Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Adopt A Negotiator, Alberta, Canada, Climate Change, Environment, Greenpeace, Jiri Rezac, Oil Sands, Tar Sands, UNFCCC, United Nations
After having some time to reflect on the meeting last week with Yvo de Boer the current Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and having one quote echo in my head I could not pass on writing about the topic since it really holds weight to the current Candian context and the slow progress that has been made so far in Bangkok.
Oil sands, also known as tar sands, or extra heavy oil, is a type of bitumen deposit. The sands are naturally occurring mixtures of sand or clay, water and an extremely dense and viscous form of petroleum called bitumen. They are found in large amounts in many countries throughout the world, but are found in extremely large quantities in Canada and Venezuela.
“Stop Financing The Past & Start Financing The Future.”
Yvo de Boer
While there has been a large growing amount of domestic pressure as well as international pressure to stop the one of the worlds largest represent as much as two-thirds of the world’s total petroleum resource, with at least 1.7 trillion barrels (270×10^9 m3) in the Canadian Athabasca Oil Sands.
One might wonder how could there ever be a serious climate change policy from Canada while they are the largest supplier of crude oil and refined products to the United States, supplying about 20% of total U.S. imports, and exporting more oil and products to the U.S. than it consumes itself. In 2006, Canadian bitumen production averaged 1.25 million barrels per day (200,000 m³/d) through 81 oil sands projects, representing 47% of total Canadian petroleum production. This proportion is expected to increase in coming decades as bitumen production grows while conventional oil production declines.
© Jiri Rezac / GREENPEACE
© Jiri Rezac / GREENPEACE
© Jiri Rezac / GREENPEACE
© Jiri Rezac / GREENPEACE
© Jiri Rezac / GREENPEACE
© Jiri Rezac / GREENPEACE
While it will not be easy for Canada move past this temporary barrier of moving past the Kyoto targets and the environmental impacts of the projects in Alberta will be a slow process to recover from. The need to focus on mitigation and the use of clean energy to exceed the emission targets it is something that is required to prevent much of the climate impacts that are currently happening around the world from having great impacts to Canada’s natural environment and economy.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Bangkok, Barack Obama, British Prime Minister, Canada, CDM, Chinese President, Climate Change, Coffee, Doughnut, French President, Gordon Brown, Hu Jintao, Jim Prentice, Nicolas Sarkozy, Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, Tim Hortons, U.S. President, UN, UNFCCC
Last week’s activities of the Canadian Prime Minister have created some confusion on how serious Canada is on helping to create a post-Kyoto Protocol but one thing is for sure: The importance of a donut has never put the international community in such a position.
On September 23, Prime Minister Harper showed that he chose donuts and tax policies over a meeting of global leaders at the largest ever United Nations Climate Summit, called by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York.
The purpose of the Summit was to build the driving force needed to ensure that the final 75 days left until the United Nations Conference in Copenhagen would put the planet on the correct path to address climate change. The international leaders who attended included U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chinese President Hu Jintao; but Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper was not in attendance and sent Environment Minister Jim Prentice instead.
It may be understandable that being in the position of being Prime Minister does cause for some conflicting scheduling but upon visiting the Canadian Environment Ministers website the apparent conflict of schedule does showcase the need to address our domestic donut issue and allow the rest of the world to worry about the international ones.
Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast food restaurant founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade. The first stores only offered two products – coffee and donuts which combined with the popularity of a hockey player turned businessman launched it into its Canadian icon status. In March 2006, Tim Hortons completed an public offering, becoming a separate company as of September 29, 2006. Tim Hortons began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as well as the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) which caused a drastic loss creating a timbit sized recession in Canada’s economy and removing Canada’s monopoly on the first Coffee Donut Mechanism (CDM).
While there could be much detailed information provided around the less than stellar ethics of Tim Horton’s since it does not sell organic coffee, nor do they sell Fair trade coffee the only previous direct linkage to attributing to climate change would be the emissions from the many drive-throughs across Canada. While the issue of Canada’s loss in the CDM market was an issue on many Canadians’ minds, there also has been many citizens urging for international leadership from Canada in the UNFCCC process.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Adopt A Negotiator, AdoptANegotiator.org, Canada, Canadian Youth Delegation to Copenhagen, Chief Negotiator and Ambassador for Climate Change, Climate Change, COP15, Copenhagen, Michael Martin, Ninth session of the AWG-KP and seventh session of the AWG-LCA, Power Shift Canda, UN, UNDP, UNFCCC, United Nations Climate Change Conference
I have been very busy recently combined with preparing with the Canadian Youth Delegation to Copenhagen, recruiting and helping out as much as I can with Power Shift Canada as if that is not enough to keep a person busy I will also be attending the Ninth session of the AWG-KP and seventh session of the AWG-LCA working with the Adopt A Negotiator.org project.
I will be tracking Michael Martin, Chief Negotiator and Ambassador for Climate Change.who I had the chance to meet a few times at past two prior COP’s.
I look forward to working on the campaign with the upcoming meeting in Bangkok, Thailand and hopefully building a stronger link between the official Canadian negotiation team and Canadian youth. There will be many youth from Asia attending and I also look forward to hearing what they are involved in and how they see their role in shaping their countries climate policy towards the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.
Read Some Addition Information From The Environment Canada Website Canada at Conference of the Parties (COP 15), Copenhagen, Denmark, December 7-18, 2009
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Alberta, Canada, Canadian Youth Delegation, Canadian Youth Delegation to Poznan, Climate Change, ClimateChange, COP14, CYCC, CYD, Environment, fossil fuels, Fossil of the Day, Global Warming, International Youth Climate Movement, Oil Sands, Tar Sands, UNFCCC, United Nations, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UnitedNations, Youth
The following is a news release from the Alberta Governments website.
Resourceful. Responsible.
December 2, 2008
Alberta contributes to global forum on climate change
Edmonton… Alberta will take its place among world climate change leaders when Environment Minister Rob Renner travels to Poland later this month to promote Alberta’s interests and achievements in an international forum. He will also share information about the province’s environmental policies and practices during a stop in Germany.
While in Poland, Renner will attend the 14th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 14) in Poznan. As a member of the Canadian delegation, he is attending to ensure Alberta’s role as a key supporter of international climate change efforts.“It is important for Alberta to be represented at this forum and to build relationships with some of the world’s foremost environmental experts,” said Renner. “Global challenges require global solutions, and Alberta is pleased to share what we are doing and have learned, while also learning from what the rest of the world is doing.”
Meetings are planned between Renner and representatives of other climate-change leaders including Norway and Poland. He will also attend a special meeting with a delegation of 26 Canadian youth between the ages of 18 and 26 representing young Canadians’ views on climate change.
Before arriving in Poland, Renner will travel to Berlin, Germany where he will meet with government officials, environmental experts and climate change policy makers. He will also have the opportunity to share information about Alberta’s environmental policies and successes at a briefing session with German parliamentarians, and as a guest speaker to graduate students at Germany’s renowned Hertie School of Governance.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted at the Earth Summit in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. Alberta has participated in the COP process since 1995. The estimated cost of the trip for Minister Renner and one staff member is $22,120.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Canada, Canadian Youth Announce No Confidence in Current Climat, Canadian Youth Delegation, Canadian Youth Delegation to Poznan, Climate Change, COP14, CYCC, Environment, Fossil of the Day, Global Warming, International Youth Climate Movement, Poznan, UNFCCC, United Nations, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Youth
December 4, 2008
(Poznan, Poland) Young Canadians attending the UNFCCC conference announced today that they have lost confidence in the Canadian government for being unable to effectively address climate change.
Members of the Canadian Youth Delegation delivered their message following the ‘Fossil of the Day’ mock award ceremony at the UN Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland. Canada swept the Fossil awards – a dubious distinction for the country considered to most obstruct or delay negotiations during the annual conference.
The youth delegates delivered their message holding Canadian flags and surrounding a banner that read: No Confidence. They will also release a companion video online conveying their message.
As the federal Conservative government faces a possible confidence vote on December 8 in Parliament, young Canadians attending the climate talks are demanding responsible direction from political leaders to deal with climate change. Recent polls show eighty-three per cent of Canadians want strong action on climate change.
“By failing to show leadership on this issue, failing to cooperate with the international community, and establishing policies that seem to ignore the science on climate change, young Canadians have lost faith that the current government can bring about the much needed change on this issue,” said Canadian youth delegate Rosa Kouri.
“Young Canadians have already lost confidence, the rest of the country needs to catch up,” continues Kouri. “Because our political system is so dysfunctional, we doubt that postponing an inevitable no confidence vote will solve our problems. The majority of Canadians are behind strong action on climate change and it’s time for Canadians to unite behind this issue.”
“There is a real sense of urgency among young Canadians to address this climate crisis now,” said delegate Nicolas Nadeau. “Our future is on the line and we need a government that fully understands this.”
The Canadian Youth Delegation is a non-partisan group of 26 young Canadians from across the country who have come together to share the voice of Canadian youth with policymakers and connect young people across Canada to the international community. The CYD seeks to engage Canadian youth to create positive change in the international climate policy process.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Be Heard: Youth Participation for Development, Be Seen, illennium Development Goals, International Youth Day, MDGs, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
International Youth Day is an annual opportunity to recognize the world’s 1.2 billion young people, to celebrate their achievements, and to push for their participation in all areas of society.
This year’s commemoration – Be Seen, Be Heard: Youth Participation for Development – focuses on the enormous contributions young women and men everywhere can and do make towards national uplift. They are valuable and committed partners in the global effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, including the overarching goal of cutting poverty and hunger in half by 2015. They remain at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS. And they bring fresh, innovative thinking to longstanding development concerns.
Approaching the mid–point of the race to achieve the MDGs, we need their participation more than ever. Their energy and idealism can help make up for lost ground, and achieve our development goals in full and on time.
In turn, we must fulfil our obligations to youth. The World Programme of Action for Youth asks Governments to consider the contributions of young persons on all policies affecting them. Governments must honour this commitment. They must also increase the financial, education and technical support made available to young people, and help them realize their potential.
Despite growing recognition of their needs, young people in many parts of the world continue to be marginalized and ignored. Their status as a group experiencing disproportionate levels of poverty and unemployment is frequently overlooked. As a result, the young are three times more likely than adults to lack jobs. In fact, while they constitute one fourth of the world’s labour force, young people make up almost half of its unemployed.
It is high time that we stopped viewing our young people as part of the problem and started cultivating their promise and potential. On this International Youth Day, let us all resolve to invest in and protect our most valuable resource, and give young men and women a fair and full stake in our society, and in its success.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: CIVICUS, CIVICUS Youth Assembly, Europocket.TV, Kumi Naidoo, Meabh Mc Mahon
Take a look at the videos created by Europocket.TV which covered the Youth Assembly. So far there are two eposides available, you can find them below.
Arriving At CIVICUS
About the CIVICUS Youth Assembly
The next CIVICUS Youth Assembly will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 18thto 21st June 2008. Scotland is ideally placed to provide a stimulating and enriching conference environment for the CIVICUS World Assembly, one of the largest annual civil society conferences. Glasgow, with its active civic life and home to a wealth of voluntary organisations, is looking forward to welcoming delegates from around the world, who will be able to interact and share lessons with each other and civil society organisations in Scotland.
People, Participation and Power is the focus theme of the 2008 CIVICUS World Assembly. The theme came out of a serious need to look at civil society’s capacity to act in concert to realise the big picture and knowing there are allies in government, business, media and donor bodies who are similarly involved and from whom strength can be drawn. The main questions will be on the role of civil society; why its participation is so resisted; what civil society needs to do to overcome those challenges; what are the obstacles to civil society’s participation and what is the importance. The concept of ‘governance’ is really about power and who exercises it, for what benefit and to whom. Governance denotes the practice of involving other actors in decision-making processes and it is a notion that has been around for the last decade.
2006 marked the beginning of our new approach to the CIVICUS World Assemblies; they will now be held every year, rather than every two years, and will be held in one location for three years. Thus these three CIVICUS World Assemblies will be held in Glasgow and will follow the common theme: “Acting Together for a Just World” – a theme inspired by events leading up to the G8 Summit, which showed both the massive global commitment from ordinary citizens for a better and more just world, and the absolute necessity of continuing the struggle to achieve it.
Past CIVICUS World Assemblies have shown the creativity and dynamism that civil society can bring to address issues of justice and equity, including issues of poverty, HIV/AIDS, gender equality and youth empowerment, amongst others. These CIVICUS World Assemblies have served as venues through which civil society organisations (CSOs) can articulate and exchange information about important victories they have achieved and critical issues they, and the societies in which they work, face.
The upcoming CIVICUS World Assembly promises to fulfil the same role. As a dynamic venue for CSOs to create and strengthen connections with each other, the CIVICUS World Assembly allows for dialogue that can lead to innovative collaboration across national borders. Similarly, the CIVICUS World Assembly provides a platform for CSOs to interact and engage with interested parties from government and intergovernmental organisations and reflect on the state of civil society around the world.
The 2008 CIVICUS World Assembly promises to build upon the success of the previous CIVICUS World Assemblies and continue to strengthen civil society around the world. The CIVICUS Board and staff, together with our colleagues at the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) look forward to greeting you in Glasgow! Be there to recharge your batteries, to learn new things, to make new connections and to explore joint projects across borders. A key part of the CIVICUS World Assembly is participant organised workshops, so look out for these in the programme.
Sincerely,
Kumi Naidoo
Secretary General
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
