It’s Getting Hot In Here

The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali has ended with a deal signed recognizing that deep cuts in CO2 emissions are needed, a plan to tackle deforestation, and measures to assist developing countries in dealing with climate change. But there are no mandatory emission targets included in this agreement – targets which are needed in order to avert the most devastating impacts of climate change. Al Gore’s powerful speech reminded us of the increasing rate of change in our natural ecosystems. Scientists now predict that the summer Arctic ice could be gone within 5 to 7 years – decades ahead of the worst case scenarios spelled out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. By not taking the lead, countries like Canada, the US and Japan are bringing the rest of the world down with them. Canada’s refusal to act is a crime of unprecedented proportions in the history of human civilization. But Canadian youth demonstrated in Bali that they are not prepared to let their government squander our chance of a better future.

Canadian youth recognize the urgency of this issue. They organized themselves and raised the money to bring a delegation of over 32 youth to Bali in order to engage with the Canadian delegation and demand stronger action on climate change. But why were Canadian youth met with intimidation tactics from the Canadian delegation when they attempted to address theses concerns? And why were they refused a meeting with Canada’s Environment Minister John Baird? The actions of the Canadian Delegation indicate a deep-seated fear of criticism and a refusal to listen to Canadian citizens. Has democracy in Canada been usurped? I was struck by the profoundly different response Canadian youth received from the UK environment minister in comparison to our own. Phil Woolas was eager to meet Canadian youth and to discuss climate change policy in the UK. He addressed the fallacy that economic growth is dependent on ever rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions and emphatically said that the UK will not miss its Kyoto target. “We have to lead the public and take them with us,” he said. But in Canada our politicians purposefully manipulate the public into thinking Canada is a leader on climate change while acting as one of the worst laggards. The Canadian government is not leading the public forward. Instead Canadian youth are desperately pushing the government forward.

After returning to Canada and engaging in causal conversations with those back home who followed the negotiations, I sense a general feeling of shame and embarrassment with respect to Canada’s role in Bali despite Canada’s last-minute decision to stop blocking the second option in the Ad Hoc Working Group, which mentions reduction targets of 25%-40% below 1990 by 2020. It is clear that Canada’s reluctant decision to join the international consensus has not yet convinced Canadians that our government is serious about climate change. All indications point to continued stalling and a refusal to act as a leader. Canada’s cosy position with the US was evident throughout the two-week long conference, and both tied for winning the colossall fossil of the year award, an award given by Climate Action Network to the countries who have done the most to block progress on climate change. The White House statement that it has “serious concerns” about the deal reached in Bali could portend similar sentiment from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Because of widespread fears that Canada would derail the entire process, Canadian youth had a critical role to play. Perhaps the most important message sent was that the issue of Canadian climate change policy will follow Environment Minister John Baird home. Canada’s climate change policy remains unchanged. Science has been trumped yet again by politics, but Canadian youth along with other Canadian citizens will continue to hold our government accountable.