Dear reasonable and eco-aware fellow citizens of the Earth,
My name is Eric Novak, and I am a Canadian citizen. Now before you tear a strip off me, please understand that just because I’m Canadian doesn’t mean that I don’t give a rat’s ass about the environment, or climate change. While it certainly may seem that way, given the morally reprehensible way our federal government conducts itself on the world environmental stage, but please keep in mind that our federal government truly only speaks for a very small, yet powerful concentration of corporate interests on this subject – and NOT that of the majority of rational, reasonable and concerned citizens like myself.
In other words – my government doesn’t speak for me nor does it speak for what I truly believe to be the vast majority of Canadians when it comes to the issues of the environment and the critical issue of man-made climate change.
Just this week our Conservative government announced that Canada will be pulling out of the Kyoto Protocol – the only legally binding international agreement on Climate Change. In doing so we are the first nation ever of all 194 signatories to the document to rescind our support and simply walk away. If you take a moment to perform a simple Google search on the subject of Canada and Kyoto you’ll see thousands of news articles from around the world – virtually all of it condemning Canada for this act of ecological treason. I had to stop reading after awhile because, truthfully, it was making me feel about as ashamed to be Canadian as I have ever been.
The problem though…is that I’m not ashamed to be Canadian! Instead I realize that I’m utterly ashamed at how the government that I did not vote for (actually less than 30% of the eligible voting public did – yet they still manage to hold a majority position in parliament) conducts itself, and I want people from around the world to know that there is a big difference between what the government says and what it’s citizens believe.
I’m utterly ashamed that Prime Minister Harper has chosen to view our economy in a purely myopic manner. He has chosen to sacrifice the environmental viability of our planet down the line for the support today of corporations that net enormous profits from ecologically catastrophic practices. I expect the Prime Minister of my country to place a value on prosperity not just now but for the future as paramount. I expect our Prime Minister to not be beholden to specific corporate interests, who see their bottom line as the only metric and not the viability of this planet for our children. I even expect our Prime Minister – who as a father himself – understands that the decisions he makes today will have a lasting legacy for his children.
But alas, our Prime Minister shows virtually no regard for any of my concerns which are also shared by so many.
Our Prime Minister believes that it is better to provide subsidies to oil and gas companies to an amount that is greater than the total operating budget of Environment Canada. Our Prime Minister ignorantly chooses to ignore the fact that other countries see renewable energy as the economy of the future and in so doing, are quietly setting the stage for the economic demise of my country. Our Prime Minister has instead put all his eggs in one basket…or perhaps in one set of deep cororate pockets with little regard for its long term ramifications.
My fellow citizens, please understand that Canadians do not share the viewpoint of this Prime Minister and his government when it comes to the environment. Their clever usage of wedge tactics and divisive politics during the last campaign allowed them to secure a majority mandate without ever having to show their hand when it came to what they wanted to do with Kyoto. We are sadly all now paying a price.
But understand this…MY VOICE WILL NOT BE SILENCED, nor will I stop fighting for a future that understands that the greater good is more important than the perceived greatness of having goods. I will continue to remind people at every opportunity that we have not inherited this planet from our ancestors, but rather we are only borrowing it from our children. I will work hard to ensure that in 2015 when we return to the ballot once again, that our Conservative government will be evicted and banished to the hazardous wastelands that they have allowed to be created.
Citizens of the world…please look beyond the reprehensible actions of our government and see that beyond them, there are millions of Canadians who are just as mortified by what’s going on as you are. Give us a chance to make it right again and show us your support by condemning the actions of our government and keeping the embarrassing and morally corupt actions they have undertaken in the public eye.
Give us time…and lets solve this problem together. On behalf of millions of concerned Canadians, I deeply apologize for the actions of our government and we hope to make it up to you as soon as possible.
Marty: Here is what Harper really thinks of the Kyoto Accord: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2007/01/30/harper-kyoto.html
His opinion hasn’t changed. He now has the power to enact this travesty of thought on all of us. Please do your research and then talk about this with everyone. Our future depends on it. You can make a difference. Together we can fight this reprehensible regime! The Liberals were slow to get going in the beginning, but did have a great plan under Paul Martin with Dione as Environment Minister. But by then apathy had set in and it is getting worse. We have to change the tide.
Thanks for the link Mandy. I just read the BBC’s take on our withdrawal, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16165033 (read Black’s sidebar analysis – not flattering). At the end of the article they have links to other stories on the issue, and Craig McInnes’ Vancouver Sun piece echoes what you and Stephanie suggest – that while we huff and fume, Canadians lack the will as consumers and citizens to make significant changes, http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/Opinion+Canada+leaves+Kyoto+climate+fight+falls+consumers/5849442/story.html
Hi Eric,
Terrific post! I hear your call not to be silence, I’m battling my own passivity. You are well written and worried. Are you part of any political action? I’ve just recently joined a lobbying group that crosses borders into other provinces and the U.S. It is called the Citizen’s Climate Lobby. You would be a great ally and in fact any of your readers who are wondering how to get involved and start using their voices against climate change and other environmental interests. Please check it out and feel free to get in touch with me!
Thanks Stephanie-Lynn for your comments and for your kind words. I am a lead presenter with The Climate Reality Project Canada and since 2008 when I began volunteering for them, I have spoken to almost 20,000 Canadians (more than half of them students) in several provinces across the country. I also deliver keynote addresses to government groups, business conferences, community groups and more. My BIO can be found on this site as well as a link on the Home Page to my Speakerfile profile.
Thanks again and keep up the great work yourself!
The Kyoto agreement began in 1997, and for the majority of that time until 2006, there was Liberal leadership, with both Jean Chrethien and Paul Martin, under whom CO2 emissions shot up unabated. Harper comes in with only a few years remaining to the deadline, and realizes that the negligence of the leaders before him made missing Kyoto targets inevitable. What he did makes sense to me, and is rather brave considering the predictible reactions: cut your losses, and help Canada avoid a pointless $14 billion penalty.
Thanks for your comments.
To simply place the blame on the Liberals who were signators to Kyoto is both naieve and inaccurate. Your suggestion that they allowed C02 emissions to grow unabatted fails to acknowledge that in 2005 the governing Liberals tabled Project Green. An independent review by the Pembina Institute concluded that the elements proposed in Project Green would bring Canada 80% of the way to meeting its Kyoto commitments. The plan was funded and had begun implementation when the 2006 election brought in Stephen Harper as PM. Immediately following his victory, Harper gutted Project Green and instead diverted funds to non-environmental projects, including investments in the Oil and Gas sector.
Furthermore, regardless of what happened during the tenure of the Liberals, Mr. Harper has had almost six years to implement other plans of action – to which he has done absolutely nothing. The end result today is a reality that was borne, not by Liberal neglect but rather by almost six years of Conservative indifference and opposition.
Lastly Kent’s claim that the decision saved the government $14 Billion in fines is also untrue. Elizabeth May is on record as saying no such fine exists and that using such blatant false claims amounts to a Red Herring designed to divert attention from the real issue – that the Conservative economic strategy runs straight in the face of what Kyoto and any subsequent treaty is designed to do – reduce carbon emissions from man made sources.
That is the reality of the situation and passing the buck is irresponsible.
While I’m not quite ready to take issue as strongly as you have (before I investigate what, if any, alternate strategies this gov’t has), I know your letter represents the reactions of many Canadians. It will be my reaction as well if the Harper gov’t fails to provide some serious home-grown environment planning. Shared on FB, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Earth-Scouts-Montreal-NDG-Group/305753152775573
Thanks Marty for your comments. Given that the Harper Conservatives will govern at least until 2013 I have no choice but to hope along with you that they have a viable and acceptable solution to implement. Sadly though, if the past 5-1/2 years of Harper governing is any barometer to the future, we are likely to be bitterly dissapointed – and the world will suffer as a result.
I too am a proud Canadian and I love my country passionately. I too am so ashamed of the reprehensible conduct of the “Harper Government” at the Durban Climate talks (COP17) and their withdrawl of Canada from the Kyoto protocol. This government is time and time again practising deliberate dishonest communications, which shows contempt for the citizens of Canada. Telling Canadians and the world that it was withdrawing from Kyoto in part to avoid paying $14 billion in fines is pure fabrication and deceit of the worst kind. The climate change situation is no longer simply about saving polar bears and preserving the environment, it is about ensuring that this world and this country does not become “hell on earth” for the very next generation…. our children! How can our prime minister, a father, act in such a reprehensible fashion? It is time for every mild-mannered, non-confrontational Canadian to become a strident activist!
Thanks Mandy! You are right that for too long, the mild-mannered nature of who we are has allowed the deniers and paid lobbyist to win the conversation. We will only tip the conversation in our favour again by not letting others win a conversation based on lies and misrepresentation. We can’t sit idly by anymore for apathy and indifference have more catastrophic potential than any pandemic virus ever could.