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From the President
Tackling Global Problem Requires Global Action
Editor's note: President Alastair Summerlee welcomes comments on his column at president@uoguelph.ca.
We look to the young with great hope. And for generations, youth have looked out into the world they inherit with idealistic notions of fixing what's wrong and reinforcing what's right. They are freethinkers in the best sense of the word. They are less wedded to tradition, more likely to reject dogmatic notions and not so fearful of change.
These words are by way of introduction to an inspiring development. This week, the United Nations Climate Change Conference got under way in Bali, Indonesia. The event is being attended by 130 environment ministers from around the world, including Canada.
Also at the conference is a delegation of 30 young people from across the country, one of them a U of G student and five of them recent Guelph graduates. These youth recognize the consequences this meeting may hold for their future. They know that bold international action taken now could begin to reduce greenhouse gas pollution in the atmosphere. They also understand that if emissions are allowed to continue to rise unchecked — as they have been in Canada in the past decade — we will soon lose our ability to prevent catastrophe.
As young people, they have views not so clouded by political rhetoric. They're not jaded or rigidly partisan. They see the big picture perfectly well and are working to prevent themselves and future generations from inheriting a legacy of catastrophe.
Canadian leaders — indeed, leaders from around the world — would do well to listen and learn from these dedicated youth.
Regrettably, their elders — our elected leaders in Canada — have set a less-than-inspiring example for the youth of today. To date, no Canadian government has taken meaningful action to prevent climate change. The latest plan, announced by the federal government in the spring, attempts a 20-per-cent reduction of emissions by 2020, but only from 2006 levels. What a weak target.
Even more troubling is the absence of a meaningful strategy to meet this inadequate goal. A recent independent review of the plan found a disturbing lack of detail on how industry would be regulated, and observed that many emission reductions have been measured in a flawed way that has not resulted in improvements. This is just one example of the inactivity of the Canadian government.
What a tragedy that those who have the ability to stop climate change are dragging their feet, making excuses and slouching towards failure.
By contrast, those who will face the greatest consequences of global warming — our young people — are struggling to figure out ways to prevent it.
How appropriate — and essential — that our youth are engaged in climate change initiatives, and doing so with the knowledge that it will significantly shape their future. As Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, correctly pointed out: “Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace.”
But our young citizens shouldn't have to confront this enormous crisis alone. Tackling a global problem requires global action; reaching an international consensus to reduce emissions is essential to success. And to convince large developing countries such as China and India to reduce their emissions, Canada must be leading by example. So far, however, this country has been a weak leader on climate change. Canada will not meet its Kyoto obligations of six per cent below 1990 levels by 2012, according to a public announcement by our government.
Imagine how inspired our youth would be if Canada instead demonstrated leadership by doing everything in its power to reach the target rather than giving up four years before the deadline.
Yet instead of aiming for this admirable goal, Prime Minister Stephen Harper used his bully pulpit at an unprecedented one-day meeting of international leaders at the United Nations in New York in September to call on the international community to recognize Canada's “special circumstances” — a reference to his political inability to regulate the oil industry.
As if this lacklustre track record weren't troubling enough, as part of the Asia-Pacific Partnership in October, Canada signed an unfortunate agreement known to environmental groups as the “coal pact” for its focus on promoting and sharing technologies allowing for continued expansion of fossil fuel dependency.
With Canada taking such short-sighted positions, it's no wonder so many developing countries think twice about agreeing to major international agreements like Kyoto. We have set a poor example for the world.
This need not be the case, however. The Canadian youth participating as official observers at the UN climate meeting in Bali will learn vital lessons about global negotiations, international governance and how people from other nations address these issues.
The gathering will present a complex problem to young Canadians and beckon them to apply fresh ideas, creativity and energy to this most pressing of matters. Their elders in Ottawa — the movers and shakers in Canadian politics — would do well to listen to these men and women when they return from Indonesia. Listen and learn.