Press release - April 3, 2007
Greenpeace today challenged the Harper government to announce, without any further delay, what it plans to do to reduce global warming pollution as United Nations scientists meet in Brussels to highlight the severity of coming climate change.
"Greenpeace's challenge to John Baird is to sit down with us and read this week's report together. In public, away from partisan games. We want him to pass a global warming plan that will enable Canada to reduce pollution, protect the health and the environment of Canadians and act on Canadians' clear hope to do better right now," said Steven Guilbeault, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace.
This week, the world is focused on the largest group of scientists studying global warming, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It is meeting in Brussels to finalize and release the latest that science has to say about the crisis the world is in. On Friday, the report is due, which will include findings on what each region of the world can expect.
"Future generations are not going to care if we have a blue government or red one when human actions create human calamity," said Guilbeault. "It's unacceptable for the Harper government to first ask MPs to improve the initial Tories' clean air act and then say they went too far. If this week's impact study won't convince him, we fear nothing will," he said.
Greenpeace said it is concerned that Harper's plan for large final emitters-the 600 worst polluters in Canada are responsible for half the country's greenhouse gases-won't include the hard cap required to honour Kyoto. Guilbeault pointed to example of the Quebec industry sector that has surpassed the Kyoto targets by reducing their global warming pollution by 7 per cent below 1990 levels, "and yet, cars, planes and trains are still moving," he added in reference to remarks by many cabinet ministers who continue to argue that meeting Kyoto would be economically disastrous.
"If the Harper governement is ready to do what is needed, we would be more than happy to applaud. But all we've seen so far is a lot of hot air. If Mr. Baird has the time to release new attack ads while the world's scientists discuss a global crisis, we think that crisis warrants the same kind of public attention."
For More Information:
Jocelyn Desjardins, Greenpeace communications, (514) 933-0021
Jane Story, Greenpeace communications, (416) 597-8408 x3016