B.C.'s minister of sport Gary Lunn is the latest target in a series of protest sit-ins leading up to the international climate negotiations in Copenhagen next week.
Ten people entered Lunn's constituency office in Sidney this morning to protest the federal government's position on greenhouse gas reduction targets.
Activists occupied the offices of Labour Minister Rona Ambrose and Environment Minister Jim Prentice last week.
Yesterday, seven people were arrested for taking over Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's office.
Eric Swanson, who is taking part in the Sidney sit-in, told The Tyee that RCMP officers stopped by but left without making any arrests.
Swanson said they are calling on the government to commit Canada to binding greenhouse gas reduction targets.
"Locally, we've asked Minister Lunn to commit to a public town hall meeting...to represent his government's position to his constituents," Swanson said.
He added that Lunn called from Ottawa and refused this request.
People involved in the four sit-ins are part of an ad hoc group of citizens across the country "concerned about our government's failure to lead going into Copenhagen," but they are not representing any one organization, Swanson said.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has indicated Canada will not agree to legally binding targets in Copenhagen. At a press conference yesterday in Port-au-Spain, where Harper is attending a meeting of Commonwealth leaders, he said the greenhouse gas reduction targets proposed are "idealistic."
"We've been through the exercise in the past decade or so of setting targets that were idealistic or blue-sky and no one went out and actually achieved them, or set targets that look great on paper and didn't actually require any effort," Harper told reporters.
The Conservatives' current climate plan is based on intensity targets, which means industry can continue to emit carbon dioxide as long at those emissions decrease relative to economic growth. Harper has said that Canada will harmonize its reduction goals with that of the United States, which is 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020, with some tweaks, but has not specified what those might be.
Colleen Kimmett reports for The Tyee.
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runner
2 years ago
stand up for...?
"Harper has said that Canada will harmonize its reduction goals with that of the United States"
How about that cutesy slogan of standing up for Canada, Steve?? It's hard to stand when you are so bent over, isn't it?
Get a backbone and TAKE a stand. Let Canada be a leader for a change instead of following the US's lead. Again!
Katelyn B
2 years ago
Canada : the people are ashamed....
Canada has been voted by the international community the worst on climate change. We're an environmental laggard. And top human rights abuser because of the Tar Sands and our government's lack of leadership on the climate crisis. When will enough be enough? Come on Harper! Wake up! Help us to take action, follow the lead of these brave individuals who are calling for climate and social justice now!
RickOshea
2 years ago
Harper's the Name, Subversion's the Game.
Canada's new (neo) government is actively subverting measures to control green-house gas emissions at the international level:
http://www.alternet.org/environment/144290/the_most_urgent_threat_to_world_peace_is_%E2%80%A6_canada
Harper and his merry band of petro-lackeys - cretins running a whole country at a critical juncture. We're all doomed.
Wilfride Laurier
2 years ago
Harper
Is bought and paid for in tar sand money. Beside, how many people in Canada actually want to do anything for the environment that actually means some self sacrafice?
Transport_nation
2 years ago
Come what May
Now I ain't got any use for Gary Lunn or those scumbag conservative / reform party types, but this is just another ploy by stunt woman, wanna be Senator - Liz May. She should go home to Cape Breton and run in her home riding of Sydney.