Focus on Climate this Weekend

OTTAWA--Across Canada, rallies and gatherings are showing that millions of Canadians ardently care about the urgent need for action on climate change.  In Ottawa, a massive gathering called ‘Fill the Hill’ will show parliament an example of the desire for leadership. “Public mobilization matters given the failure of the so-called ‘leaders’ in our government,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May.  “One can only hope that this massive outcry of the citizenry will catch the attention of policy-makers.”

“We are reaching the tipping point, which means that the decisions we make now will have immense impact on our future,” said May.  “The environmental movement must not accept half-measures. Those holding public office have a moral obligation to demand real greenhouse gas reductions regardless of what their political bosses tell them they should say.  If we don’t get started now in a meaningful way, the consequences will be unthinkable.”

The atmosphere now has more than 30% more carbon dioxide by concentration than at any time in the last 650,000 years.  Scientists have determined that the risk of “tipping point events” -- the loss of the Gulf Stream, the collapse of the Western Antarctic Ice Shelf, and the Greenland Ice Sheet -- is increased if global average temperature goes up by 2 degrees C above the pre-Industrial Revolution temperature.  This, they estimate, could happen if concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere were to increase to somewhere between 400 to 450 ppm.  We are 384 ppm now, up from 275 ppm in the 1800s, and now rising at 3 ppm per year.

Canada’s emissions are approaching 800 megatonnes (MT) a year. Our 1990 level was 608 MT. The Kyoto goal of 6% below 1990 is 571 MT. To avoid the “tipping point” described above, we need reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of 30% below 1990 by 2020, of 80% by 2040.

The Green Party has been calling for:

    * reaffirmation of Canada’s commitment to the Kyoto framework and further medium and long term targets,
    * the adoption of carbon taxes, with the revenues going to reduce other taxes in a way that offsets any negative impact on low and middle income Canadians, and
    * the adoption of a carbon cap and trade and a carbon market.

“Every individual in Canada can help move us forward by attending a rally, writing to their elected official, sending a note to their local media outlet, talking to friends.  The key is that the word needs to spread that Canadians are demanding action on climate change. We are tired of waiting – the time is now to make a change,” said Green Party Climate Change Critic Adriana Mugnatto-Hamu.

Elizabeth May will be in Ottawa to attend the ‘Fill the Hill' events.

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For more details on this weekend’s events visit:
http://www.350.org/
http://powershiftcanada.org/


Contact:
Michael Bernard
Communications Officer
(o) 613.562.4916 x244
(c) 613.614.4916
media@greenparty.ca
www.greenparty.ca