Make Maxim Power play by the rules

The Honourable Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment

Dear Minister Kent,

I am writing to urge you to launch an immediate review of the Maxim Power's proposed new coal-fired power plant, in light of the federal government's pending new regulations on coal-fired electricity generation.

In June 2010 the federal government promised Canadians they would phase out conventional coal in Canada. Then-Environment Minister Jim Prentice made a clear commitment: “We will guard against any rush to build non-compliant coal plants on the interim.” Yet Maxim Power is now doing just that - rushing to break ground before it would have to take responsibility for its pollution.

The coal industry knows there’s no way this plant can meet Canada’s new environmental standards. That’s why they’re trying to sneak in under the wire and lock-in this polluting mega project before the new rules take effect. Alberta’s utilities regulator just fast-tracked approval of the 500 megawatt plant, skipping public consultation completely to help Maxim Power evade the new federal regulations. But expert analysis of Alberta’s power sources shows Alberta does not need any new coal power plants. The province can easily keep the lights on with conservation and smart investments in renewable energy.

This attempt to dodge Canada’s environmental standards is unacceptable. Will you make Maxim Power play by the rules?

Paul Malouf
(source: Lead Now)

CC: Megan Leslie MP, NDP Environment Critic
Kirsty Duncan MP, Liberal Environment Critic
Maria Mourani, Bloc Quebequois Environment Critic
Elizabeth May MP, Leader of the Green Party of Canada

Canadians Deserve Clean Air & Healthy Oceans

Today is Oceans day and Clean Air day!
Send a message to Environment Minister Peter Kent and tell him it's his duty to protect our air and oceans.

Peter Kent - Minister of the Environment

Dear Minister Kent:

I encourage you to ensure that Canadians have clean air and protected oceans.

Four years ago, your government pledged to improve the quality of the air we breathe. Canadians have waited long enough for government action. We demand world-class ambient air quality standards and emission-reduction requirements.

The fight against climate change will also lead to cleaner air. We need to act now to help Canadians reduce the amount of fossil fuels they use, thereby reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted.

When it comes to protecting ocean environments, Canada is falling behind the rest of the world. We need to establish a network of marine protected areas that safeguard at least 30 per cent of our coastal waters.

As industries increase their use of Canada’s marine areas, the government must establish marine-use plans that ensure the health of marine environments in Canada’s Arctic, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans.

Paul Malouf
(source: David Suzuki Foundation)

CC:
Stephen Harper - Prime Minister of Canada
Keith Ashfield - Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

Public Inquiry into G20 Summit Security!

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Fax: 613-941-6900
E-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca

The Honourable Dalton McGuinty
Premier of Ontario
Legislative Building, Queen’s Park
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A1
Fax: 416-325-3745
E-mail: dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

Dear Prime Minister Harper and Premier McGuinty:

RE: Public Inquiry into G20 Summit Security

I am writing to urge the federal and Ontario governments to establish a joint public inquiry into security measures implemented in association with the 2010 G20 Summit in Toronto.

In the days and months following the G20 Summit, it has become clear that widespread violations of Charter rights and civil liberties occurred during the policing of this event, some of which are documented in the Breach of the Peace Public Hearings report recently released by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and National Union of Public and General Employees. These transgressions have raised many questions which remain unanswered and done significant damage to public confidence in Canada's police services. It is essential that public order policing measures be planned and implemented in a manner that is respectful of Charter rights, including freedom of expression, assembly and association. Unfortunately, security measures during the G20 Summit fell short of this standard.

In a democratic country, such as Canada, the mass arrest of more than 1100 people is an event that must not pass by without proper review and scrutiny. Canadians are entitled to accountability for G20 security excesses and your governments have an essential role to play in providing it. Establishing a comprehensive public inquiry would help address outstanding concerns about G20 security, help restore public confidence in Canadian policing and provide a more respectful framework for future public order policing operations. I implore you to take prompt action to ensure that an inquiry is called.

I would appreciate your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Paul Mlaouf
(source: Canadian Civil Liberties Association)

Canada: Phase out subsidies to the fossil fuel industry!

Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Members of Parliament,

I am writing to express my concern about the federal government’s continued subsidization of Canadian oil, coal and gas companies through accelerated tax cuts and credits.

Studies show that the Government of Canada spends $1.4 billion a year in subsidies to the fossil fuel sector. The government stated in its Advantage Canada plan that phasing out these subsidies would move Canada toward a more neutral and fairer tax system. In 2009, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other G20 leaders agreed in Pittsburgh to phase out “inefficient fossil fuel subsidies” over the “medium term”.

Offering incentives to expand fossil fuel production runs counter to Canada’s stated goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020. Eliminating these subsidies would have a real impact on emissions from oil and gas extraction and would support Canada’s transition toward a clean energy future. Analysis by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) shows that GHG emissions from Canada’s tar sands, the country’s fastest-growing source of carbon pollution, are 12 per cent higher than if these activities were left to real market forces.

Global investment in new renewable energy projects continues to outpace new investments in the fossil fuel sector. The federal government, working with the provinces, must continue to support renewable energy in order to develop its vast potential and establish a Canadian advantage in this emerging energy future and market. Subsidies to the fossil fuel sector not only prolong our dependence on dirty energy but also place Canada at a disadvantage as other countries lead the way in developing, deploying and exporting new technologies.

I am joining other Canadians in calling on the federal government to use Budget 2011 as an opportunity to end tax breaks for the already profitable oil, coal and gas companies. In a time of fiscal instability, ending handouts to an already very profitable industry would help support other crucial public services and strengthen Canada’s environment.

Paul Malouf
(source: David Suzuki Foundation)

CC:
Michael Ignatieff – Leader of the Liberal Party Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca
Gilles Duceppe - Leader of the Bloc Québécois
Jack Layton - Leader of the New Democratic Party
Elizabeth May - Leader of the Green Party of Canada

Canada & Quebec: Stop propping up the Canadian asbestos industry

Tell Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Quebec Premier Jean Charest to stop propping up the asbestos industry.

Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Jean Charest,

Please stop propping up Canada’s deadly asbestos industry.

According to the World Health Organization and International Agency for Research on Cancer, all types of asbestos are harmful and cause cancer. Canada and Quebec can help prevent deaths from cancer and other asbestos-related diseases by acting now to stop Canadian asbestos mining and export.

I call on you to:

• Refuse the $58 million loan guarantee that would allow Quebec’s Jeffrey Mine to extract 200,000 tonnes of asbestos per year;
• End federal subsidies to the asbestos industry lobby group, the Chrysotile Institute, which have already cost taxpayers more than $20 million; and
• Support international restrictions on asbestos trade.
  

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: David Suzuki Foundation)

cc:
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health (Canada) Aglukkaq.L@parl.gc.ca
Hon. Yves Bolduc, Minister of Health and Social Services (Quebec) ministre@msss.gouv.qc.ca
Michael Ignatieff – Leader of the Liberal Party Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca
Gilles Duceppe - Leader of the Bloc Québécois Duceppe.G@parl.gc.ca
Jack Layton - Leader of the New Democratic Party Layton.J@parl.gc.ca
Elizabeth May - Leader of the Green Party of Canada Leader@greenparty.ca
Pauline Marois – Leader of the Parti Québécois pauline.marois@assnat.qc.ca
Gérard Deltell – Leader of Action Démocratique du Québec gdeltell@adq.qc.ca
Amir Khadir – Spokesperson for Québec solidaire akhadir-merc@assnat.qc.ca

Canada: Show leadership at UN climate conference in Cancun

Greenpeace’s specific demands of the Harper government in Cancun

• Agree to a goal that will keep the rise in the global temperature well below 2°C;
• Increase Canada’s reduction target to be in line with scientific advice;
• Agree to an implementation strategy, including innovative sources for the $100 billion US global climate fund for mitigation and adaptation in the developing countries;
• Make sure the Canadian government increases its contribution to climate finance and that all Canadian contributions to climate finance are and will be new and additional to existing Canadian aid;
• Support efforts to end deforestation by endorsing safeguarding biodiversity and to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples;
• Support a legally binding climate agreement to be concluded by next climate summit at the end of 2011.

Dear Prime Minister Harper,

During the UN climate conference that runs from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10 in Cancun, you and your government have a real opportunity to show leadership in addressing the global climate crisis that is already causing significant human suffering.

Hundreds of thousands of people die every year now from the impacts of climate change and millions more are displaced from their homes annually around the world.

Every day that you and other global leaders fail to address this mounting human crisis from climate change and fail to take steps to significantly reduce global emissions adds greatly to the number of deaths and to the numbers displaced.

I’m asking you to ensure that Canada shows leadership in Cancun in addressing the climate crisis. Your government must support the targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that international climate scientists say are needed. You must press for global reduction targets of 25 to 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 to 90 per cent by 2050. These are minimum thresholds not targets for political negotiation. They represent the minimum that Canada and other countries must do to avoid climate disaster.

Don’t wait for other countries to act before showing leadership. Canada is already failing to meet its international obligations under the Kyoto protocol, in large part due to the development of the tar sands in Alberta. Tar sands production already causes greenhouse gas emissions of over 40 million tonnes of CO² equivalent every year – singlehandedly ensuring that Canada cannot meet its targets. Even more troublesome is that tar sands development and emissions are increasing.

It's time for your government to act. It's time to show true leadership by being the first government to make the necessary commitments not the last. Canada and the world can wait no longer. Please set binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions based on science and push for other countries to do the same.

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: Greenpeace Canada)

Stephen Harper: Respect Democracy & Heed the Will of Canadians

Tell MPs and the Prime Minister to respect democracy and heed the will of Canadians

Prime Minister Stephen Harper,

Bill C-311: Don't allow the Senate to subvert democracy

On November 16, unelected Conservative senators used a surprise vote to kill Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act. The Act would have made successive governments accountable for reducing global warming emissions to safe levels.

Four years in the making, Bill C-311 had a lot of momentum. It passed through the House of Commons with a strong majority, thanks in part to the incredible support of Canadians from across the country. Yet it was killed without notice or debate in the Senate – something that has rarely happened in our history.

Had notice been given of the vote, more senators would have been present, and the bill might have passed.

I am deeply disappointed with the way this decision was made. It not only went against the will of the majority of Members of Parliament and the Canadian public, but it also did not respect Canada’s democratic traditions.

I believe strongly that climate change is a serious global problem that must be addressed. And study after study has shown that Canada will actually benefit if action is taken now – for example, by creating new jobs and opportunities in the clean energy sector.

However, the Senate’s decision to kill this progressive legislation demonstrates the Canadian government’s lack of leadership on this key issue. And just as Canada prepares to join world leaders at the United Nations climate change negotiations in Mexico, we are once again without any solid plan to reduce the emissions fuelling climate change.

I urge you to take responsibility and be accountable to the Canadian people and our democracy and to introduce a similar bill in the House of Commons as soon as possible.

Paul Malouf
(source: David Suzuki Foundation)

CC:
Marjory LeBreton - Leader of the government in the Senate
Stephen Harper - Prime Minister of Canada
Michael Ignatieff – Leader of the Liberal Party
Gilles Duceppe - Leader of the Bloc Québécois
Jack Layton - Leader of the New Democratic Party
Elizabeth May - Leader of the Green Party of Canada
Honourable Marc Garneau - Liberal member of Parliament

Help prevent an oil spill disaster in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper,

RE: Help prevent an oil spill disaster in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Like many Canadians, I am concerned about the impacts of offshore exploration and drilling in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Communities and multi-million dollar economies depend on this region; however, I’m concerned it could face an environmental disaster like we’ve just seen in the Gulf of Mexico if you don’t take action. I would like to see the Canadian government invest more efforts into protecting the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the many communities and ecosystems it supports.

I am aware that there are seismic surveys currently being conducted at the Old Harry prospect, which is located in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence’s Laurentian channel. This channel is a fish pass for numerous marine species like the blue whale, whose Atlantic population is very low (and appears on the species at risk public registry), and the Atlantic cod, whose status in the Gulf of St. Lawrence remains worrisome.

Current government policy gives full control of offshore drilling activities to Petroleum Boards that are not managed by elected representatives, and that have the conflicting mandate to promote oil and gas exploration as well as protect the marine environments in the gulf.

I believe that protecting the Gulf of St. Lawrence is a wise investment in Canada’s social, economic and ecological future, especially considering that the economies of Quebec and all the Atlantic Provinces rely on a healthy gulf to thrive.

I strongly urge you to impose an immediate moratorium on offshore exploration and drilling for the entire Gulf of St. Lawrence, and manage the region in an integrated way. The provinces and the federal government must work together to protect critical marine environments, fisheries and wildlife, as well as the communities, that rely on this important area.

Paul Malouf
(source: David Suzuki Foundation)

cc:
Michael Ignatieff - Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Gilles Duceppe - Leader of the Bloc Québécois
Jack Layton - Leader of the New Democratic Party
Elizabeth May - Leader of the Green Party of Canada
Hon. Danny Williams - Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
Hon. Jean Charest - Premier of Québec
Hon. Darryl Dexter - Premier of Nova Scotia
Hon. Robert Ghiz - Premier of Prince Edward Island
Hon. David Alward - Premier of New Brunswick

Keep the Shell Out of the Sacred Headwaters

Keep the Shell Out of the Sacred Headwaters

Royal Dutch Shell's plan to drill for coalbed methane in the Sacred Headwaters threatens important birthing grounds for moose, caribou, grizzly bears, mountain goats, and stone sheep. It could destroy three of Canada’s most important salmon-bearing rivers and ignores communities’ opposition to the project.

Dear Mr. Voser,

I recently saw an ad urging Shell to leave the Sacred Headwaters. Canada’s wilderness areas are a part of our national identity and are an important part of our cultural and ecological heritage. Shell’s proposal to drill for coalbed methane in the Sacred Headwaters in northwest British Columbia would threaten three of the provinces most productive salmon-bearing rivers and destroy the habitat of our country’s most revered wildlife. This is inconsistent with Shell’s claims to be a leader in the Energy Future.

Moose, caribou, grizzly bears, mountain goats, and stone sheep use the Sacred Headwaters region as important birthing grounds and summer range. The region is known as the “Serengeti of the north” because of the diversity and abundance of wildlife; it meets UNESCO criteria for a Mountain Heritage Designation.

Communities who live in the watersheds of the Skeena, Nass, and Stikine rivers rely on salmon for subsistence, livelihood, culture, and tradition. All municipalities and First Nations band councils within the three watersheds have voiced their opposition to your company’s proposed development.

I am writing to express my opposition to Shell’s coalbed methane development in the Sacred Headwaters. I urge you to demonstrate your company’s commitment to protecting biodiversity and social responsibility and withdraw from the Sacred Headwaters permanently.

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: Forest Ethics)

CC: Lorraine Mitchelmore CEO, Shell Canada

Cairn Energy : Please stop drilling in the Arctic, it's too risky

Please write to Cairn Energy’s Chief Executive Bill Gammell and tell him to stop drilling in the Arctic.

Sir Bill Gammell
Chief Executive
Cairn Energy
50 Lothian Road
Edinburgh EH3 9BY

The Deepwater Horizon catastrophe has shown us how devastating and dangerous deepwater drilling can be. Now your company – Cairn Energy - is leading the drive for deepwater drilling in the remote and pristine environment of the Arctic.

I'm asking you to stop, now.

The Arctic, as I'm sure you know, is a barometer of the health of the planet. It's home to some of the world's most distinctive mammals like polar bears, walruses, caribou, narhals and beluga whales. It supports millions of migratory and resident birds. The Arctic also plays a major role in the regulation of the global climate by acting like a giant reflective shield limiting the amount of sun and heat absorbed by the Earth.

I don’t believe that drilling for oil in this area is, as you claim, “relatively straightforward.” Drilling in the Arctic is too risky and a spill in the region would be catastrophic. Canadian regulators say that drilling a 'relief well' in the Arctic would take at least three years to complete, leaving the oil to gush out until the job is done. The freezing water means the oil takes many times longer to dissipate and the remoteness of the area and severe weather pose unprecedented challenges to any spill response.

As a society we’re currently dependent on oil and getting off that dependence will take time. However, chasing the last drops of oil in some of the most vulnerable parts of the planet is not moving us in the right direction.

You have the ability to turn Cairn Energy into a company of the future, that invests in clean, renewable energy and not climate-wrecking and environmentally damaging Arctic oil.
I’m asking you to make that change now. It’s time to go beyond oil.

Paul Malouf
(source: Greenpeace UK)

We need a Moratorium on Deepwater Drilling!

Tell the energy secretary, Chris Huhne, that for the sake of the coastal environment and climate we don’t want any deep sea drilling in UK waters.

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne,

The BP oil spill has brought home to me some of the consequences of our addiction to oil.

Now I’m very concerned about deep sea drilling in UK waters and about our dependence on oil, which is driving dangerous shifts in our climate.

I feel passionately that we need a moratorium on deepwater drilling in UK waters.

The easy-to-reach oil has almost dried up and oil is becoming ever more difficult and risky to obtain. As a result oil companies are increasingly exploring and exploiting in more fragile and remote areas. If spills and leaks happen in these vulnerable habitats, the impact could be at least as damaging, if not much worse, than the spill in the Gulf.

The BP disaster has led the US government to impose a moratorium on deepwater drilling, and Europe’s energy commissioner, Günther Oettinger, has called for other EU countries, including the UK to follow suit until we know what went wrong and how to ensure such a catastrophe never happens again.

As you know, oil companies are looking to the deeper waters off the west of Shetland as a potential site for drilling. You could suspend these plans and all such deep sea drilling in UK waters. A spill in these waters would be disastrous for these fragile habitats, and in the long term our continued dependence on oil will seriously hamper our ability to tackle climate change and undermine our economic stability.

It’s clear that we need to end Britain’s dangerous dependence upon oil, especially in the transport sector where solutions to help us move beyond oil are already available. In the short term, I hope you will champion the introduction of tough new efficiency standards for cars and vans in Europe, and that you will kick start the roll-out of electric vehicles across Britain.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Paul Malouf
(source: Greenpace UK ~ Go Beyond Oil)

I oppose your Northern Gateway Pipeline project

Tell Enbridge We Don't Want Their Broken Pipelines!

Patrick Daniel
President & CEO of Enbridge Inc.

Dear Pat Daniel,

Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway pipelines are too risky for British Columbia. The recent oil spill in Michigan--over four million litres of oil in the Kalamazoo River--validates our concerns that the Northern Gateway pipelines would destroy our communities and ecosystems with an oil spill.

Although your company promises technology and response capacity can make the project safe, the Michigan oil spill clearly illustrates that accidents are inevitable--technology cannot protect our wild salmon rivers. The Governor of Michigan called your response to the oil spill “wholly inadequate” and “anemic.” In fact, it wasn’t your technology that detected the spill, but a passerby who could smell the oil. This is hardly reassuring for a 1,200 km pipeline proposed to travel through a number of remote areas of British Columbia.

We will not put our wild salmon rivers or communities at risk of a catastrophic oil spill. It’s time you respect our clear and informed opposition and withdraw the proposal for the Northern Gateway project.

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: Forest Ethics)

Canada: Ban oil tanker traffic from BC's West Coast

Dear Prime Minister Harper,

The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska have wreaked havoc and caused irreversible damage to wildlife, marine environments and economies in the United States. I am writing to you because I am worried about the future of Canada’s Pacific coast. Today, your government is considering an oil pipeline proposal by Enbridge, which would bring the same risk to B.C.’s pristine coastal waters, rainforest and communities.

Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipelines would carry oil from the Alberta tar sands to a port at Kitimat, B.C. Enbridge is set to bring more than 200 oil tankers through rough waters and narrow passages of the globally renowned Great Bear Rainforest, where a world-class conservation model exists that your government supported.

On B.C.’s south coast, there are currently two oil tankers being loaded with crude oil every week near Vancouver.

As someone who cares about Canada’s communities, its wild spaces and international reputation, I believe the inevitable risk oil spills pose to First Nations, communities and the environment is too great.

I am asking you to keep our coastal waters clean and beautiful by legally banning oil tanker traffic from Canada’s West Coast.

I am not alone in my support for an oil-free West Coast. Coastal First Nations and the majority of British Columbians, along with many communities, organizations and businesses do not want crude oil transported in our coastal waters.

In light of the devastation unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico, your leadership is needed now more than ever. Please lead by respecting their wishes and protect Canada’s West Coast from oil tanker traffic.

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: Greenpeace Canada)

Enbridge: Cancel the proposed Northern Gateway Pipelines project

Dear Mr. Daniel,

The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska have both wreaked havoc and caused irreversible damage to wildlife, marine environments and economies. I am writing to you because your company wants to bring the same risk to B.C.’s pristine coastal waters, rainforest and communities.

As someone who cares about B.C.’s communities, its wild spaces and coastline, I oppose the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines and crude oil tanker traffic in B.C.’s coastal waters. The certain risk oil spills pose to First Nations, communities and the environment is too great.

I urge you to cancel your proposed Northern Gateway Pipelines projects.

I am not alone in my opposition to your project. Coastal First Nations, the majority of British Columbians and many communities, organizations and businesses do not want tar sands oil in our coastal waters. Please respect their wishes.

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: Greenpeace Canada)

The Honourable Perrin Beatty
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
360 Albert Street
Suite 420
Ottawa, ON K1R 7X7
CA

Dear Mr. Beatty,

I am writing to express my concern over the misleading letter distributed to members of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The letter says that developing the fossil fuel industry is the best way to fight climate change. I am sure you are aware that this is nonsense. Burning fossil fuels is the cause of climate change. The more we develop and export fossil fuels, the worse the situation becomes.

Secondly, I am surprised the Canadian Chamber of Commerce does not welcome real action on reducing emissions. There are tremendous opportunities for Canadian business in every community of this country that are being missed because we don't have scientific emission reduction targets. Green jobs are sweeping the world, and Canada is falling behind without a policy environment that incentivizes innovation.

Finally, why does the Chamber of Commerce reject scientific targets for emission reductions? On what other basis should targets be set? Canada has taken a backward political approach to climate change for 20 years. The result has been a continuous rise in emissions amid promises of action in the future.

The future is now, Mr. Beatty. Canadians – the customers and members of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce – overwhelmingly support action on climate change. I am one of the majority asking you to get on board the solution train.

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: Sierra Club Canada)

CC: The Honourable Marjory LeBreton
Leader of the Government in the Senate
Senate of Canada
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A4
CA

Help protect Canada's Arctic!

Let your voice be heard! Right now the US is using every tool at their disposal to respond to the Gulf oil spill crisis. In Canada, we need to call on every tool at our disposal to keep such a tragedy from happening in our waters. Now is the moment to rise to the challenge, and halt offshore drilling for oil until or unless we can safeguard our environment, our marine species, and our coastal communities.

Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources
Gaétan Caron, Chair & CEO of the National Energy Board &
Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs

In the wake of the unfolding catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, I am deeply concerned about off-shore drilling in Canada's Arctic.

Such a spill would be an unprecedented disaster in Canada, and I am calling on you to reduce the risk to our Arctic environments; protecting the important marine areas, species and the local communities that depend on them.

Given the challenges currently faced in the Gulf Coast, I can only imagine the impossibility of recovering from a spill in the harsh conditions of the North Atlantic or the Beaufort Sea.

I understand that the federal government and the National Energy Board have begun a review of Arctic offshore drilling. This is heartening news but isn't enough.

I want to know that the Canadian government is prepared to halt offshore drilling for oil until or unless we can safeguard our environment, our marine species, and our coastal communities. I'm concerned about where and when drilling takes place, as well as how it is done.

Please ensure the National Energy Board review addresses these questions. Demonstrate that as Canadians we have learned from the lessons of the present and are taking steps to prevent a similar catastrophe in our future.

Paul Malouf
(source: WWF Canada)

Scrap the Summits!

Prime Minister Harper,

I am outraged the federal government is spending more than $1 billion on the G8 and G20 summits in Huntsville and Toronto, Ontario June 25-27, 2010. Given the overall costs, and the 16 hours of formal and informal meetings that are planned, the bill comes in at about $75 million per hour for these summits.

One billion dollars could be better spent on any number of urgent international priorities such as providing access to clean drinking water worldwide and immediate action to address climate change.

To put this in perspective, a child dies every 8 seconds from drinking dirty water. During the G8/G20 weekend, 21,600 children will die because they have been denied the fundamental human right to clean water. The billion dollars being spent on the summits would save those children and millions more.

The place for national leaders to meet isn’t behind barbed wire fences in small groups of eight or twenty, but rather in the General Assembly at the United Nations. That’s what the United Nations was created for, and it has the buildings, infrastructure and appropriate security in place for gatherings of world leaders. These G192 meetings should also include a true dialogue with broader civil society. The narrower corporate interests should not have the kind of exclusive privileged access that they now enjoy.

Prime Minister Harper, I demand that you scrap the summits and spend this money on meaningful international priorities.

I await your reply.

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: Council of Canadians)

PM Stephen Harper: Put climate change on the G8 agenda

Put Climate Change on the G8 agenda

Prime Minister Stephen Harper,

I urge you to support the call of world leaders including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, European Union President Manuel Barroso and Nobel Peace Prize winners to put climate change on the agenda of the G8 Summit in Muskoka from June 25 to 27.

Canada and other G8 countries agreed in Copenhagen in December to contribute US$30 billion over the next three years to help developing nations adapt to the impacts of climate change. This Summit offers the best opportunity for Canada and other nations to stand behind that commitment and to show the world what they plan to do.

Climate change and its consequences represent the most serious threat the world faces today.

We urge you, as host of the G8 and G20 Summits, to show the world that you take this threat seriously.

Paul Malouf
(source: David Suzuki Foundation)

Arctic: Moratorium Now!

Dear Prime Minister of Canada, Opposition Leaders and Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Natural Resources, Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Fisheries and Oceans:

Watching the recent BP oil spill unfold is devastating. There is no doubt that this is an environmental catastrophe that will have long-lasting impacts.

I am gravely concerned that without a moratorium on oil and gas development in the Arctic, what is happening now off the Gulf of Mexico will happen in the Arctic.

The fragile Arctic ecosystem, already seeing significant changes caused by the climate crisis, will be devastated by an offshore spill. Local Indigenous Peoples that depend on the ecosystem for food security and cultural needs will suffer.

It is abundantly clear that the climate crisis demands urgent action. Pursuing a moratorium that prevents new oil and gas development in the Arctic is a logical first step in a just transition to sustainable jobs and energy and a better environment for everyone.

I am writing to urge you to establish a Canadian moratorium on oil and gas development in the Arctic. End the bids for exploratory licences in the Beaufort Sea and Mackenzie Delta. Reverse the provisions under Bill C-9 that give the Environment Minister the capacity to decide whether or not an environmental assessment for oil and gas developments is necessary, as well as power to shift responsibility for environmental assessments solely to the National Energy Board (NEB).

I urge you to show strong leadership and work with other governments represented at the Arctic Council and Indigenous communities to pursue a moratorium on oil and gas development in the Arctic.

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: Council of Canadians)

Prevent an oil spill in Canada!

Tell our leaders we need marine protected areas today. The safety of our coastal communities and sea life depend on it.

Stockwell Day - Chair, BC Federal Conservative Caucus
Randy Kamp - Parliamentary Sec. to Minister of Fisheries
Gail Shea - Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada

I am concerned that Canada's oceans could face environmental disasters like the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I would like to see the Canadian government invest more effort into reducing the risks to our ocean environments and protecting important marine areas and species.

I have heard the Canadian government promise for many years that a marine planning process and more marine protected areas would be established in the Pacific Coast Integrated Management Area (Pncima) on Canada's west coast, but I see little evidence of this happening.

I believe that protecting our oceans is a strategic investment in Canada's future. I urge you to take action and manage Canada's oceans in a way that protects critical marine environments, fisheries and wildlife, and regulates against dangerous industrial activities.

Please commit more government capacity and funding to develop marine use plans and marine protected areas on Canada's west coast.

Paul Malouf
(source: David Suzuki Foundation)

Oppose the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline

Add your voice to stop the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline

Enbridge CEO Patrick Daniel,

Twenty-one years ago, the Exxon Valdez ran aground spilling 40 million litres of crude oil into Prince William Sound and causing irreversible damage. I am writing to you because today your company, Enbridge, wants to bring the same risk to B.C.’s pristine coastal waters, rainforest and communities.

Your Northern Gateway Pipeline would carry oil from the Alberta tar sands to a port at Kitimat, B.C. Enbridge is set to bring more than 200 oil supertankers fed by the pipeline through the same rough waters where the Queen of the North ferry sank in 2006.

As someone who cares about British Columbia’s communities, its wild spaces and coastline, I oppose the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline and crude oil tanker traffic in BC’s northern coastal waters. The risk oil spills pose to First Nations, communities and the environment is too great. I urge you to cease moving forward with the Northern Gateway pipeline as it is opposed and of concern to many people, communities, organizations and companies in British Columbia and abroad.

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: Pipe Up Against Enbridge)

Canada: Pass Bill C-311!

Canadian Government & Opposition : Take Climate Action!

Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Conservative Party)
Honourable Michael Ignatieff (Liberal Party)
Honourable David McGuinty (Liberal Party)
Honourable Jim Prentice (Conservative Party)

I urge you and your party to vote for the Climate Change Accountability Act now before the Canadian Parliament.

I want Canada to make me proud. That means taking leadership on global warming and climate change. The Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-311) sets the right science-based 2050 target and the important milestones that Canada should meet in order to do its fair share in the global fight against climate change. This will ensure that all the necessary solutions are put into place to reach the important milestones and achieve a healthier environment.

If Canada acts now, Canadians will be able to establish a strong foothold in the emerging global clean energy economy with new jobs and industries. Canadians will also enjoy cleaner air, less waste, energy-efficient homes, and more livable, transit-friendly communities.

Canada can play a leadership role again on protecting the environment. Global warming is the most important issue we face, and I want and expect our government to take responsibility with respect to our impact on global climate change. Do the right thing. On Wednesday, April 14 and vote for C-311.

Paul Malouf
(source: David Suzuki Foundation)

Michael Ignatieff: Support Bill C-311!

Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
David McGuinty, Liberal Environment Critic

Dear Mr. Ignatieff and Mr. McGuinty,

I am joining Sierra Club Canada in calling for the swift passage of Bill C-311, An Act to ensure Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing dangerous climate change (AKA the “Climate Change Accountability Act”).

This bill would set science-based national greenhouse gas emission targets that would help avoid the most dangerous effects of climate change. It would also require the federal government to take the necessary steps to ensure the targets are met.

I am fed up with my country being an international embarrassment on environmental issues where we used to show strong progressive leadership. I want to see Canada take on its fair share of the global effort to ward off the most dangerous effects of global warming.

A decision by Canada’s Parliament to adopt these targets would send a strong signal to the world that Canada intends to stop its backslide and do its part. Please ensure that Liberal party MPs resume their support of this bill and pass it into law.

I want Canada to play a leadership role this year, and I care deeply about protecting our natural heritage. The Climate Change Accountability Act is an essential step towards those goals and I strongly urge you and your party to help vote it into law.

Paul Malouf
(source: Sierra Club Canada)

Protect BC's North Coast from oil spills

President & CEO of Enbridge Inc. Patrick Daniel
Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper
Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada Michael Ignatieff

Protect BC's North Coast from oil spills

Dear Prime Minister Harper,

It’s been twenty-one years since the devastating Exxon Valdez oil spill. Enbridge wants Canadians to accept the risk of a major oil spill along its proposed pipeline route and on BC’s pristine rainforest coast.

I am writing to oppose the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline and the introduction of oil tanker traffic to BC’s North Coast. The risk oil of spills to First Nations, communities and the environment is too great.

Given the risks, I am calling on the federal government to keep our coast protected by placing a permanent ban on oil tanker traffic along BC’s north coast.

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: Forest Ethics)

Alberta: Do not delay. List the grizzly as Threatened

Premier Ed Stelmach
Minister of Sustainable Resource Development Mel Knight

RE: Do not delay. List the grizzly as Threatened

Twice, Alberta's multi-stakeholder Endangered Species Conservation Committee has recommended the grizzly bear be listed as Threatened under Alberta's Wildlife Act.

With fewer than 360 mature bears remaining in Alberta it is clear that action must be taken to recover this iconic species. The longer action is delayed, the more costly and challenging true recovery will become.

Please do not further delay taking action that is already eight years overdue. It is time to list the grizzly as Threatened and launch a meaningful recovery program.

Thank you for your time and consideration, I look forward to your response.

Paul Malouf
(source: Sierra Club Canada)

Protect B.C.'s grizzlies

Gordon Campbell - Premier
Barry Penner - Minister of Environment

RE: Government must end sport hunt of B.C.’s bears

I’m writing to ask you to end the trophy hunt in British Columbia and preserve this province as one of the last global safe havens for grizzly bears.

British Columbia is now the last major sanctuary for most large animals left on the continent, including grizzly bears. Grizzlies still roam, feed and breed in many parts of the province, which is a stark contrast to California where this majestic bruin was long eliminated due to overhunting and habitat loss.

Your government will soon open the sport-hunting season for grizzlies and other bear species across the province, even though the trophy hunting of grizzlies is not supported by most British Columbians and is threatening a lucrative bear-viewing industry. Many First Nations also oppose the trophy hunt for cultural and spiritual reasons.

I support an international network of groups – representing more than 15 million members and constituents from over 40 countries – calling on the B.C. government to place an immediate moratorium on trophy hunting of bears, particularly in wilderness areas like the Great Bear Rainforest.

I’m asking you to treat provincial parks as sanctuaries for bears and other wildlife, where they can be safe from hunting. I also ask that the government protect grizzlies outside of B.C.’s parks system – a recommendation that was made to your government by a blue-ribbon panel of grizzly bear biologists in 2004 but has yet to be adequately implemented. With your government’s help, we can maintain B.C. as one of the last safe havens for grizzlies and save these iconic bears from disappearing.

Paul Malouf
(source: David Suzuki Foundation)

Deliver a Legally Binding Climate Treaty in 2010!

World leaders walked away from the global summit in Copenhagen without a treaty that will save the climate. The US, EU and Australia put short-term national interests before the fate of our planet. Together, we must let leaders know that we expect nothing less than an effective agreement.

Barack Obama, President of the United States

Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia
José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission


Dear Sirs,

We expected the climate summit in Copenhagen to agree a fair, ambitious and legally binding treaty to protect the climate.

You know the science is clear – to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, global average temperatures must peak well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and return far below 1.5°C thereafter. This requires cutting emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 80 percent by 2050.

This is needed to ensure the survival of the world’s most vulnerable nations and ecosystems and, ultimately, all humanity.

Although you and other political leaders collectively failed to get the agreement needed, the fight to save the climate is not over.

The decision to move the legal agreement to 2010 provides a last chance for you to demonstrate leadership. In order to secure agreement you, as Head of State must remain engaged until the treaty is in effect.

We expected leadership from you. We still expect you to deliver. The coming months offer the last chance for you to show us that leadership. Failure is not an option. You cannot change the science; you can change the politics. If the politics don't change, we have to change the politicians.

Industrialized countries bear an historic responsibility, have the greatest capacity to take action and have the highest per capita emissions. As a leader of an industrialized country, your responsibility is to commit to deep emissions cuts.

At Copenhagen, the so-called 'Accord' was presented as a ‘take it or leave it’ deal that was rightly rejected by many countries and not even formally adopted by the Conference of the Parties (COP). The 'deal' is in fact a major concession to climate polluting industries. It will propel the world towards a 4°C temperature rise, with all the devastating climate impacts that this entails. A legally binding agreement is needed to avert climate catastrophe - and this is what we need you to deliver in 2010.

You must: take a lead; commit to emissions cuts of 40% by 2020; commit to provide funding to help developing countries onto a clean energy pathway, protect tropical forests and adapt to climate change impacts that are now unavoidable. And this must be enshrined in a legally binding treaty.

These are the first essential steps to getting the deal the world needs.

The world is watching. I can assure you that we will not stop until the necessary action is taken.

Please, ACT NOW - CHANGE THE FUTURE

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: Greenpeace)

Canada Climate Shame

Prime Minister Harper,

You and other world leaders from developed countries failed in Copenhagen. You failed to listen to Canadians who wanted you to support a fair and binding agreement at the United Nations climate conference. You all failed people in developing countries who are already suffering from climate change. Hundreds of thousands are dying every year from the effects of climate change.

It was embarrassing to watch my government on the world stage undermine progress at Copenhagen. In the coming months, you must do far more to be part of the solution to global warming. You must agree to legally binding, science-based reduction targets for Canada of at least 25 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020. You must agree to significant funding to help the developing world adapt to and mitigate climate change. You must agree to measures that will halt global deforestation and promote a clean energy future.

You still have an opportunity to show leadership on climate change.

Failure to fight climate change is not an option.

Paul Malouf
(source: Greenpeace)

Canada: Pass Bill C-311!

Right Hon. Stephen Harper,

The climate talks in Copenhagen are beginning and Canada is still lacking national greenhouse gas emission targets in line with the recommendations of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and still lacking a plan in order to meet such targets.

I understand that tomorrow, Tuesday, December 8th, the Environment Committee votes on whether or not to send Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act, back to the House for a final reading.

I am writing to ask you to support its swift passage. The world is watching, and waiting on us.

In the last parliament, an identical bill passed through the House of Commons all the way to the Senate, where it died when the election was called. Since then we’ve had even more evidence of the climate crisis, and the urgent need for action. So what is stopping us now?

Canadians don’t want or have time for political games. Canadians want our country to play a leadership role in Copenhagen to finalize a global climate treaty that will apply after 2012, and Bill C-311 would ensure that Canada does its fair share to prevent dangerous climate change.

We need to take action to prevent the dangerous impacts of climate change – droughts, famines, water shortages, devastating hurricanes and mass extinctions of many of the world’s plant and animal species.

I am asking that all parties work together to pass the Climate Change Accountability Act as soon as possible. Evidence is mounting, and we’ve made enough excuses. For the sake of the environment and future generations, we need to take action now.

Sincerely,

Paul Malouf
(source: Sierra Club Canada)

cc:
The Honourable Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
The Honourable Gilles Duceppe, Leader of the Bloc Quebecois
The Honourable Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democratic Party

UN Climate Summit: Countdown to Copenhagen

Right Hon. Stephen Harper,

Today I’m joining millions of people around the world calling for action on climate change. I’m ready and I want my voice to count.

I’m calling on you as Canada’s Prime Minister and on all world leaders to sign an ambitious, fair and binding agreement safeguard our future at the crucial UN climate change summit in Copenhagen this December.

Action on climate change is not only good for our environment. Global action on climate change will also open up tremendous job and business opportunities in the emerging clean energy economy – new opportunities that Canada can be a part of.

Climate change is a serious threat to our prosperity and our future. But, the greatest threat is our own inaction.

For the sake of the health of our economy, environment and future, I’m urging you to ensure that Canada signs onto a strong agreement at the UN climate change summit.

Paul Malouf
(source: David Suzuki Foundation)

cc:
The Honourable Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
The Honourable Gilles Duceppe, Leader of the Bloc Quebecois
The Honourable Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democratic Party