Elizabeth May Calls for Massive Public Mobilization in 2011 in lead-up to UN Climate Summit in Durban, South Africa

For Immediate Release
January 20, 2011

Climate Campaign Trainings will occur across Canada this year, starting in Saanich in February

Elizabeth May, national leader of Canada’s Green Party, is calling for a massive and relentless public mobilization in 2011 in the lead up to the next UN Climate Summit, COP 17 (the 17th Conference of the Parties), to be held in Durban, South Africa in December, 2011. Unexpectedly, the latest UN Climate Summit, COP 16, held in Cancun, Mexico last December resulted in a surprisingly hopeful agreement that keeps the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol alive as an option, despite fears that Kyoto would be killed by Canada, the US, Japan, and Russia.

Ms. May intends to hold a series of climate campaign trainings for concerned citizens across Canada this year to facilitate this mobilization, starting with a training in early February in Saanich (date and location TBA) on how to organize climate campaigns and movements. Other trainings by Elizabeth May, who is author of ‘How to Save the World on Your Spare Time’, will occur across Canada throughout 2011.

“Hope is back on the table this year for our climate and the planet. But it’s tenuous, as the Harper government will undoubtedly be up to its incessant anti-environmental shenanigans to undermine and sabotage international and national progress against climate change. No doubt they will be pushing for the weakest, non-Kyoto option, based on voluntary, inadequate targets that will result in disastrous, runaway global warming,” states Elizabeth May, national leader of Canada’s Green Party and author of ‘Global Warming for Dummies’. “We need everyone who cares about the fate of this planet to speak up and mobilize this year, by writing in to politicians, newspapers, online commentary sections of articles, on Facebook, blogs, phoning-in to radio programs, and by attending events, rallies, and protests. 2011 is the year that really counts. If we lose Kyoto, we will almost lose hope for climate stability and for many, many life forms and people on this planet.”

Objections by Canada, Russia, and Japan at COP 16 in favour of a weaker agreement (based on the “Copenhagen Accord” of 2009) involving smaller, voluntary emissions reductions targets initially threatened Kyoto’s continuation after the binding, international agreement expires in 2012. However, by the end of the conference, the tenacity of conference president, Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Patricia Espinoza, helped to keep the possibility alive of implementing a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol starting in 2013, a move supported by the global environmental community, developing nations, the European Union, and all of Canada’s opposition parties (Greens, NDP, Liberals, Bloc).

COP 16 nations also agreed that industrialized nations would undertake “deep emissions cuts” to keep the rise of global average temperatures to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times, as recommended by scientists in order to prevent runaway global warming feedback loops. Unfortunately, the possibility of an alternate, weaker agreement also remains an option, which the Harper government will undoubtedly be pushing to implement.

In a major affront to Canadian democracy, on November 17 last year the unelected Conservative senate killed Canada’s only climate bill, Bill C-311, that was passed by a majority of elected Members of Parliament (NDP, Liberals, and Bloc). Not in over 80 years has Canada’s unelected Senate killed a bill passed by an elected majority of MP’s without putting it up for debate. See Rick Mercer’s rant at: Rick Mercer’s Rant

Climate change is the most serious problem facing the planet. The largest mass extinction crisis in our history is being set in motion by climate change – scientists project that as much as 37% of the world’s known animal and plant species could be committed to extinction by 2050 under current trends. Other consequences of anthropogenic climate change include acidifying oceans, increasing droughts and floods, crop failures, intensifying storms and extreme weather events, expanding forest fires and forest insect infestations, and the creation of hundreds of millions of “climate refugees” from rising sea levels and droughts (resulting in escalating social conflicts and wars).

The Green Party of Canada is calling on the government of Canada to:

- Reaffirm a continuation of the Kyoto Protocol as the framework for a subsequent international climate agreement to succeed the expiration of Kyoto’s first commitment period, which expires at the end of 2012.
- Enact strong, legally-binding, national emissions targets based on science, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 – which the Climate Change Accountability Act would have done, before unelected Tory senators killed it late last year.
- Restore and enhance funding for renewable energy and energy conservation programs, such as for the wind power sector and the home energy retrofit program.
- Implement a national climate levy to put a price on carbon.
- Place a moratorium on the expansion of fossil fuel megaprojects, such as the Alberta tar sands, and eliminate associated subsidies.
- Provide support for a major expansion in public transportation and commercial and passenger rail.
-Agree to contribute its fair share of a $100 billion adaption and mitigation fund for developing nations.

For more info contact Ken Wu, Communications Director, at:
saanichgulfislands@greenparty.ca