Here is the video which was produced in Halifax by the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC) for the Active 8 Campaign for International Development Week.

You can sign up for a pledge by clicking here.

Tagged: ACIC, Adam MacIsaac, Atlantic Council For International Cooperation, Canadian International Development Agency, CIDA, Development, International Development, PEI, Prince Edward Island

Islander Adam MacIsaac of St. Peter’s Bay is being recognized as an inspiring individual whose actions have made a significant contribution towards promoting global citizenship.

Adam was chosen from among other youth in Atlantic Canada between the ages of 15-30 who have played an active role in the areas of social justice and environmental sustainability. As one of eight individuals selected from the region, Adam will be profiled nationally with other youth leaders across Canada in recognition of his efforts to build a better future.

All Global Youth Ambassadors will lead a team as part of the Active-8! Campaign to promote activities marking International Development Week. This team of inspiring youth are inviting individuals and groups to create an on-line pledge to take action to create positive change in their communities and around the world. Pledges can be made from now until February 13th The Active-8! Team obtaining the most pledges will win a prize of $1000.

“From being involved, you are opening up a world of opportunities to learn more about the issues which are affecting communities around the globe and how to work along side them in the fight for social/environmental justice,” said Adam.

Adam was selected on the basis of his work with local community groups as well as his role representing youth on the international scene. “Adam is committed to working with others on PEI and across the world to build a more sustainable and equitable world,” said nominator Leo Cheverie. “His work in promoting climate justice most recently in Copenhagen needs to be highlighted.”

Adam and his team will be encouraging as many Islanders as possible to pledge an action towards creating a better world by visiting http://www.active8campaign.com.

ABOUT THE ACTIVE-8! CAMPAIGN:

The Active-8! Campaign is a project of the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC) made possible with funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). For more information on the Active-8! Campaign and to register your pledge of action during International Development Week, visit http://www.active8campaign.com.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEEK:

Held annually, the first full week of February, International Development Week (IDW) highlights and illustrates the work of Canada’s development community.

International Development Week provides a great opportunity for Canadians to:

•Increase the awareness of the role many Canadians play in international development;

•Learn more about life in developing countries; and

•Find out how they can become global citizens, actively involved in international development.

ABOUT ACIC:

The Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC) is a coalition representing more than 70 organizations, institutions and individuals working in the Atlantic region which are committed to achieving global sustainability in a peaceful and healthy environment, with social justice, human dignity, and participation for all. ACIC also takes a leadership role in engaging Atlantic Canadians around issues relating to international development, global sustainability, and social justice. http://www.acic-caci.org

Tagged: ACIC, Active-8!, Atlantic Council For International Cooperation, Canada, Canadian International Development Agency, CIDA, Climate Change, Environment, Human Rights, Millennium Development Goals, Youth, Youth-led Development

A sophisticated hoax has targeted the Canadian government and caused a ruckus at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) currently underway in Copenhagen, Denmark. The elaborate prank is an attempt to embarrass the Canadian delegation to the summit, which has received criticism from the world press for its allegedly obstructionist role in negotiations.

At the centre of the ruse is a spoof news release in which Environment Canada announces the launch of “Agenda 2020”, an ambitious plan for reducing the country’s carbon emissions.

The release in part states:

Agenda 2020 sets binding emissions reductions targets of 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 and at least 80% by 2050, in line with the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and approaching the levels demanded by the African Group (link). The plan also introduces a new instrument, known as the “Climate Debt Mechanism” (CDM), committing Canada to much-needed funding to those developing countries facing the most dire consequences of climate change. CDM payments will begin with 1% and rise to the equivalent of 5% of Canada’s GDP annually by 2030.

It was made available at http://www.enviro-canada.ca/agenda2020. Environment Canada’s actual Web site is located at http://www.ec.gc.ca/. The news was also distributed on a fake Twitter account for Jim Prentice, Canada’s minister of the environment.

The release was also circulated via e-mail from the address, press@enviro-Canada.ca. The department’s actual e-mail address for media-related correspondence is media@ec.gc.ca.

Following the publication of the initial release, an alleged response to the launch of Agenda 2020 was made by the Ugandan delegation to Copenhagen.

That release states:

The Ugandan delegation to the COP-15 climate talks has been the first to react to Canada’s announcement of ambitious new emissions-reduction targets and vigorous climate-debt reparations to African nations.

The second release was again distributed via the e-mail address press@enviro-Canada.ca. It was also made available at a mock COP15 Web site with the URL http://cop-15.org/. The summit’s actual English Web site is located at http://en.cop15.dk/.

Questions remain as to the authenticity of the Ugandan delegation’s alleged response. In a blog post, CBC News summed up the level of confusion around the video posted on the fake COP15 Web site, writing, “Is the Ugandan delegation in on the joke? Wait, is that even really the Ugandan delegation? Is there a Ugandan delegation at COP15 at all?”

Next, a third release was issued, this one denying the legitimacy of the first two. It in part read:

One hour ago, a spoof press release targeted Canada in order to generate hurtful rumors and mislead the Conference of Parties on Canada’s positions on climate change, and to damage Canada’s standing with the international business community.

The release, from “press@enviro-canada.ca,” alleges Canada’s acceptance of unrealistic emissions-reduction targets, as well as a so-called “Climate Debt Mechanism,” a bilateral agreement between Canada and Africa to furnish that continent with enormous sums in “reparation” for climate damage and to “offset” adaptation.

This third release, sent from media@ec-gc.ca, also turned out to be a fake. Note that the “ec” and “gc” in the address’s domain name are separated by a dash and not a period.

This release states that major media outlets had reported on the original two releases, and linked to a story allegedly published in the European edition of the Wall Street Journal.

But the authenticity of this site was also quickly called into question and appears to be a fake. Its URL is http://online.europe-wsj.com/ while the legitimate European edition of the Wall Street Journal is located at http://europe.wsj.com/.

The third release representing itself as a product of Canada’s environment department also aimed to draw attention to the Alberta tar sands. It included the following passages:

Canada’s current energy policy represents an elegant synthesis of the most advanced science, while remaining faithful to Canada’s tradition of political pragmatism. Experts note, for example, that the much-decried oil sands of Alberta, contrary to environmentalists’ dire assertions, are enabling Canada to meet ambitious emissions goals by providing her, as well as her neighbors, with the energy resources needed to transition to a cleaner energy future.

“Without the dynamism of our oil sands industry,” says Bruce Carson, a special Adviser to Environment Canada, “we in Canada would not have the energy – moral, financial and literal – to develop the alternative energy future the whole world craves.”

A few hours later, a fourth and, so far, final release was sent out from the second fake e-mail address. This release states:

We at Environment Canada wish to thank the international press community for their measured and understanding response to the hoax that struck our agency earlier this afternoon, while expressing our condolences to the Ugandan delegation who were swept up in the excitement of this false future “vision.” (Click here for video.)

This sophisticated operation was reported in the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, and a number of other outlets as the irresponsible spoof that it was.

Environment Canada wishes to stress that the Ugandan delegation’s impassioned response to the announcement is a dramatic tragedy for those who stand to suffer the most.

At the time of publication, Environment Canada had not posted a response to the affair on its Web site. However, as reported in the Globe and Mail, Dimitri Soudas, spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, stated in an e-mail, “More time should be dedicated to playing a constructive role instead of childish pranks.”

It remains unknown who perpetrated the hoax.

Tagged: Alberta, Canada, Climate Change, Climate Justice, ClimateChange, COP15, Environment Minister, Global Warming, Jim Prentice, UN, UNFCCC, United Nations, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Things have been very crazy since the last time I got to actually post on my own website. After returning from the UN Climate Change meetings in Bangkok to Canada and jumping right into the mix of things with the Climate Action Network Canada AGM.  I even got to attend the vote where Canadian Members of Parliament extended the review of the Climate Change Accountability Act then had the pleasure of attending Power Shift Canada things were continuing to with full force in the climate movement in Canada.

But on the closing day of Power Shift Canada there was an unplanned disruption by concerned young Canadians during Question Period in the House of Common on Parliament Hill.

The disruption started when one young person stood up then another then another then another, they were standing up to express their disappointment by the lack of action from the Members of Parliament to pass the Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-311) and the failure of Canada signing onto the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Rights.

I was in attendance of the disruption and had stood up to make sure that no one was injured by security as they were escorted out of the public gallery. Even though I had not raised my voice I was grabbed by security guards and was told that I had to leave the public gallery. For what reason? I guess the fact that I was young and this disruption was being created by young people was enough reason to remove me from the public gallery. While I was asking the Parlimantary security guard why I was being removed the amount of force he used kept increasing to the point that he was putting a large amount of force onto my left arm (the same side where I have a pace maker)

The way that I was handled by the security guard was over the top since I was complying even though there was nothing done to justify being removed from the public gallery. Even with the explanation to the guard that I have a pacemaker and the way he was handling me could seriously cause issues with my heart condition he did not listen and kept using excessive force until I was in the hallway outside of the public gallery.

Things started to escalate outside of the gallery when the chanting kept continuing which turned into four Parliamentary security guards using pain compliance in the stairwell on one of the young people who were chanting. This resulted in his face being smashed into the marble floor causing his nose to be injured and blood to pour out onto the halls of Parliament.

The guards had then removed the young person who had four guards onto of him and escorted five other young people downstairs to be detained. Being one of the five who were being escorted downstairs I was yet again aggressively handled by Parliament security to the extent of almost being thrown down the stairwell which also resulted in ripping the back of the dress shirt that I had worn that day since I had arranged a meeting with a Prince Edward Island senator. If this was how they handle those who are complying I would not like to see how they would treat people who were resisting.

After being detained for a few hours they had released us to a RCMP peace office but there were no charges laid and then Ottawa municipal officers had laid a $65 “Refusing to Exit When Asked” charge on us even thought it was impossible to exit while there was six Parliament security guards ontop of one young person blocking the exit in the stairwell.

Once we were released from the detainment we were escorted out to the back exit of Parliament and were told that we were not allow back on the grounds since it would be tresspassing. There was a CBC camera crew waiting at the back for when we were released but no other news channels, while walking out we were met with others who were also in the public gallery but wer not detained.

Here are the many CBC videos including being on the CBC Power & Politics show and following media storm including the terrible reporting which focuses on the blood and not the issue that Canada being an international blockage to addressing climate change.

Was the protest useful to creating more awareness of Canada’s role at the upcoming United Nations Summit? Maybe maybe not but there was more media coverage of the Climate Change Accountability Act in two days than there was in three years. Maybe this will start the process of Canadian’s asking why we are being represented this way at the UN Climate Change negotiations.

Tagged: Adam MacIsaac, Canada, Canada's Climate Change Plan, Climate Change, Climate Justice, COP15, Dave Vasey, Environment Minister Jim Prentice, Eriel Deranger, Jeh Custerra, Jim Prentice, Parliment Hill, Power & Politics, Question Period, UNFCCC, Youth Disruption

 Since arriving back in Canada after the UNFCCC Bangkok meeting I found myself with grabbing two hours of sleep then catching an early morning train from Montreal to Ottawa to spend the week meeting with various MP’s to express my concern on Canada’s role through the UNFCCC process so far. With much excitement I had two meetings with Canada’s lead climate change negotiator Michael Martin in the short span of two days which also was followed up with meeting with the Canadian Environment Minister Jim Prentice. While the meetings with Michael Martin were more informal and had allowed for some updates from the Major Economies Forum which happened recently in London, the reported story of the G77 walk out in Bangkok and actually sharing some well wishes to Mr. Martin since the second meeting actually landed on his Birthday. Earlier on in the day the lead negotiator was present as a witness to the Bill C-311 committee who will decide if Canada will have ambitious emission reductions before the conference in Copenhagen or keep on their current path of week emission targets of 3% 1990 levels.

With having a fully packed week it would seem like the obvious thing to do would be to relax on the weekend to allow for some time to reflect on the busy week since returning to Canada, but that would not actually be possible with the largest Canadian youth gathering happening in Ottawa, Ontario. Power Shift Canada will begin today and run until Monday bringing over 1,000 youth from all of the provinces and territories in Canada providing workshops, flash mobs, entertainment and of course the 350.org International Day of Action on October 24th. There will be many opportunities for Canadian youth to learn more about the issue of climate change, how the UNFCCC process works, what Canada’s current position means for creating an ambitious, fair and legally binding outcome in Copenhagen and or course just a lot of general fun. Be sure to keep your eyes open online for all the content that will be created this this weekends event in Ottawa.

Tagged: 2009, Alberta, Canada, Climate Change, Climate Justice, Environment, Environment Minister, Environment Minister Jim Prentice, Global Warming, International Youth Climate Movement, Jim Prentice, Power Shift Canada, UNFCCC, United Nations, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Youth