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The climate crisis is more important than partisan politics!

Our winner-take-all political system punishes parties that try to bring forward long term solutions to serious problems.

This is especially the case with any party that wants to introduce tough, effective policies to fight global warming, because other parties eager for a chance at power will aways offer the public lower cost solutions or suggest that the problem can be put off till later.

In the absence of a clear and present danger, voters may take up such offers at election time. If bold measures will be undercut by other parties and rejected in the ballot booth, why would any party want to stick its neck out? They haven’t, and the result to date has been a series of promises, platitudes and targets that have done nothing to stem the rise in emissions in Canada.

Unfortunately, we can’t wait for more serious impacts of global warming to reveal themselves before political parties start working together. Scientists tell us that we need to reduce emissions today, before the worst effects of climate change show themselves, because those changes may be irreversible. If we are to leave our children with a planet like the one we have now, we have to demand a new kind of politics in Ottawa.

Canada needs a climate coalition government.

It is not unknown for governments to put aside political differences in times of crisis, invite participation from the best and brightest of all parties, and work in co-operation for the good of the country. Canada needs the equivalent of a war time cabinet today if it is to successfully confront the climate crisis.

Our next government must make non-partisan collaboration on the development of climate policy one of its core principles; in return, all the other parties must agree that this policy is off the table as an election issue. Canadians should expect nothing less from any party that wishes to participate in future governments.

We think that a minority government where the Liberals share power with the NDP, Bloc and Green Parties (and concerned Conservative MP's) would be the best possible outcome in this election for action on climate change.

Progressive minority governments have been the source of courageous policies in the past, and they can play that role with climate policy as well. If you want to help create that government, please get involved.

Canadians are way ahead of politicians in recognising the importance of non-partisan collaboration on climate policy. If you support that approach to fighting global warming, please sign this petition and circulate it to your friends.

Political leaders: inspire us with your vision of a post carbon society!

Canadians need to rally around a compelling vision of what we can be and what we can achieve. It is the role of political leaders to mobilise us to start radically reducing emissions. That won’t happen with the announcement of emission reduction targets or stand alone policies. We need a bold plan for the transition to a post-carbon society that is fair, just and sustainable.

We don’t see any compelling visions coming out of our political parties yet, but we do see some interesting ideas proposed elsewhere that we hope will inspire our federal leaders:

• Al Gore’s strategic challenge to the US to produce 100 percent of its electricity from renewable, carbon free sources of energy within ten years;
• The call by Andy Grove (The former head of Intel Corporation ) for auto makers to develop “open source” designs for the conversion of automobiles to electric power, so that 10 million cars can be converted by consumers in 4 years;
• The “Green New Deal” proposed by the New Economics Foundation, calling for the production of renewable energy in individual buildings and a “carbon army” employing hundreds of thousands in the UK in green collar, environmental reconstruction jobs;
• German MP Herman Scheer’s call for Canada to pursue a “second industrial revolution” led by decentralised power production and the creation of thousands of new green jobs.
• What vision of a low emission future for Canada has inspired you? Have you come across a bold plan to create a fair and sustainable society that you would like to see our political leaders support? Let us know, and we'll add it here!

Vision must be supported by effective policy.

Bold visions must be based on effective policies if they are to be realised. We've summarized recent thinking on key emission reduction policies here.