You can sign up for a pledge by clicking here.

Adam was chosen from among other youth in Atlantic Canada between the ages of 15-30 who have played an active role in the areas of social justice and environmental sustainability. As one of eight individuals selected from the region, Adam will be profiled nationally with other youth leaders across Canada in recognition of his efforts to build a better future.

All Global Youth Ambassadors will lead a team as part of the Active-8! Campaign to promote activities marking International Development Week. This team of inspiring youth are inviting individuals and groups to create an on-line pledge to take action to create positive change in their communities and around the world. Pledges can be made from now until February 13th The Active-8! Team obtaining the most pledges will win a prize of $1000.

“From being involved, you are opening up a world of opportunities to learn more about the issues which are affecting communities around the globe and how to work along side them in the fight for social/environmental justice,” said Adam.

Adam was selected on the basis of his work with local community groups as well as his role representing youth on the international scene. “Adam is committed to working with others on PEI and across the world to build a more sustainable and equitable world,” said nominator Leo Cheverie. “His work in promoting climate justice most recently in Copenhagen needs to be highlighted.”

Adam and his team will be encouraging as many Islanders as possible to pledge an action towards creating a better world by visiting http://www.active8campaign.com.

ABOUT THE ACTIVE-8! CAMPAIGN:

The Active-8! Campaign is a project of the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC) made possible with funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). For more information on the Active-8! Campaign and to register your pledge of action during International Development Week, visit http://www.active8campaign.com.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEEK:

Held annually, the first full week of February, International Development Week (IDW) highlights and illustrates the work of Canada’s development community.

International Development Week provides a great opportunity for Canadians to:

•Increase the awareness of the role many Canadians play in international development;

•Learn more about life in developing countries; and

•Find out how they can become global citizens, actively involved in international development.

ABOUT ACIC:

The Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC) is a coalition representing more than 70 organizations, institutions and individuals working in the Atlantic region which are committed to achieving global sustainability in a peaceful and healthy environment, with social justice, human dignity, and participation for all. ACIC also takes a leadership role in engaging Atlantic Canadians around issues relating to international development, global sustainability, and social justice. http://www.acic-caci.org

A sophisticated hoax has targeted the Canadian government and caused a ruckus at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) currently underway in Copenhagen, Denmark. The elaborate prank is an attempt to embarrass the Canadian delegation to the summit, which has received criticism from the world press for its allegedly obstructionist role in negotiations.

At the centre of the ruse is a spoof news release in which Environment Canada announces the launch of “Agenda 2020”, an ambitious plan for reducing the country’s carbon emissions.

The release in part states:

Agenda 2020 sets binding emissions reductions targets of 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 and at least 80% by 2050, in line with the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and approaching the levels demanded by the African Group (link). The plan also introduces a new instrument, known as the “Climate Debt Mechanism” (CDM), committing Canada to much-needed funding to those developing countries facing the most dire consequences of climate change. CDM payments will begin with 1% and rise to the equivalent of 5% of Canada’s GDP annually by 2030.

It was made available at http://www.enviro-canada.ca/agenda2020. Environment Canada’s actual Web site is located at http://www.ec.gc.ca/. The news was also distributed on a fake Twitter account for Jim Prentice, Canada’s minister of the environment.

The fake media release announcing a plan to significantly cut carbon emissions was posted on a Web site made to look very similar to that of Environment Canada’s.

The release was also circulated via e-mail from the address, press@enviro-Canada.ca. The department’s actual e-mail address for media-related correspondence is media@ec.gc.ca.

Following the publication of the initial release, an alleged response to the launch of Agenda 2020 was made by the Ugandan delegation to Copenhagen.

That release states:

The Ugandan delegation to the COP-15 climate talks has been the first to react to Canada’s announcement of ambitious new emissions-reduction targets and vigorous climate-debt reparations to African nations.

The second release was again distributed via the e-mail address press@enviro-Canada.ca. It was also made available at a mock COP15 Web site with the URL http://cop-15.org/. The summit’s actual English Web site is located at http://en.cop15.dk/.

A video of a woman allegedly speaking for the government of Uganda was posted at a Web site closely resembling the official Web site for COP15.

Questions remain as to the authenticity of the Ugandan delegation’s alleged response. In a blog post, CBC News summed up the level of confusion around the video posted on the fake COP15 Web site, writing, “Is the Ugandan delegation in on the joke? Wait, is that even really the Ugandan delegation? Is there a Ugandan delegation at COP15 at all?”

Next, a third release was issued, this one denying the legitimacy of the first two. It in part read:

One hour ago, a spoof press release targeted Canada in order to generate hurtful rumors and mislead the Conference of Parties on Canada’s positions on climate change, and to damage Canada’s standing with the international business community.

The release, from “press@enviro-canada.ca,” alleges Canada’s acceptance of unrealistic emissions-reduction targets, as well as a so-called “Climate Debt Mechanism,” a bilateral agreement between Canada and Africa to furnish that continent with enormous sums in “reparation” for climate damage and to “offset” adaptation.

This third release, sent from media@ec-gc.ca, also turned out to be a fake. Note that the “ec” and “gc” in the address’s domain name are separated by a dash and not a period.

This release states that major media outlets had reported on the original two releases, and linked to a story allegedly published in the European edition of the Wall Street Journal.

A news story on the media releases presenting themselves as being sent out from Environment Canada was posted on a Web site designed to appear as the European edition of the Wall Street Journal.

But the authenticity of this site was also quickly called into question and appears to be a fake. Its URL is http://online.europe-wsj.com/ while the legitimate European edition of the Wall Street Journal is located at http://europe.wsj.com/.

The third release representing itself as a product of Canada’s environment department also aimed to draw attention to the Alberta tar sands. It included the following passages:

Canada’s current energy policy represents an elegant synthesis of the most advanced science, while remaining faithful to Canada’s tradition of political pragmatism. Experts note, for example, that the much-decried oil sands of Alberta, contrary to environmentalists’ dire assertions, are enabling Canada to meet ambitious emissions goals by providing her, as well as her neighbors, with the energy resources needed to transition to a cleaner energy future.

“Without the dynamism of our oil sands industry,” says Bruce Carson, a special Adviser to Environment Canada, “we in Canada would not have the energy – moral, financial and literal – to develop the alternative energy future the whole world craves.”

A few hours later, a fourth and, so far, final release was sent out from the second fake e-mail address. This release states:

We at Environment Canada wish to thank the international press community for their measured and understanding response to the hoax that struck our agency earlier this afternoon, while expressing our condolences to the Ugandan delegation who were swept up in the excitement of this false future “vision.” (Click here for video.)

This sophisticated operation was reported in the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, and a number of other outlets as the irresponsible spoof that it was.

Environment Canada wishes to stress that the Ugandan delegation’s impassioned response to the announcement is a dramatic tragedy for those who stand to suffer the most.

At the time of publication, Environment Canada had not posted a response to the affair on its Web site. However, as reported in the Globe and Mail, Dimitri Soudas, spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, stated in an e-mail, “More time should be dedicated to playing a constructive role instead of childish pranks.”

It remains unknown who perpetrated the hoax.

But on the closing day of Power Shift Canada there was an unplanned disruption by concerned young Canadians during Question Period in the House of Common on Parliament Hill.

The disruption started when one young person stood up then another then another then another, they were standing up to express their disappointment by the lack of action from the Members of Parliament to pass the Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-311) and the failure of Canada signing onto the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Rights.

I was in attendance of the disruption and had stood up to make sure that no one was injured by security as they were escorted out of the public gallery. Even though I had not raised my voice I was grabbed by security guards and was told that I had to leave the public gallery. For what reason? I guess the fact that I was young and this disruption was being created by young people was enough reason to remove me from the public gallery. While I was asking the Parlimantary security guard why I was being removed the amount of force he used kept increasing to the point that he was putting a large amount of force onto my left arm (the same side where I have a pace maker)

The way that I was handled by the security guard was over the top since I was complying even though there was nothing done to justify being removed from the public gallery. Even with the explanation to the guard that I have a pacemaker and the way he was handling me could seriously cause issues with my heart condition he did not listen and kept using excessive force until I was in the hallway outside of the public gallery.

Things started to escalate outside of the gallery when the chanting kept continuing which turned into four Parliamentary security guards using pain compliance in the stairwell on one of the young people who were chanting. This resulted in his face being smashed into the marble floor causing his nose to be injured and blood to pour out onto the halls of Parliament.

The guards had then removed the young person who had four guards onto of him and escorted five other young people downstairs to be detained. Being one of the five who were being escorted downstairs I was yet again aggressively handled by Parliament security to the extent of almost being thrown down the stairwell which also resulted in ripping the back of the dress shirt that I had worn that day since I had arranged a meeting with a Prince Edward Island senator. If this was how they handle those who are complying I would not like to see how they would treat people who were resisting.

After being detained for a few hours they had released us to a RCMP peace office but there were no charges laid and then Ottawa municipal officers had laid a $65 “Refusing to Exit When Asked” charge on us even thought it was impossible to exit while there was six Parliament security guards ontop of one young person blocking the exit in the stairwell.

Once we were released from the detainment we were escorted out to the back exit of Parliament and were told that we were not allow back on the grounds since it would be tresspassing. There was a CBC camera crew waiting at the back for when we were released but no other news channels, while walking out we were met with others who were also in the public gallery but wer not detained.

Here are the many CBC videos including being on the CBC Power & Politics show and following media storm including the terrible reporting which focuses on the blood and not the issue that Canada being an international blockage to addressing climate change.

Was the protest useful to creating more awareness of Canada’s role at the upcoming United Nations Summit? Maybe maybe not but there was more media coverage of the Climate Change Accountability Act in two days than there was in three years. Maybe this will start the process of Canadian’s asking why we are being represented this way at the UN Climate Change negotiations.

With having a fully packed week it would seem like the obvious thing to do would be to relax on the weekend to allow for some time to reflect on the busy week since returning to Canada, but that would not actually be possible with the largest Canadian youth gathering happening in Ottawa, Ontario. Power Shift Canada will begin today and run until Monday bringing over 1,000 youth from all of the provinces and territories in Canada providing workshops, flash mobs, entertainment and of course the 350.org International Day of Action on October 24th. There will be many opportunities for Canadian youth to learn more about the issue of climate change, how the UNFCCC process works, what Canada’s current position means for creating an ambitious, fair and legally binding outcome in Copenhagen and or course just a lot of general fun. Be sure to keep your eyes open online for all the content that will be created this this weekends event in Ottawa.

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.

Information on Bill C-311 from Wikipedia.org

The Climate Change Accountability Act was originally tabled in October 2006 in the Canadian House of Commons as Bill C-377 by Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. It passed 3rd reading in that House with the support of caucuses of the Liberal Party of Canada, the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP (the Conservative Party of Canada, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, voted against it). However, due the 2008 Canadian federal election ending the parliamentary session prematurely, the bill did not achieve royal assent despite reaching the Senate. On February 10, 2009 Bruce Hyer, NDP MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, seconded by Layton, reintroduced it as a Private Member’s Bill, renamed as Bill C-311. The Bill requires the Canadian federal government to set regulations to attain a medium-term target to bring emissions 25% below 1990 levels by 2020, and a long-term target to bring emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. According to the summary, the purpose of this bill is:

“to ensure that Canada meets its global climate change obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by committing to a long-term target to reduce Canadian greenhouse gas emissions to a level that is 80% below the 1990 level by the year 2050, and by establishing interim targets for the period 2015 to 2045. It creates an obligation on the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to review proposed measures to meet the targets and submit a report to Parliament. It also sets out the duties of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy.”^[1]

The Climate Change Accountability Act is based on the Case for Deep Reductions report by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy and on guidelines set by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. These are the same emissions targets adopted by the European Union and announced as objectives of U.S. President Obama’s New Energy For America strategy. The Bill is noteworthy in that it was the first legislation in the world to pass a democratically-elected parliament which mandated hard emissions reductions for the post-Kyoto Protocol period (after 2012).

Since there is much importance of Bill C-311 to be passed to ensure that Canada will no longer be using baseline targets which create weak emission reductions and are not inline with any of the other United Nations member states in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  By taking a few minutes of your day you can show that democracy does infact work and help shape Canada’s role. So please take the time to call your local MP (search by postal code if you are not sure of who to contact) but you can also  call 1 (866) 599-4999 and ask to speak with any of the following committee members to let them know the importance of the Climate Change Accountability Act to Canadian citizens and the international community.

James Bezan ( Selkirk—Interlake, Manitoba, Conservative MP)

Peter Braid (Kitchener—Waterloo, Ontario, Conservative MP)

Blaine Calkins (Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Conservative MP)

Ruby Dhalla (Brampton—Springdale, Ontario, Liberal MP)

David McGuinty  (Ottawa South, Ontario, Liberal MP)

Francis Scarpaleggia ( Lac-Saint-Louis, Québec, Liberal MP)

Mark Warawa ( Langley, British Columbia, Conservative MP)

Jeffery Watson (Essex, Ontario, Conservative MP)

Stephen Woodworth (Kitchener Centre, Ontario, Conservative MP)

If you have never been in touch with your MP before you can watch the following video which showcases how easy of a process it is.

Watch The Video Of Canada's Prime Minister Engaged In Song 

Instead Of The UNFCCC Negotiations in Bangkok.

The selected cover song could not have been a better selection to showcase the lack of action from Canada as well as some of the countries “Friends” throughout the first week of the very important process to address the impacts that climate change is having globally. While I understand that supporting the arts is very important I do think that with some of the past actions on cutting funding to many of the major arts programs in Canada the actions of the Prime Minister are making a total mockery of the United Nations process since there has been such a hands off approach on working along with the other 191 member states to address one of the largest barriers in the world to ensuring the safety of all living things. No matter which way you sing it Canada ratified the Kyoto Protocol and has to stand behind the key principals and the process of the UNFCCC no matter how important the current Prime Minister thinks our domestic oil sands industry is to our countries relationship with our “Friends.”

“Recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for the current high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than 150 years of industrial activity, the Kyoto Protocol places a heavier burden on developed nations under the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities.”

During the second day at the UNFCCC meetings here in Bangkok I really had a hard time trying to grasp on what the Canadian Delegation’s position was and what they would be wanting to push for throughout the two weeks of negotiations. I had just kept going back to my second grade teacher who always taught us about The Golden Rule which is “Do To Others What You Would Like To Be Done To You” this was one of the many things that I think is usually a typical trait of a Canadian. So with that in mind I had hoped that the second day would allow for Canada as a country to treat the rest of the UN member states negotiating in Bangkok exactly how they would want to be treated.

Shortly after arriving at the United Nations Conference Centre someone commented on the small Canadian flag pin that I was wearing and then had to inquire what the other pin was beside it. The second pin I explained was from my province Prince Edward Island and  I had explained clearly that I am an Islander first before being a Canadian as I always do which created a smile from the fellow delegate. I had also explained that even though I am not proud of how Canada’s position here in Bangkok is not advancing the UNFCC process and that they are hiding behind other countries I wanted it to be to know that there are manyCanadian’s who want more action in throughout the meetings.

With the recent Tsunami hitting the Pacific region with major impacts on the Island of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga to the flooding in the Philippines which highlights the urgency to address the issue of climate change I found myself more and more searching for climate leadership from the country that I was so proud of as a child. While I have always personally been concerned of the fate of my small northern Island home I became more worried about that impacts of the southern Islands where I have made many friends and the question of would the current actions of the Canadian delegation want the same to happen to the small Island where the Confederation of Canada was born.

While walking from sessions and looking for some of my fellow tracers I had noticed Canada’s Chief Negotiator and Ambassador for Climate Change Michael Martin, this would be the first opportunity to reintroduce myself. While it was a slightly crowded area I was surprised to noticed that it was slightly as if I was avoided from being acknowledged let alone approached. While I would normally brush this off as blending in with the crowd that could not be the case since I was wearing the famed “Negotiator Tracker” t-shirt while everyone around me is in business suits and that Mr. Martin did mention in an email remember meeting me with the Canadian Youth Delegation at COP 14 in Poznan Poland. Maybe it was my shorter hair which caused the confusion or maybe it was a busy day of meetings for Canada’s lead negotiator but one thing was clear it did make me feel like I had a little bit less of a voice in the whole process here in Bangkok.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed with the less than stellar advancements that had happened in the first two days here in Bangkok I decided to email the Environment Minister back in Canada to express some of the concerns that I had with the position Canada has had so far. Here is the message that I had sent to Minister Jim Prentice explaining my concern about nothing being mentioned about the Bangkok meetings nor the UN Climate Summit on his website while their was information on Prime Minister Harpers Tim Horton’s announcement. I urge and Canadian readers to also contact your MP to also express your concern over the UNFCCC Bangkok meeting and what the role Canada take will have on COP 15 in Copenhagen, the political will is not there so we need the pressure from citizens back home to ensure that the little time left to negotiate is not wasted.

While I am not sure of when or if there will be a response from the Environment Minister I do know that what is needed to help change Canada’s role here in Bangkok is a good reminder to the elected officials of who votes them into their positons and that if there is there is no action on climate change they might want to start looking for a new employment opportunity.

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.

Watch The PM Harper Puts Donuts Before Planet Video