From Nov. 22 to 25, more than 70 Canadians – including the leader of an Erin environmental organization and several other area residents – converged on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to deliverer a message to Canada’s MPs. The group wants the federal government to put a price on fossil fuel emissions (a carbon tax) – that returns all of the revenue equally to Canadian households. Organizers say this will enable Canada to take significant steps toward meeting the goal of reducing emission levels to 17 percent of 2015 CO2 levels by 2020.
In a press release, the group states that “Reducing heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions will add jobs to our economy, not ‘kill jobs’ as Prime Minister Harper has often stated.”
Since September 2010, Citizens’ Climate Lobbyists (CCLers) in Canada have educated themselves about climate change through regularly scheduled teleconference calls, local meetings and – for the second year running – a national conference in Ottawa.
Keynote speakers at Carbon Fee Prosperity, Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada’s second annual national conference, included Michael MacMillan, of Samara Canada and co-author of the book, Tragedy in the Commons, and venture capitalist Tom Rand, author and managing partner of ArcTern Ventures. Canadian climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, named by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, will join via videoconference from California.
Sunday afternoon’s economic panel will feature a wide-ranging discussion on pricing carbon, including two speakers named to Canada’s newly formed Ecofiscal Commission.
Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) is a non-partisan international organization that empowers citizen volunteers to lobby their representatives for a revenue-neutral price on carbon pollution. There are 212 CCL chapters in North America and over 7,500 volunteers internationally. There will be several area attendees, including Gord Cumming, Ron Moore, Sue Braiden and Liz Armstrong, who leads the Erin Chapter of CCL. .
“Our volunteers want Canada to lead in the fight to keep the global temperatures rising above 2º Celsius – a recognized international goal – and they want to help all federal politicians achieve understand the need to act now to reduce the climate impacts for the generations to come,” the release states.
For more information contact Liz Armstrong, Erin Chapter, CCL 519-833-4676.
