Prime Minister Stephen Harper urged to honour the Kyoto Agreement

CANADA

20 December 2011

Environment Canada
Inquiry Centre 10 Wellington, 23rd Floor Gatineau QC K1A 0H3
Telephone: 819-997-2800 Toll Free: 1-800-668-6767 (in Canada only)
Facsimile: 819-994-1412 Teletypewriter: 819-994-0736
Email: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca

Dear Sir or Madam:

Recently I wrote the Prime Minister of Canada about the decision to remove Canada from the Kyoto Agreement. My correspondence can be read on the following web-site:

http://amnestynurses.blogspot.com/2011/12/prime-minister-stephen-harper-urged-to.html

I note

1 ) “Environment Canada is building on its accomplishments with the environment through credible science, effective regulations and legislation, successful partnerships, and high-quality service delivery to Canadians.
We support sound environmental decisions. We work to repair the damage of the past, to collect and pass on knowledge, and to develop, implement and enforce policies to prevent future issues. We also work to ensure that Canadians have a safe, clean and sustainable environment today, tomorrow and well into the future” Ref. http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=BD3CE17D-1

and;

2) Environment Canada and “Proactive Disclosure” has the following characteristics:
The Government of Canada is working hard to enhance the role of Parliament and the proactive disclosure of information so that Canadians are better able to hold Parliament, their government and public sector officials to account.” Ref: http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=390AF41B-1


The current scientific consensus is that safe carbon dioxide levels should be at or below 350 ppm. This is the level that existed globally before 1990. (CO2now.org. 2008) Safe levels compared to current levels (above 392 ppm ) are illustrated in the widget from CO2now.org and for ease of referral I re-published the widget on my blog with the approval of CO2now:

http://amnestynurses.blogspot.com/2010/01/click-to-get-your-own-widget.html

I am urging that Canada reverse their regressive step to abandon the Kyoto Agreement for the reasons summarized below:

1) a significant reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) is necessary to protect the global environment. The consensus is that safe global levels of GHG should be at pre-1990 levels.
2) a concerted global effort is required to reach the above goal.
(UNFCCC. Kyoto Protocol.)



May I please learn the scientific data and advice that you have provided the Prime Minister about the Kyoto Agreement? Where do you stand? If you do not act as an impartial, scientific and public voice to protect Canadians; who will?

Thank you for your help.

With best wishes,

Ken Agar-Newman


COPY: letters@timescolonist.com, denise.savoie@parl.gc.ca, elizabeth.may@parl.gc.ca,

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

TO: Prime Minister/Premier ministre

COPY: letters@timescolonist.com, denise.savoie@parl.gc.ca, elizabeth.may@parl.gc.ca, "Peter Kent, P.C., M.P."

Dear Mr Prime Minister:

Further to my letter addressed to you, I regret that I may not be following
protocol.


I have learned that the Prime Minister is responsible for Canada's plan to pull out of
the Kyoto Agreement, and not the Honourable Peter Kent.

I am urging that Canada rescind the decision to pull out of the Kyoto
Agreement for the reasons summarized below:

1) a significant reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) is necessary to
protect the global environment. The consensus is that safe global
levels of GHG should be at pre-1990 levels.
2) a concerted global effort is required to reach the above goal.
(UNFCCC. Kyoto Protocol.)

What scientific data are you basing your decision on?


Thank you for your attention with this matter.

with best wishes,

Ken Agar-Newman


---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prime Minister/Premier ministre pm@pm.gc.ca
to: Ken Agar-Newman
cc: "Peter Kent, P.C., M.P."
date: Fri, Dec 9, 2011 at 10:21 AM
subject: Office of the Prime Minister / Cabinet du Premier ministre

Dear Mr. Agar-Newman:

Thank you for writing to the Prime Minister. In your e-mail, you raised an issue that falls within the portfolio of the Honourable Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment.

Please be assured that your comments have been carefully noted. I have taken the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to Minister Kent. I am certain that the Minister will wish to give your views every consideration.

For more information on the Government's initiatives, you may wish to visit the Prime Minister's Web site, at www.pm.gc.ca.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write.

M.F. Bustos
Manager/Gestionnaire
Executive Correspondence Services
for the Prime Minister's Office
Services de la correspondance
de la haute direction
pour le Cabinet du Premier ministre




-----------------------------------------------------------
CANADA
December 7 2011
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington St Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 e) pm@pm.gc.ca.
Dear Sir:
The Kyoto Protocol is an international mechanism to promote the net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from anthropogenic sources as well as promote sustainable development.

No scientific rational has ever been presented for Canada's failure to live up to the Kyoto and to now indicate the intention to pull out of the agreement. Do you intend to publicize your scientific evidence for removing Canada from this agreement?
I am urging that Canada rescind this decision to pull out of the Kyoto Agreement for the reasons summarized below:

1) a significant reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) is necessary to protect the global environment. The consensus is that safe global levels of GHG should be at pre-1990 levels.
2) a concerted global effort is required to reach the above goal. (UNFCCC. Kyoto Protocol.)

Explanation
The Kyoto Protocol met both of the above parameters. The Protocol fixed “binding” targets on the major GHG producing countries, including Canada over the five-year period 2008-2012. The Protocol also included differentiating targets for developed and developing countries. Canada signed (29 April 1998) and ratified (17 December 2002) the Protocol and it entered into force the 16 February 2005. (UNFCCC. 3 December 2007)

Tragically Canada has made little if any attempt to reach GHG reduction targets . (CBC. 14 February 2007)
It is no accident that Canada, when we signed the agreement, selected a target of below 1990 levels. The current consensus is that safe carbon dioxide levels should be at or below 350 ppm. This is the level that existed globally before 1990. (CO2now.org. 2008) Safe levels compared to current levels (above 392 ppm ) are illustrated in the widget from CO2now.org and for ease of referral I re-published the widget on my blog with the approval of CO2now:

http://amnestynurses.blogspot.com/2010/01/from-co2noworg.html

The fact of Canada's non-compliance with the Kyoto Protocol, without inter-governmental consequence, demonstrates the Kyoto Protocol binding mechanism is weak. I urge that in addition to adhering to this agreement your government push for binding consequences for failure to live up to the agreement.

Mulvey of the BBC offers a possible explanation for why Canada has been non-compliant to the Kyoto Protocol; “ No country wants to put its businesses at a disadvantage, so all have played safe, erring on the side of generosity when setting emission quotas for industry. “ (Mulvey,Stephen BBC )


I look forward to your attention to this very serious environmental situation.

With best wishes,

Ken Agar-Newman

Cc: the Times Colonist letters@timescolonist.com ; the NDP denise.savoie@parl.gc.ca ; the Green Party elizabeth.may@parl.gc.ca


References

CBC. 14 February 2007. Kyoto Protocol Canadian Time-line. 2010. From CBC Web-site accessed 2 January 2009;
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/kyoto/timeline.html

CO2now.org. 2008 . Accessed Co2.Now. Org website 2 January 2009;
http://co2now.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=52&Itemid=75

Mulvey,Stephen. BBC Reporter. BBC. 16 February 2005. EU leads Kyoto 'carbon revolution'

Accessed from BBC Web-page 2 January 2009;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4269021.stm

UNFCCC. 3 December 2007. Kyoto Protocol Status and Ratification. From UNFCCC Web-site accessed 2 January 2009;
http://unfccc.int/files/kyoto_protocol/status_of_ratification/application/pdf/kp_ratification_20091203.pdf

UNFCCC. Kyoto Protocol. undated web-page. From the UNFCCC Web-site accessed 2 January 2009;
http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php