Kyoto, Climate Change, new Clean Air Act, etc

Oct 19/06 Meeting at Katherine's

Topic: Kyoto and New Clean Air Act (also SASsy's new blog)

Nona, Lisa and Katherine in attendance. Regrets from several other members.

Discussion:
There is much criticism of new clean air act from env groups and opposition parties (all 3 saying they will vote against it at this point so it's unlikely to pass). Main concern is no immediate caps on greenhouse gas emissions and only long term goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (between 2020 or 2025 and 2050). No mention of Kyoto in the bill apparently.
But we must act now! Leading scientists believe we may only have 10 yrs to avert major international crisis related to climate change.

Check out David Suzuki Foundation website for their analysis which can be summed up, "It's an elaborate framework for procrastination." http://www.davidsuzuki.org/
Campaigns_and_Programs/Climate_Change/

and David Suzuki website in general for lots more info on climate change and WHAT YOU CAN DO! There's an option to send an email the the PM through the website. See "KEEP CANADA IN KYOTO"

For general background on Kyoto see CBC website: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/kyoto/

Katherine saw the Al Gore doc called, "An Inconvenient Truth" and highly recommends it. It's on at the Hollywood currently and is coming out on DVD in Nov. Check out http://www.climatecrisis.net/
for the film's website and more on climate change from an American perspective including the "tenthingstodo" page that you can download.

Actions:
1. Sent a group email to Min of Env Rona Ambrose regarding the new Clean Air Act.
2. Email your MP (revise email Katherine writes as appropriate). Get email address from:
http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/membersofparliament/
3. Check out David Suzuki Foundation website and choose one action regarding climate change to take on in your own life.
4. See An Inconvenient Truth.

Regarding the Blog
We managed to add our goal and group guidelines to the new blog as drafted at the first ever meeting. (Lisa dug up the document). Also included a list of all previous meeting topics and related actions.

Here's the email we sent to Rona Ambrose:

To the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Environment:
We are writing with deep concern about your newly released Federal Clean Air Act. Specifically, this bill does not appear to include any immediate strategies or current mandatory targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases. Additionally we are concerned that the bill does not make mention of Kyoto. It is unacceptable for a country like Canada to fail to comply with international law, particularly when it is so essential to our collective future on this planet. There is no need to spend an additional several years planning action around climate change. This issue has been under discussion for many years. I'm sure you are aware that leading scientists believe we may have only 10 years to avert a major international crisis from climate change. It will be too late for Canada to have a positive impact on the climate crisis in 2020. For the sake of our children and future generations, please revise this act.
Sincerely,