In his short time in office, Prime Minister Harper has managed to dismantle many of the programs Canada had in place to address Climate Change. Below is a letter I mailed to the Prime Minister today. Please take action. Feel free to copy this letter. You can sign your name and mail the letter as below, or use it as a starting point and edit to reflect your own opinion.
May 2, 2006
Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
Dear Prime Minister Harper:
Re: Climate Change
You have stated that “we do have a made in Canada plan to resolve the problem of pollution and also greenhouse gases” and “have said all along that Canada would not achieve the Kyoto targets. Canada could not achieve them, and that’s just the reality, but we do want to make progress”.
Apparently, in your mind, progress is to do very little about climate change and rather shove it under a carpet. You have not renewed any of the climate change programs announced in Action Plan 2000, including the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network, and as a result Natural Resources Canada has begun laying off staff.
You have suggested that Canada’s actions would have little impact without the participation of the United States and that you are discussing a deal with President Bush. Of course I do not need to remind you that Canada has signed the Kyoto Protocol while the U.S. has not.
Global Warming is a reality and I believe there will be huge negative impacts on the world economy in the near future. And since I feel that cost cutting is the major force driving your decision not to renew the programs under Action Plan 2000 that decision is very short sited. We need to act now on Global Warming, therefore I ask that you reconsider your decision and renew the Action Plan 2000 programs. Of course, if you have other plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more efficiently and quickly, I look forward to the immediate implementation of those plans. But in the meantime, please renew the Action Plan 2000 programs.
Canada is falling behind on its Kyoto targets and we must act quickly.
Sincerely,
Michelle Jones
5 comments:
Hi Michelle,
I just wanted to be the first to leave a comment on your new blog. Looks great!
Laura
Dear Ms. Jones--
Clearly, you think the apparent recent trend toward climate warming is real and of concern.
Do you believe humans cause it? Why? Do you believe that humans can make a difference? How? And why?
We need to think critically about environmental issues and choose our battles wisely.
Mikey
Dear Mikey:
Thanks for the comments. As to your questions, I do believe that humans are contributing substantially to global warming. I am not a scientist so I look to other sources for my information. And of course there are many sides to this debate. So I must weigh the evidence and choose which side to believe.
Of course humans can make a difference. And since I believe that rising greenhouse gas emmisions are the problem, then the obvious solution is to reduce those emissions. As for how, there is conservation and alternative clean sources of energy, to name a few.
Global warming is expected to result in sea level rises, exteme weather changes and increase in spread of disease, which will negatively affect humans, animals, ecosystems and the economy. I think there are plenty of good reasons to change our ways and to learn to live in harmony with our environment.
Michelle
Dear Michelle,
To what global warming effect do you attribute the insanity of the 60 eminent scientists who sent their open letter to PM Harper in April 2006 urging a review and reanalysis of Canada's adherence to and participation in Kyoto?
Without researching each of the scientists' backgrounds, I will not postulate on why they wrote that letter. Of course there is still some debate going on, but that has lessened rather quickly and many who do not acknowledge global warming and/or the human impact are somehow connected to industry or government. Science has become a commodity and some scientists will say anything for the right price. As for these 60, I cannot say. But even Bush acknowledges climate change and the impacts of greenhouse gases now...it would be interesting to see how many of these scientists have changed their opinion since last April.
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