I join my fellow Canadians in urging our federal government to enact stronger global warming laws and policies.
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News Release: President Gorbachev, PM Campbell Call On Canada to Dispel 'Defeatism,'Act on Climate
Power Up Canada; Green Cross International: Climate Change Task Force - International leaders from business, science, arts join call to PM Harper
Copenhagen, Dec. 15, 2009 – Mikhail Gorbachev and The Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell have joined prominent business leaders, scientists and artists calling on Prime Minister Harper to “dispel perceptions of defeatism” and to “rally the Canadian people” toward a clean energy economy in a joint letter delivered today.
The letter’s authors point to the “considerable criticism” of Canada at international climate negotiations and urge the Prime Minister to recommit Canada to its historic international role. The signatories note that Canada is one of the world’s top ten greenhouse gas emitters but also has “unparalleled potential” for clean energy. The authors warn Canada is “missing the economic opportunity of the twenty-first century.”
Individuals can support this effort by sending their own letter at: http://www.climatechangetaskforce.org/campaign/view/13/Prime+Minister+Harper+-+Your+Finest++Moment%3F
Contacts:
Tzeporah Berman, PowerUP Canada:45 50 10 60 33
Adam Koniuszewski, Green Cross International: 41 79 417 87 97
Joint Letter:
Dear Prime Minister Harper,
As you know, Canada has come under considerable criticism in the lead-up to December’s United Nations’ climate change conference in Copenhagen.
We urge you to dispel the perception that Canada is being defeatist about prospects for tackling climate change and building a clean energy economy.
The world desperately needs middle powers like Canada to come together and galvanize the international process. As one of the world’s top ten greenhouse gas emitters and a large energy producer, Canada is uniquely positioned to play a key role.
Canada has an admirable history both as a leader and an honest broker on many important issues in international affairs. We urge you to recommit Canada to that international role on the pressing issue of climate change and to do everything possible to raise the negotiations to the level of importance and urgency demanded by the climate threat.
The next wave of productivity and innovation will come from building a low carbon economy. Countries around the world are racing to develop and deploy new ways to produce and use energy. Canada has much to gain from deploying solutions to climate change. Canada has unparalleled potential for the deployment of wind, ocean and other clean energy technologies and extensive expertise in hydroelectricity. Individual Canadian provinces have been leaders on clean energy, greenhouse gas reduction and carbon pricing policies.
Currently Canada does not have a consistent price signal or sustained national incentives for the deployment of clean energy. Recent studies by the UN and HSBC show that Canada lags the G20 in deploying green stimulus. Canada is missing the economic opportunity of the twenty-first century.
Prime Minister, we are at a historic juncture. We urge you to dispel perceptions of defeatism, to rally the Canadian people and to grasp the economic opportunities of the clean energy economy.
Signatories include:
Margaret Atwood, Author; Bill Becker, Executive Director, US Presidential Climate Action Project; Dr. Martin Beniston, Director of the University of Geneva Institute of Environmental Sciences and IPCC author; Tzeporah Berman, Executive Director PowerUP Canada; The Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell; Neve Campbell, Actor; John Coo, President Green Cross Canada; Jean-Michel Cousteau, Oceans Future President; Louise Dennys, Executive Vice-President, Random House of Canada/ Executive Publisher, The Knopf Random Canada Publishing Group; President Gorbachev, Founder Green Cross International; Luc Hardy, Venture Capitalist; Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon, Author; Carl Honore, Journalist and Author; Dr. Mark Jaccard, Environmental economist & IPCC author; Adam Koniuszewski, COO Green Cross International, Climate Change Task Force Project Leader; Adam Kreek, Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist; James Hoggan, author of Climate Cover-Up; David Hughes, President, Global Sustainability Research Inc; Avrim Lazar, CEO Forest Products Association of Canada; Hunter Lovins, President & Founder, Natural Capitalism Solutions; Yann Martel, Author; Prof. Mohan Munasinghe, Vice Chair IPCC-AR4; Sarah Murphy, Pfizer Canada; Joanne Photiades, Senior Manager BDC the Development Bank of Canada; Dr. John Polanyi, Professor of Chemistry, University of Toronto. Nobel Laureate (1986); John Roy, Founder, RoyComm Group; Clayton Ruby, CM LLD, Canadian Lawyer; Caroline Tison, Executive Director, West Island Community Shares; Dr. Andrew Weaver, Climate Scientist & IPPC author; Bruce Westwood, Founder, Westwood Creative Artists; Ronald Wright, Author and Massey Lecturer.
