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Canada: Hundreds Rally, Demand Kyoto
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by Barry ORegan | December 9, 2007 at 10:03 am
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Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor
A Toronto Rally of hundreds across Canada and protestors World Wide War Cry of "We want Kyoto" culminated in an Environmental Mantra over a telephone call to the Prime Ministers (office ) Voicemail with Lead student protestor Jen Hassum holding her Cellphone high above her head whereby she incited the crowd to respond to the following
What do we want?
"Kyoto" the crowd responded !
When do we want it?
"Now"!
Of course Ms. Hassum neglected to yell to the vapid crowd "And are we going to pay for it"?
Because being students on a limited budget you know Ms. Hassum would be met with "Dead Silence" as the crowd of armchair environmentalists start coughing and with head lowers begin looking in every direction except Ms. Hassums.
Of course with these protestors it does seem strange they do not have a ready solution handy, such as the economy as we know it would be destroyed literally. Their solution? Nooooo, that would be up to someone else to look at through rich lucrative taxpayer fundered Research grants, and as most researchers (Ex students) wishing to reite one day in order to find this answer to stop climate change, will enjoy many, many years of gainful employment travelling the world to exotic locations to discuss it, all at the taxpayers expense. If you truly believe Stephan Dio will implement the Kyoto Dream in it's entirety, then vote him into office, what you will soon realise, is that it is all a dream, worthy of a Pam and Bobby Ewing "Dallas "Televison Show Season Finale Showstopper. The Liberals had Kyoto when in Power and did nothing to implement it.
As for who will pay all of this? Goodness gracious, we all know the Canadian taxpayers will pay through the nose. I mean every person who needs heat for their home in our severely cold and brutal winters, because Ms.Hassum and her Hippie friends want the Alberta Oil Sands shut down, but wait there's more, guess where clean burning natural gas comes from? You guessed it Oil and Gas fields, ya gots to get down deep to find it. Ya better forget electric heating, because your choices are either Nuclear or coal fired generators, Kyoto doesn't want that.
Perhaps these same protestors in their quest to stop climate change will be devoted to walking everywhere in our freezing climate? Guess "Spring Break" in Florida is out of the question for them as well as any trip to Eco Nazi Environmental locales such as Bali, unless they are really,really good swimmers.
I am certain these Protestors will state well, Mr. Artiste, we are going to use our Hybrid electric cars for our transportation, so there ! Well Now Public I stand corrected! Oh wait, of course Hybrids are wonderful in Vangroovy with out temperate climates, as long as we stay within the mild and warmer Pacific seaboard and cross over from California due east to florida. My question is has anyone east of the Rockies tried driving a Hybrid, say in February or March in -30 degree snowstorm? Would you trust your life in one in a blinding blizzard common throughout the rest of midwest and eastern Canada? I thought not!
In Ending
I have been in the Environmental Industry for over 20 years, attending everything from the Montreal Protocol in the 80's as well as European Summits on Global warming. What most fail to understand, and most that do understand and agree are most likely Environmental Scientists or Environmental Researchers like myself is this, Global Warming has been with us for over a millineia, before the advent of the industrial age and even humans, glaciers melt and grow all the time, the earth has a way to heal itself and does continually over the last billion or so years, we go through interglacial stages and glacial stages all the time over centuries and centuries. In order to accurately study Climate Change you have to go where few of us have gone before and to areas least contaminated by man. The study of Ice Core Paleoclimatology is the only accurate way to establish a benchmark on what the earth was doing thousands of years ago. The Antarctic being the least inhabited and remote place on earth. So I am certain these student protestors have never further than their dorm rooms or "Air Guitar Video Games" to read anything from the Academy of Natural Sciences.
I will briefly explain some of the processes how Climate change has affected us over the last couple of thousands of years. This is from some of my old textbooks, some from decades classwork, National Geographic info I retained a while back and so on.
From 14,000BC (Ice Age) to 1,000 BC we definitely had a cold spell. From 1,000 BC to 980 AD we got a tad warm, then from around mid 9 AD to 1350 AD we got increasingly warmer exactly the same verified (by scientific data) bloody temperature we are experiencing today. Then from the Mid 1350 AD the earth started to cool off and get warmer until the mid 1550 AD. Now this is where it really gets interesting, from the mid 1550 AD to the industrial age around the mid 1850 AD the climate dropped to the exact same temperature after the ice age started to recede 14000 years ago. In fact around the 17th century the earth experienced a mini ice age for close to 30 years whereby the earth was at it's coldest in 14,000 years and recorded history. From 1850 AD to the present day we are warming up again to medieval temperatures (950 AD to 1350 AD).
My Final Thought
I am not disputing climate change is a global concern. We do have technology out there which if the Government is willing to pay to implement will do wonders for our planets, such a Hydro generation from the ocean wave motion, wind generation for landlocked areas and other proven technology. What I take exception to are those such as these Tofu Head protestors, I bet have never actually read the consequences of the Kyoto protocol, let alone understand it.
Do not buy into the lie and scams, of others, use your god gioven right of intelligence read the Kyoto Protocol, retain it and understand it, then read books, lots of books on Climate Change on both sides of the issues and the consquences.
Deal only in Fact, not Al Gore or Stephan Dion style Junk Science, they have no formal training as a environmental researcher nor a scientist. Though, I do not always agree with David Suzuki, who is a "Biologist" and not a "Environmental Climatologist and Scientist" do not discount his theories entirely. He is a smart man, I respect him, and enjoy his talks and theories, just know (through internet research grants of companies) which side Environmental Scientists bread is buttered on and know the longer they debate and prolong this climate change diatribe the longer they are employed and not working at Starbucks or driving Cabs.
For you see as I am no longer in the Environmental Climate change and Research game these past years and as a result I have no bread to be buttered by anyone.
Finally I have never done environmental research in Antarctica, but for most of my 20 year career I have done it in Canada , USA and that includes many bitterly cold months in the Far Arctic, hence why I retired and stick to more sane pursuits in the Gods Country BC.
As for self professed "What I saw on TV" environmental protestors the world over, "The Truth Hurts" Why? Because your head is so far up your ass, you can't see "Fact" for what it is, Now that's Reality we all can enjoy.
Hundreds across Canada rally to demand Ottawa take action on climate change
By Maria Babbage, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Hundreds of environmental activists protest Canada's stand at the climate change talks currently being held in Bali during a rally in Montreal, Saturday.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter McCabe
TORONTO - Hundreds of demonstrators urging the federal government to take action on climate change gave Prime Minister Stephen Harper a massive wake-up call on Saturday - literally.
With a single cellphone outstretched to the large crowd in downtown Toronto, student activist Jen Hassum dialled the Prime Minister's Office and joined the placard-waving crowd in shouting their demand that Ottawa recommit to the Kyoto Protocol and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"Hello? I'm here along with hundreds, maybe over a thousand of my friends in Toronto and we have a message for you, Stephen Harper," Hassum, 24, shouted into the voicemail message before turning her cellphone towards the crowd.
"What do we want?" she prompted.
"Kyoto!" the group yelled.
"And when do we want it?"
"Now!"
It was just one of the in-your-face messages protesters across Canada left with the Conservative government as federal politicians prepared to join a two-week UN conference on climate change, which runs through Friday in Bali, Indonesia.
The protests were among demonstrations held in more than 50 cities around the world aimed at urging governments to take stronger action to curb global warming.
In Toronto, federal NDP Leader Jack Layton and Liberal MP Maria Minna joined hundreds of environmentalists, labour activists and students as they chanted, signed petitions, banged drums and cheered as speakers rebuked Ottawa for failing to implement Kyoto targets.
"We do not go to Bali as simply a laggard on cutting greenhouse gas emissions," said Bruce Cox of Greenpeace Canada.
"We go there with a directive to sabotage these talks, and that is coming straight out of the Prime Minister's Office and that is being carried out by (Environment Minister) John Baird."
Holding nine-month-old Charlie Phoenix in her arms, Marcia McVean, 36, spoke of the importance of stopping climate change so that her two young sons might have a brighter future.
"I'm instilling in my two kids not to take anything for granted, and to have courage to show up somewhere and show yourself in person, and not just hope that other people will take care of it," she said as her other son, six-year-old Aron, played close by.
"It's terrible the stance that the Canadian and the United States government have taken towards climate change and it has to change," said Bradford Wilson, 24, as he held up an enormous sign with a sensational cartoon depicting Harper and U.S. President George W. Bush.
It may not be realistic to believe that one rally will alter the outcome of the summit, he acknowledged.
"But it has to start now. By 2050, it's going to be too late."
About 200 people showed up to a Vancouver rally, waving signs that read "Glaciers Are Your Friends" and "Canadians Against Global Warming."
"We have to make this an issue, an issue that is the number one issue in the coming election," famed environmentalist David Suzuki told the crowd. "Once the election is held, whoever is elected, we've got to keep the heat on and demand they do what they said they'd do before the election.
Celia Laval attended with her young daughter, despite it taking place during the infant's nap time.
"I'm really upset by the lack of leadership that our country's showing on global warming," she said.
That sentiment was also apparent during a demonstration in downtown Halifax, where activists staged a skit showing a politician dozing through threats to the environment.
"If we can't wake up the politician that won't take leadership, then let's throw him out of bed and out of office," New Democrat MP Alexa McDonough said to loud cheers from several dozen people gathered.
Canada's leaders need to remember what is necessary when it comes to protecting the environment, not what is convenient, Green party Leader Elizabeth May said after speaking outside her riding office in New Glasgow, N.S.
"What we ought to do is accept our responsibilities," she said.
Federal Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, who plans to attend the Bali talks Sunday after wrapping up a swing through Canada's Arctic, said he will not be a "parallel negotiator," but will make sure his voice is heard.
"I will be able to carry to Bali, to the international community meeting together to fight climate change that Canada as a northern country has a big stake to be sure that the climate change crisis will be dealt with," he said Saturday from the Yellowknife airport.
Meanwhile in Edmonton, about 80 "mourners" attended a mock funeral for Mother Earth, singing songs and giving eulogies next to a long black coffin adorned with pictures of landscapes and arctic scenes, followed by a minute of silence.
Organizer Mike Hudema, a campaigner with Greenpeace, said it was a funeral for the future.
"We're saying today, it's time to make that ecological U-turn," he said.
"If our government keeps failing to act, and if we keep developing projects like the Alberta tar sands that, from a climate point of view, is completely devastating, we're going to really threaten the entire viability of our planet."
Hudema said the turnout despite frosty temperatures should send a strong message to Stephen Harper about how committed people are in sending a message that it's time to step up to the global plate.
"Real leadership is being the first one to the table, real leadership is being the first one to make commitments, and real leadership is leading by example," he said.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (3)
at 10:58 on December 9th, 2007
My position? I'm a citizen of Ont. Canada who cares abut the future of
my province. The G8 countries are the main target of the wind
industry, Why? Maurice Strong who started this global warming crap at
the Rio confrence, the first step on the road to the fraud known a KYOTO, is the same guy who created the E8. The E8 is about
the internationalization of energy. That is why there are so many foreign companies in Canada and the US putting up wind farms. It is
alo about carbon credit creation. By forcing this upon the G8 contries
the price of electricity will rise driving industry to third world
countries.
Maurice Strong, a Canadian, the man who was brought in to dismantle
Ont. Hydro, founded the E7. The E7, now the E8 is about the
internationalization of electricity. Understanding that electricity is
produced and used and cannot be stored forces the question, what is
the internationalization of electricity We will no longer be able to
control our own electrical system. Strong
<http://www.taxtyranny.ca/images/HTML/Maurice-Strong/article1.html>
also goes on to say,
"In order to save the planet, the group decides: Isn't the only hope
for the planet that the industrialized civilizations collapse? Isn't
it our responsibility to bring this about?"
The easiest way to accomplish this is by driving up the cost of
electricity, at which point industry leaves to find cheaper
electricity. That is the reason that the climate change talks never
require poor countries to control their emmissions. You will never
find the truth in the papers or on tv. Too much money to be made by
the very people that control the media
Wind farms have nothing to with clean energy.
Hope this helps. A little reseach goes a long way.
Ron www.windfarms.wordpress.com
at 11:11 on December 9th, 2007
Thanks for the comments, very few know the whole story, such as Kyoto will ultimately be the demise of some third world nations citizens, Canada can't pretty much maintain aid to these countries when industry collapse or are greatly reduced, as well as the resulting unemployment and less taxes, increased health care costs because the unemployed and big business suffering under Kyoto can very well pay taxes what it doesn't have. We will all have to tighten our belts, Canada will always take care of its own, unfortunately to the detriment of countries who depend on our financial aid and consumer purchasing power such as Pacific Rim countries will suffer. Less oil means more costs to the consumer for virtually everything purchased on this planet, Yep, Tofu Protestors never think of the consqeuences as they go about their daily pot induced dreamy dreams.
at 12:04 on August 3rd, 2008
It's good to have people like Mike Hudema creating awareness of the environment and various other causes my only question is what part of the Alberta population is he trying to spread he message to? Let's face it, Alberta is a hick province where people only start to care about something when it affects them personnally (not in my backyard). Martha and Henry Albertan could care less about the environment or any other cause unless something happens (tornado, power line, toxic slug) to them personnally. So, instead of trying to be in people's faces and trying to create awareness shouldn't Mike and Greeenpeace's strategy instead be a little more subtle. It's kind like a commercial or tv show. If the commercial or tv show comes off being loud and abbrasive (which Martha and Henry Albertan feel about Mike and Greenpeace) they will tune out and make some ignorant comment like he's crazy, dumb ass, what a goof etc. However, if the commercial or tv show is more subtle then people will be more inclined to tune in to the message.