The Guardian newspaper in Prince Edward Island reports that, “The Canadian government, as one of the most developed countries in the world, must be more willing to make changes to reduce climate change says the vice-chair of the Council of Canadians Thursday in Charlottetown. Leo Broderick made the comment during a people’s assembly on climate justice at the Murphy’s Community Centre, which was one of many assemblies held across Canada while UN climate negotiations are ongoing in Cancun, Mexico.”

“With predictions the negotiations are unlikely to result in any real solution to the crisis and the recent rejection of the Climate Change Accountability Act by the Canadian senate, the Council of Canadians feels actions on a local scale, like the assemblies, have become increasingly important to finding a solution. …The assemblies are intended to give people an opportunity to discuss the causes, effects and possible solutions for climate change and justice from a local to global scale. …Broderick said he believes the message that emerges from these assemblies will be quite clear. ‘What will emerge is that the Canadian government, on behalf of Canadians, must address the issue of global warming and climate change,’ Broderick said.”

“‘(The government) has been ignoring the issue. They’re continuing to insist that we must have more fossil fuel development in the tar sands, they’re not prepared to deal with the developing countries who have not caused this problem and they’re not prepared to pay.’ As one of the more industrialized and wealthier countries in the world, Canada has an obligation to help the less developed countries, who have not caused the issue and are feeling the effects, find a solution, Broderick said. ‘There is a debt owed to these people who have not caused it and we must work together with them to reduce the impact of global warming because clearly global warming is here and if we continue to live on fossil fuels and we continue with our addiction, this is not going to be resolved. There must be justice and it is a justice issue.'”

For a listing of peoples assemblies for climate justice in Canada, please go to http://www.canadians.org/assemblies.

The full article is at http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2010-12-03/article-2015300/Broderick-chides-Canada-on-climate-change-efforts/1.

Brent Patterson, Director of Campaigns and Communications, Council of Canadians
www.canadians.org

 

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Brent Patterson

Brent Patterson is a political activist, writer and the executive director of Peace Brigades International-Canada. He lives in Ottawa on the traditional, unceded and unsurrendered territories of the Algonquin...