"Obstacle #1 [in Copenhagen] is Canada"

World renowned journalist and columnist for the Guardian George Monbiot has declared that Canada is the major obstacle to achieving a global climate treaty in Copenhagen.

Monbiot, who has not traveled on an airplane in two years, said that it was necessary to be in Canada in the lead up to Copenhagen negotiations

"So many people have pressed me come to Canada, to help to kick up a fuss on why the government isn't doing anything at all to advance the process, but everything in their power to obstruct the process," he said in a video interview available on YouTube. 

Monbiot has also published a piece in today's edition of the Globe and Mail titled "Please Canada, clean up your act". He will also be speaking at the Munk Debates tomorrow.

To watch the YouTube video, see below. (Thanks to Adam Scott and Laura Tozer for the footage)

Climate Protesters at Flaherty's office this hour

Following last week's sit-in at Environment Minister Jim Prentice's constituency office in Alberta last week, this week climate protesters have occupied Minister Jim Flaherty's constituency office in Whitby this hour.

According to a report by the Canadian Press:

The group People for Climate Justice is demanding a binding climate treaty during negotiations to be held in Copenhagen in December. The group wants Ottawa to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 to 25 per cent of 1990 levels.

In a statement, the group says Flaherty must push the government for a "just, ambitious, and binding deal in Copenhagen with science-based targets."

Last week seven people were arrested after the peaceful sit-in at Prentice's office.

Happy One Year Anniversary

I didn't recognize it yesterday, but November 27 was the one year anniversary for the Climate blog at the Toronto Star - the blog was launched exactly a year ago, just a couple of days before I would be packing my bags for the Poland for the UN Climate negotiations.

While in Poland, the UN negotiations were sparsely filled with journalists, and most Canadians were distracted (and rightfully so) by the Parliament drama that brought the word 'pro-rogue' into our public vocabulary. However, I attempted with several blog posts a day to communicate to Toronto Star readers on the importance, the events and quirky stories of the conference, including interviews with Elizabeth May and then newly-minted environment minister Jim Prentice.

This year is completely different - not only are major Western media outlets sending reporters to Copenhagen (including the Star's Allan Woods), but with the expected presence of Stephen Harper and Barack Obama at the conference, the world's eyes will be on the summit to see if world leaders can indeed get over what has prevented them from creating a world climate treaty so far.

I leave for Copenhagen in six days, and will once again be blogging, tweeting, and providing the occasional video on this important conference, grounded in my own perspective as a Canadian Youth Delegate, privy to the inside world of the negotiations, as well as the excitement, drama and passion of the activist world.

I hope you follow long, because climate treaty or no climate treaty - this is expected to be one intense conference that will set the stage and discourse for climate change for Canadians, and for citizens around the world.

Harper going to Copenhagen

It seems like he didn't want to be left out...

Despite declaring that he would not go to to climate negotiations in Copenhagen set to start at the beginning of December, the Canadian Press is now reporting that Harper has now agreed to go.

This follows the announcement in recent days that US President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao will also be making the trip to the UN Climate Summit.

Currently its not clear what date Harper would arrive in Copenhagen. White House officials have said that Obama will be in Copenhagen on December 9 before going to Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.

It is going to be really interesting in terms of how Harper will face the intense criticism from scientists, activists and other countries over Canada's position on climate change, and whether the international pressure and criticism will influence his current policy...

OBAMA HEADING TO COPENHAGEN

The Huffington Post is reporting this morning that President Barack Obama will indeed be heading to Copenhagen for the UN climate negotiations set to begin in less than two weeks. 

A White House officials says Obama will be in Copenhagen on Dec. 9 before heading to Oslo to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.

My thoughts: extremely exciting news, and will certainly put the climate negotiations on the front page of every newspaper. However, his presence could literally shut down the entire conference, in terms of security, fanatic supporters etc.

Protesters charged with criminal mischief

The protesters that occupied Environment Minister Jim Prentices' constituency office in Alberta were charged with criminal mischief yesterday.

The citizens, who were all members of Jim Prentices' constituency, staged the sit-in at the office beginning at 10am yesterday. 

In the end, all of them were charged with criminal mischief, with a court date set for Dec. 31. The protesters said that they were able to talk to Prentice on the phone from Ottawa about his lack of leadership on the climate change front.

The CBC aired an interview with one of the men involved on 'Power and Politics' - see below.

Mississauga students vs. the PMO - "protesting?"

A story that has gained some buzz today...

A group of high school students from the Woodlands school were calling the Prime Minister's office urging PM Stephen Harper to attend the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in two weeks.

The school's office manager, Gurpreet Bassi, says someone identifying themself as being from the PMO called urging her to "please have (the) students stop calling -- they are jamming up the switchboard."

The story has been branded in various media outlets as 'students protesting'.

But as a good friend put it: "I never really thought calling the PMO's office as protesting, but more of our right as Canadian citizens. I guess anything young people do these days is labeled protesting in the media...."

Quebec announces plan to cut GHGs by 20%

Quebec Premier Jean Charest announced in Montreal today that Quebec will cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2020, and will do so by investing in public transportation and reviewing provincial planning laws to slow urban sprawl. 

Charest calls it one of the most ambitious targets in North America, with Canada's goal being only a 20% cut from 2006 levels (working out to just a 3% cut from 1990 levels).

Prentice's constituents stage sit-in at Alberta office

Seven activists have occupied Environment Minister Jim Prentice's office in Calgary today. 

According to a press release, this is the first of a series of citizen-organized peaceful sit-ins targeting elected officials, tar sands financiers and coal and tar sands industries.

The sit-in began shortly after 10am, with the activists demanding that the Harper government and all parties act to combat the climate crisis.

“We won’t be changing our target as a result of an office occupation,” said Mr. Prentice’s spokesman, Bill Rodgers told the Globe and Mail's Shawn McCarthy in a phone interview.

“Despite the growing crisis, the Harper Government is trying to sabotage efforts to solve the challenge of global warming, expanding the tar sands rather than leading the push for real solutions,” said Russell Charlton said in the press release. “Letter writing, rallies, meetings, and phone calls are all important actions, but our Government’s inaction indicates that these tactics are not enough. We must step up the pressure, so we are engaging in peaceful civil disobedience, like those before us in the civil rights and other great movements, to ensure we do our part to solve the biggest environmental and economic threat of our time.”

The activists will most likely be forced to leave by police, but said that they will ensure that they will leave peacefully.

60 world leaders to attend Copenhagen summit - Not Harper

The BBC is reporting that 60 world leaders have made commitments to attend the Copenhagen summit in beginning two weeks from today, though the leaders of China, US, India and Canada (some of the world's biggest polluters) are not on the list to attend.

If Obama can fly over to Copenhagen for Chicago's olympic bid and refuse to go to the same city for the critical climate change summit, what does it say to his commitment to a global climate treaty?