Saturday, December 19, 2009

Post Cop 15 nomination news

Been a long time since I did one of these.


http://www.kingsentinel.com/news/2009-12-16/Front_Page/Black_withdraws_from_federal_race.html

The Liberal candidate for Newmarket-Aurora, King mayor Margaret Black, has stepped down to focus on a sixth run for mayor. Black was nominated back in August. It will be interesting to see if candidates like Newmarket councillor Chris Emanuel and 2008 candidate and former Aurora mayor Tim Jones jump back into the race. They hadbeen in the running previously but both dropped out, clearing the way for Black to be acclaimed.

http://www.caledoncitizen.com/news/2009-12-17/News/Dufferin__Caledon_federal_Liberals_nominate_Bill_P.html

Bill Prout has been officially nominated for the Liberals in Dufferin-Caledon. Readers may remember former MP Garth Turner making a play for the Liberal nomination and subsequently dropping out in a characteristic huff.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion/letters/78812472.html

This article mentions a name going for the NDP nomination in Langley, Piotr Majkowski, a registered nurse.

Who exactly did Canada work with at Cop 15?

The Harper talking points:

“This agreement is the result of two weeks of negotiations in which Canada and Environment Minister Prentice, our chief negotiator, played a key part...Canada is working to align our clean energy and climate change policies with those of the Obama Administration."

If that's the case, how do you explain these?

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091218/world/climate_cda

Harper not on he guest list as Obama meets with world leaders on climate change.

http://thestar.blogs.com/copenhagen/2009/12/us-snubs-canada.html

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu gets an order from "pretty high up" not to even get a photo op with Jim Prentice.

The Cop 15 talks produced a result which many found dissapointing, and it is clear that the only leadership Harper showed at the Cop was leading Canada to another fossil of the year award. If our biggest trading parter is ignoring us when it comes to the environment, which will be the lynchpin of the 21st century economy, what does that say about the Conservatives ability to manage a 21st century economy?

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The North and Climate Change

I attended quite an interesting talk the other day at Copenhagen, one with particular relevance to Canada: A discussion on Climate Change and how it is hitting the Arctic. It drew some big names; the foreign ministers of Denmark and Norway, the Premier of Greenland, the Danish minister of the environment, a special UN Envoy, and former US President Al Gore.

While the discussion itself was great and informative, it was also in a way bittersweet. It was great to learn about the efforts that nations like Denmark and Norway are undertaking to tackle climate change and build green economies, but somewhat depressing to see how far Canada is getting left in the dust. The risks of climate change run highest in the North, yet Canada is a laggard, and it is a supreme irony that the Tories, who paint themselves as the party of national security and economic stability, are displaying a huge lack of leadership by putting the future of our economy and national security at risk by not taking on climate change as a serious issue.

The Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs in particular gave a great speech, calling for a "green growth path", focusing on sustainable development of the north, investing in clean energies and cleaner energy extraction, and more use of renewable resources. As someone who considers themselves an eco-capitalist and a supporter of green market liberalism, this made me happy to hear that the Danish government was supporting an agenda, similar to Premier McGuinty in Ontario, that views the environment both as something to be protected, but something that can help create jobs and lasting sustainable growth.

Overall, it was a very informative talk that gave me lots to think about and lots of things I wished the government was doing to help our economy and security. Canada responded to the crisis of the Cold War with the invention of peacekeeping, we must now respond to the crisis o climate change with similar innovation.

Monday, December 14, 2009

McGuinty shows leadership in India on green technology



This isn't happening in Copenhagen, but it certainly has gotten tounges wagging here in a positive way. Canada unsuprisingly doesn't have the greatest reputation here, but McGuinty's actions have really got people saying "Hey, some Canadians do get it." The $1.1 billion in green tech deals McGuinty has gotten from India demonstrates the viability of a green market economy, creating the jobs of the 21st century for Ontario. This is a billion dollars Tim Hudak and Stephen Harper don't want Ontario to have, since it undermines Tory talking points on how a green economy is impossible. A green market economy is the only way Ontario's economy is going to move forward, and Canadians as a whole deserve strong Liberal leadership, both provincially and federally, creating the economy of tomorrow.




As a Canadian in Copenhagen, thank you Premier McGuinty, you're helping to change people's minds here by showing leadership on the climate change issue.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Cop 15-My First Day

I got into Copenhagen this morning and got myself all registered as a delegate. Copenhagen is a wonderful city, but I have spent most of my time thus far at the Conference itself, and it is hard not to notice one thing in particular: Every time you turn around, China has some kind of presence. From having its own pavilion boasting of what China has either done or is planning on doing, to leading the group of 77 developing nations, it is impossible to ignore the voice of China at this conference. As both a developing nation and an economic giant, it is well positioned to emerge as a broker in any successful climate talks.More importantly, China’s rise in the discussion of green development, which could give China a massive comparative advantage as we transition into a lower-carbon emitting economy in the 21st century are not simply imagined. China has invested in green tech to demonstrate an advantage to some.

While some are pointing to the “Climategate” affair as an excuse to dismiss the conference, a few sentences which are taken totally out of context do not an affair make , (nor does releasing a sexy time later) China is surely cheering on the climate skeptics who are attempting to cause the greatest market failure since the Depression. The new economic industrial order will be a green one, and the skeptics bring nothing to the depate.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Martha Hall Findlay supports Young Liberal Copenhagen delegation

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/rooftop-protest/#clip243624 (Jump to about the 7:20 mark)

Many thanks to Martha Hall Findlay for supporting the YLC Cop-15 delegation on national tv earlier today (although I am biased, I am dating one of the people she mentions by name). It is great to know that the senior party and MP's are supportive of our efforts to show the world that despite Harper winning the Fossil Award once again, Canadians, and in particular, Young Liberals, are standing up to show the world that Canada does care about the environment. Merci, Martha!

E-Mission.ca

I'm proud to be heading to Copenhagen for the Cop-15 UN Climate Change Conference with some great Young Liberals from across Canada this week. For those of you who can't come along, the team will be putting up video blogs, tweets, and other looks inside the real story of the talks, not the Tory talking points. You can check us out at http://e-mission.ca/