BIODIVERSITY: Earth's Life Support Systems Failing

Stephen Leahy - Inter Press Service

UXBRIDGE, Canada, 13 Oct (IPS) - The world has failed to slow the accelerating extinction...

West Side Power Line Could Cut Through Forest Reserves

Winnipeg Free Press - By: Staff Writer - 14/10/2009

Artist: Mary Jane Eichler

WINNIPEG — The west side power line will skirt provincial parks but it could cut through several forest reserves, according to...

Larry Writes to the Prime Minister

Please note the response from the PMs office (I'm taking his answer as a "no.") & Green Party Leader, Elizabeth May at the end.
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Dear Honourable Prime Minister,

Is it true that you won't be attending the key climate change summit in Copenhagen in December?

Here is what the Environment Canada website says about this.

"Canada will be represented at COP 15 by the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment, and by Michael Martin, Chief Negotiator and Ambassador for Climate Change."

Surely your absence will only deepen the already deep cynicism that surrounds your commitment to fighting climate change and global warming.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has already promised he will attend the Copenhagen conference, and urges other world leaders to do the same. He says such attendance is essential "to avert the grave danger that nations will face if they fail to agree on a new global pact tackling climate change."

I realize you might define Mr. Brown as a "socialist." But surely your attendance would go a long way toward showing the world that even Conservatives can care about Mother Earth!

Perhaps you could confirm your attendance/non attendance via return email.

Thank you!

Larry Powell

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COMMENT: Great letter, Larry. I will send one too. - Anne
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Dear Mr. Powell:

On behalf of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your recent e-mail.

Please be assured that your comments have been noted, and that they will receive due consideration from the Minister, whom you also addressed in your correspondence.

Thank you for writing to the Prime Minister.

P. Monteith
Executive Correspondence Officer
for the Prime Minister's Office
Agent de correspondance
de la haute direction
pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre
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Dear Larry,

Many thanks for taking the time to write. I will be attending the negotiations in Copenhagen this December. I will also join the crowd of concerned citizens rallying on Parliament Hill on October 24th, the International Day of Climate Action.

Canadian elected officials are not addressing the issue of climate change. I attend Question Period on a regular basis, and I am appalled at the lack of attention to such a critical issue facing our country. The climate crisis continues to worsen while the parties in the House ignore the issue.

Internationally, Canada has been criticized for blocking progress at several international climate forums. Most recently, Canada received a Fossil Award during the opening day of the UN Climate Negotiations in Bangkok because Prime Minister Harper chose to visit a Tim Horton's in Oakville instead of addressing the UN.

Saturday, October 24 is a world day of action to build support for real action in Copenhagen. It is an opportunity for a huge citizen mobilization. The youth movement is rising to the challenge, but they need their parents and elders to stand with them. The new film, “The Age of Stupid” is being shown by groups across Canada. The premise is that sometime in the future an archivist/historian looks back at humanity and asks “why didn’t we save ourselves while we still had the chance?”

Will we be too busy scoring points off each other in endless rounds of political brinksmanship? Can we ensure our epitaph is not the “Age of Stupid”?

We are not powerless. We are not alone. We are the majority. We do not have the right to give up on our children’s future.

Thank you again for writing. For more information or to find out about activities in your area on October 24th, please visit the Green Party website, the Fill the Hill website, or 350.org.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth May, O.C.

Leader

Green Party of Canada

www.greenparty.ca

1-866-868-3447

Victim of Drought

A baby elephant receives a bottle of milk Wednesday at the David Sheldrick Wildlife trust which cares for orphaned elephants on the outskirts of the Nairobi national park in Kenya. Some of the baby elephants have been orphaned by one of the worst droughts in recent years affecting millions of people across East Africa.
(KAREL PRINSLOO / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)