Feature story - December 6, 2009
On the opening day of pivotal climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, 19 Greenpeace activists have occupied roofs on the Parliament Buildings to highlight the failure of Prime Minister Harper and Opposition Leader Ignatieff to help end the growing loss of human lives from the ever-worsening climate crisis.
On the opening day of pivotal climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, 19 Greenpeace activists have occupied roofs on the Parliament Buildings to highlight the failure of Prime Minister Harper and Opposition Leader Ignatieff to help end the growing loss of human lives from the ever-worsening climate crisis
The Greenpeace action targets Harper and Ignatieff for their
failure to support legally binding, science-based targets that will
lead to significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
The activists have unfurled two 12 x 7 metre banners on the West
Block of Parliament reading "Harper/Ignatieff: Climate Inaction
Costs Lives" and "Harper/Ignatieff: L'inaction climatique coûte des
vies." Activists occupying roofs have also placed banners at the
East Block and across entrances calling for an end to tar sands
development.
More videos from the
action here.
"Harper and Ignatieff are failing to take seriously the
staggering human tragedy of the climate crisis. Hundreds of
thousands of people die every year and millions more are displaced
because Canada and other developed counties don't take action on
climate change. The Global Humanitarian Forum warns that this is
just the beginning of the human tragedy of climate chaos." - Mike
Hudema, Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner, hanging from the
roof of the West Block.
"Harper says he only supports modest reduction targets,
Ignatieff has issued his climate thoughts without any reduction
targets at all. It's unacceptable for them to ignore the demand
from Canadians for action. It is time Harper and Ignatieff stopped
serving the interests of the dirty oil industry in the tar sands
and helped lead the way to a just and ambitious climate agreement
in Copenhagen. Millions of lives depend on climate action."
-Christy Ferguson, Greenpeace climate and energy campaign
coordinator at the action.
This is the fifth action Greenpeace has undertaken since
September to bring attention to climate inaction in Canada and the
climate crimes of tar sands development.
Greenpeace and 120 partners have mobilized 150,000 Canadians
through the KYOTOplus campaign to demand action from Ottawa
to prevent climate chaos. Both Harper and Ignatieff have ignored
requests to sign on to KYOTOplus and listen to Canadians who
want action on climate change.
Read the news release and backgrounder: www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/press
PROFILE Of
ACTIVIST