Today three of the Pembina Institute's staff, Clare Demerse, PJ Partington and Matthew Bramley are leaving for Copenhagen, the host of the major United Nations climate summit to advance global action to fight global warming. While there, they will track the negotiations, work with the global environmental community to ensure transparency and push for greater action, host a side event, and host an event to recognize Canadian actions at the Provincial and Municipal level.
As the Executive Director of one of Canada's major environmental organizations, it was my original plan to attend this most important meeting. But I have a task here at home that deserves my total attention - my wife Anya is due today to give birth to our baby girl. If the little one decides today is her birthday, I will forever remember it as the day of two callings, both with same objective - "ensure our children have a fighting chance to live in a world of opportunity and promise."
At home in our protected "Canadian bubble" it is relatively easy to provide that opportunity to our children. But climate change threatens this, especially for newborn children who in their lifetimes will face the brunt of global warming if the current decision-making adults don't take serious and rapid action. For the millions of children in countries not nearly as well off as Canada, the everyday threat of climate change is very real and directly impacts their ability to feed themselves.
Copenhagen might be a meeting of well-intentioned adults. But it is a meeting on behalf of our children and grandchildren to solve a global problem. So far Canada has played no constructive role in solving this problem. As Guardian (UK) columnist George Monbiot has written, "Canada's image lies in tatters" over the climate change issue. "This thuggish petro-state is today the greatest obstacle to a deal in Copenhagen."
Monbiot and others from outside of Canada have rightfully started to point to Canada as the true global laggard. We have no concrete action plan. We have not renewed any action to support low impact renewable energy. Not only is this a threat environmentally, it is rapidly becoming an economic threat as Canada falls behind the rest of the world's rapid transition to clean energy - a $140 billion industry in electricity alone. Canada is being outspent by the United States in economic stimulus money to grow renewable energy $14 to $1 per capita - yes per capita! That's over 100 times more support in the US than in Canada to grow a renewable energy economy. Under these conditions, Canadian renewable energy companies will continue to head south.
I am proud our staff will represent us at Copenhagen and push for greater action - globally and domestically. There is no reason why Canada has to be a laggard. We have the resources, the ingenuity, and the know-how. Our recent economic analysis shows Canada can grow its economy by 23% over the next decade while reducing our emissions to a scientifically acceptable level. A level that will make a real contribution to the global effort, and help ensure all of our children have an opportunity to prosper.
So, I wish I was there in Copenhagen to help encourage Canada to stand up and do its fair share to fight climate change, but I am also extremely proud to be here at home with my wife waiting for the arrival of my new baby daughter.
Marlo Raynolds was the executive director of the Pembina Institute until January 2011.
