Greenpeace cries out to Canadians to Wake up!

Under the Kyoto Protocol, Canada agreed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by six per cent below 1990 levels by 2008-2012. However, emissions actually increased 25 per cent by the end of 2005. Canada currently ranks seventh from the bottom amongst 41 industrialized nations in terms of emission changes since 1990.

Rather than take immediate, decisive action to combat global warming, Prime Minister Harper has discouraged support for Kyoto and opposed the extension of binding greenhouse gas emission targets for industrialized nations after the end of the first Kyoto commitment period in 2012.

Harper and Canadian environment minister John Baird have also undermined Kyoto at the G8, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and most recently at the Commonwealth meeting. Harper has tried to supplant Kyoto by joining the United States’ Asia-Pacific Partnership, which promotes the use of coal, and relies only on voluntary measures for control of greenhouse gas emissions.

"Canada is the only Kyoto signatory to openly abandon its commitment to reduce emissions. Contrary to his claim, Stephen Harper is not a leader on global warming. He is a laggard and the last unabashed climate apologist for George Bush among western industrialized nations," said Martin.

Greenpeace is also calling on the Canadian government to take action on the Alberta tar sands, which contain oil reserves second only to those of Saudi Arabia. Because of their dramatic growth, the tar sands are the most serious threat to progress in Canada’s fight against global warming.

Action is also needed to protect the world’s boreal forests, which stores more carbon dioxide than any other land-based ecosystem on Earth. Logging releases greenhouse gases and increases the forest’s vulnerability to fires. If current trends continue, degradation of Canada’s Boreal Forest and rising global temperatures could lead to massive releases of carbon into the atmosphere. Less than 10 per cent of Canada’s Boreal Forest is protected from industrial development.

The United Nations climate conference in Bali is the 13th conference of the 192 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 13), and the third meeting of the 176 countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 3), which entered into force in February 2005.

Greenpeace is calling for completion in 2009 of formal negotiations on binding emission reduction targets for a second five-year phase of the Kyoto Protocol 2013-2017. Countries such as the United States, Australia and Saudi Arabia have opposed the extension of binding emission reduction targets and tried to derail progress on negotiations. However, the recent defeat of the Howard government in Australia has deprived Bush of an important ally. The government of Kevin Rudd has already committed to have Australia join the Kyoto Protocol.

Visit: greenpeace.org/canada, this is a great site to see some of the greatest threats to Canada's landcape, and Canadians themselves