The biggest story of 2011 for me was the national and international attention given to the environmental dangers of Canada's tar sands, and the failure of the Harper government to meet our obligations to combat climate change. Until this year, most criticism of Canada's climate policy was restricted to Canadian and some international environmentalists. But three events of 2011 caused Canada's energy and climate policies to come under intense scrutiny here in Canada and around the world.

For more from Stig, see: http://www.shtig.net/

The cartoon/poster copied below summarizes the very disappointing results from the latest UN conference on Climate Change, COP17, that was held in Durban, South Africa in early December 2011.

This cartoon is based on a similar design I drew for the Gaia Foundation that focused on "smart agriculture." If you want a larger version to print, please download this 1.2Mb version, which will look sharp on an A4 print-out. 

The United Nations climate change talks in Durban, South Africa, ended 2011 with a whimper. After a year in which climate disasters rolled across the globe, major polluting nations like Canada chose to ignore them, seeking instead to disrupt the Durban negotiations, then blew the world a raspberry, by officially pulling out of the Kyoto Accord.

I just returned from a media scrum in the foyer outside of our House of Commons (not the House of corporations) where Minister Kent announced Canada will legally leave the Kyoto Protocol.

Kent coached the announcement with plenty of key words about our ongoing commitment to the Durban platform, (the so-called real way forward) a fair dose of fear-mongering (as Megan Leslie referred to it) and that we are committed to tackling climate change. But they were just that, words, words that hopefully mainstream media won't buy hook, line and sinker. While this announcement may not come as a surprise, the reality is it is a big deal.

In a media statement released during Kent's speech, the Council of Canadians responded to today's announcement:

Wow. What a day. If you're like me and have been trying to keep up with Twitter, Facebook and media updates from the Durban talks, you'll understand what I mean when I say it's hard to choose what to write about. Here are some highlights.

Occupy COP17:

The morning kicked off with news that a large group of activists were occupying the hall outside of the plenary where government officials were meeting, singing and chanting slogans such as "people power, not corporate power" and "climate justice now." For video footage and pictures, see my blog from earlier in the day.

How fitting. With a mere 36 more hours to go until the end of the UN climate talks in Durban, South Africa and with intensifying international pleas for action on the climate crisis, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver announces the approval of the Joslyn North Oil Sands Mine in the Alberta tar sands. What will this mean?

Frustrated by governments like ours, activists have taken over space for an unprecedented occupation of the UN climate talks. Using the human microphone, the large crowd is shouting strong messages -- people power, not corporate power; the people united will never be defeated; occupy the COP; power to the people, not the polluters; climate justice now; World Bank our of climate finance.

It sounds like the plan is to slowly move to the plenary together where negotiations are underway. It appears they have been stopped, but are in a location where those in the talks can likely hear them.

Copenhagen. Cancun. Durban. Another year, another collective disappointment for people all over the world looking to the UN climate talks to produce the urgently needed international action addressing the emergency of climate change. (For updates as negotiations wrap-up tonight or this weekend, visit the Guardian live blog.)

We live in a country whose leaders appear willing sacrifice our collective future to appease the short-term needs of Big Oil.

Take, for example, Stephen Harper's recent declaration that he wants the Enbridge pipeline to go ahead, despite the overwhelming First Nations and public opposition in B.C. In a recent Global TV interview, Harper adamantly declared that the Enbridge pipeline is in best interests of Canada. He went on to say "American interests would line up against the Enbridge pipeline," and would "funnel money to environmentalists and others to delay the project."