What are you doing on Saturday?

I know you have joined marches before.  You have turned out the lights for Earth Hour, changed your light bulbs, taken the bus, and signed petitions. So, another “day of action” may not be on your mind as you look to this fall weekend.  I am writing this blog to urge you to cancel anything else you had in mind on Saturday, go to the http://www.350.org/ website to find the event in your community and plan to be there.

We have less than two months until the opening of the climate talks in Copenhagen.  The first phase of Kyoto, 2008-2012, is drawing to a close.  The scientific warnings of 2007, when Kyoto was negotiated, were not heeded.  The Kyoto Protocol represented a watered down version of what was needed, and then the US walked away prior to ratification (so at least they did not violate international law).  Canada is the only nation to have ratified Kyoto and then repudiated its goals.  We are the only climate law-breaker in the community of nations.  

Meanwhile, the warnings of the scientific community are ramping up – in certainty and in volume.  We have allowed Greenhouse gas levels to rise to a level 30% higher than those experienced over the last million years.  True, there was more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere millions of years before that, but it was the age of reptiles.  Humans were not around.  We have, as a species, flourished and developed a glorious proficiency in the arts and in scientific pursuits thanks to a hospitable climate and abundant resources.  We are rapidly extinguishing both.

To avoid those dreaded “tipping points” in the atmosphere, to avoid run-away global warming, emission levels must begin to fall no later than 2016.  To do that, a new global treaty must be concluded engaging all the major contributors to the problem such that it will be in effect the moment the first phase of Kyoto ends at the end of 2012.

That’s what the 15th Convention of the Parties in Copenhagen is all about.

Leaders are not leading.  The EU and the US now say they do not want the next phase to be based on Kyoto.  That position will drive China (currently with a better record of climate action than Canada) away from the table.  Meanwhile, Canada is working with only one goal in mind – protection of unrestricted growth in the tar sands.

The issue is not political.  The atmosphere is not interested in negotiating with humanity. The atmosphere sets its own responses.  The warming gases released today are putting in motion an unstoppable level of climate disruption.

In our Parliament a dreadful, disgraceful betrayal occurred today.  The Liberals chose to support the Conservatives in getting an extension on the study of Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act. Last year, under Stéphane Dion, the Liberals supported this NDP private members’ bill.  Today, they chose to help the Conservatives keep this excellent bill from being put to a vote prior to Copenhagen.  We need that bill to send a message to the rest of the world about how Canadians really feel about our global responsibilities.  

So now that the Liberals are walking away from real action, sadly, the NDP appear gleefulat having some stick with which to attack the Liberals, and the Conservatives are sabotaging the negotiations, what are we to do?

Get out on Saturday. Wherever you are, get out and march.  Stand up for your children and their children. March and demand change when we still have time to make the transition to a low carbon economy.  Demand hard-targets.  Call for the Canadian government to change its position before we act to undermine an already bleak start to negotiations.

These demonstrations must be huge.  No excuses.  Get out and participate on Saturday, October 24th, International Day of Climate Action.