Canada: a winner on the World Stage!

Really, Rest-of-the-planet, this is making us blush.  More awards!  We’ve been cleaning up yearly on these notable commendations, and we are humbled that you notice our global contributions.

Once more, Canada takes the lead and holds it at the international Climate Talks.

As I write this, Canada has so far earned itself two first place, two second, and one third place medal including an impressive sweep on Day 1 in Durban. Canada is expected to win its 5th consecutive Fossil of the Year.

What made us shine:

1.  Canada said it will not entertain a second commitment period for Kyoto and may even  formally withdraw from Kyoto, the first country to withdraw.

Outstanding!  A precedent setting move!  And if Canada withdraws, not only will it be working against global cooperation on climate change, it will no longer have to post its emissions as per the agreement.  The CONs can then make up their own stats like they do with crime, the economy, and unemployment.

2.  Canada insulted all developing countries with this statement from Kent:

Emerging and developing countries need to stop “wielding the historical guilty card” and asking for a free pass on emissions reductions just because in the past, industrialized countries had more emissions than the rest of the world. 

So Kent and CONsorts think it’s just perfectly fine for industrialized countries to damage the entire planet while taking most of the profits.  So fine, in fact, that those advantaged countries should not be held accountable for the damage they cause to vulnerable countries.

CONs don’t understand responsibility and accountability as displayed by Kent’s belief that creating an emergency fund for poorer countries devastated by climate change amounts to guilty reaction, not owning up to damages caused by our actions or even shared responsibility for the fate of our species.

3. Kent, displaying an ignorance of sematics:  There is an urgency to this. We don’t need a binding convention, what we need is action and a mandate to work on an eventual binding convention.

WTF???!!!

So we don’t need a binding convention, but urgent action is needed to work on a binding convention.  Okay.

4.  Third place award for blinding ignorance:

“The 'informed' and 'survival-driven' award Canada with a 3rd place Fossil of the Day...Kent  stated...that the fossils awarded to Canada this week came from the 'uninformed' and the 'ideologically driven'.       

So the Minister of Tar sands who can’t grasp the role the ozone layer plays in absorbing the sun’s damaging rays celebrates his ignorance at a global event.

This pride for being a moron isn’t exclusive to Kent:

Embracing and Praising Failure and Ignorance -

When Canada’s fossils were announced in the House of Commons, a round of applause broke out.

Among the conservatives.  Seriously.

Ms. Megan Leslie (Halifax, NDP):  I will give the Minister of the Environment kudos for one win that he has had on the environment file. For the third straight day, Canada received a fossil award as the country that has done the most to block progress on climate change.

Some hon. members: Hear, hear! (Applause from the CONsorts)

Ms. Megan Leslie: It is unbelievable that they are applauding that.

Well, not really that unbelievable from a party that elevates ignorance, insults specialists, paints academics as people worthy of derision, and claims Tim Horton “wisdom” is of greater value than any research done by highly trained, impartial scientists and public servants.  Not so surprising from a party that has members who think the planet is roughly 6,000 years old.

The environment isn't a special interest

Although some people seem to think it is.  It's not like hockey, or hunting, or the opera where you can choose whether or not you want it to be part of your life.  Unlike skiing, or golf, or the art of origami, you can't just ignore it if you aren't interested and unlike those things, it will have a major impact on your life whether you believe it is worth taking into account or not.

Care of the environment isn't something that can be put on hold like renovating the Parliament buildings or building a hockey rink.  We can't keep saying there's no money in our budget to meet the challenges of climate change or protect the ozone layer. 

Because it isn't a special interest and because it affects everyone right at the survival level, we can't treat it like a marketable product that needs to compete with other products or interests.  It can't be forced to compete with oil profits or political ideologies, but largely, that's what's being done.

This week, knowledge-challenged Kent will be going to Durban to discuss climate change.  His plan?  Defend Alberta’s oilsands.  Not discuss ways we can deal with climate change, but defend one of the very things that aggravates the very serious problem.  Our Environment Minister's priority is how to stop environmental protection from interfering expanding oil production.  If anyone still has any doubts that the harper government™ is not at all concerned about climate change or any aspects of our environment, this insane plan for the Durban meetings should quell those permanently.

As harper tries to keep some distance from the crazy Levant, his party has picked up on the term "ethical oil" although Kent thinks we are all as stupid as him and says the term "came from somewhere in (his) unconsciousness" before he ever heard of it in connection to Ezra.  Right.  Sure. 

So Kent is going to use that dishonest argument at a climate change summit to attempt to convince countries that recognize the necessity of actually having an environment that can sustain us that increasing production of Canadian oil will somehow benefit burka shrouded women in the Middle East.

These aren't a bunch of distracted Canadian voters he'll be addressing.  He can't count on their ignorance of science, social issues, and the harsh realities of climate change lapping up at shores across the globe, causing droughts and famines, drying up rivers reliant on ice caps.

Besides embarrassing Canadians by his small town, small minded politics, he will not likely meet with much success -

(N)egotiating climate change agreements in South Africa by bringing up the ethics of Canada’s oil may not be the firmest ground for Canada’s government delegations...

“The ethical oil sort of messaging has certainly been popping up. It certainly wouldn’t have been around three or four years ago,” Matt Horne says. But in Europe, as focus turns to curbing the production of carbon-intensive fuels, “it doesn’t seem to be a dominant part in that debate. They’re much more focused on the environmental implications of different sources of oil.”

“The fact that we have a stable democratic system is good, that’s not an excuse not to move forward on environmental considerations as well, though. It certainly wouldn’t surprise me if it’s raised by some, but I don’t think that will satisfy the many people who are rightly looking at the environmental concerns as well.”

Like Baird before him, on harper's orders, Kent will do what he can to slow progress on climate talks.  I think that rather than gaining any points for Canada, he will return with our image even more tarnished and put us at a disadvantage when invitations are issued for tight groups intent on making real change happen.  We'll be the country listed on their agendas as problematic.