenhagen blares the front-page headline facing Canadians across the country today. Read MoreHope Blowing in the Wind
Tzeporah Berman, August 12, 2009 I wrote a piece based on my visit to BC's first wind farm which is published in today's Vancouver Sun. Read MoreTime To Fire Up A Clean Energy Economy
Tzeporah Berman, May 22, 2009 My Op-Ed in the Vancouver Sun earlier today. Read MoreWrite the party leaders, demand that Canada keep up with Obama’s green economy plans Join Up Donate
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Here in Alberta, once again it’s from the grassroots that leadership is showing up. There are at least 7 municipalities that have written letters to either Premier Stelmach or else Energy Minister Mel Knight, asking for an expert panel to fully assess our renewable power potential in the Province and the best policies with which to develop it. The ones I’m aware of thus far are the Cities of Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, and Edmonton, the Towns of Peace River, Vulcan, and Didsbury, and the County of Leduc.
My own City, Calgary, has not yet sent any such letter, which is really odd because this spring they signed a contract committing to supply 100% of City operations for electricity with renewables by 2012.
I agree that we need whatever we can get right now, and if the provinces are leading the way, more power to them! The rest of Canada isn’t going to be the victim of the Conservatives’ lack of ambition. Thanks for laying down the law on the tar sands too.
Tell it like it is Tzeporah. Great stuff on the tar sands. I’m glad to hear you say that tar sands oil is 300% dirtier than conventional oil and not that Well to wheel nonsense that the industry is promoting at 15% so that they can then say if CCs captures 15% then the tar sands oil is the same as conventional. Keep popping their balloons.
Have you seen this article of a so-called “Danish Text” leaked to Guardian today:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/08/copenhagen-climate-summit-disarray-danish-text
If it is true it is very disturbing.
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