Commonwealth Conference 2009 Harper continues to bury his head in the tar sands

PEJ News - Joan Russow - Global Compliance Research Project - It must be difficult for him to face developing states from the Commonwealth. But perhaps before he leaves he will have an epiphany--he will agree to the following: because of the global urgency, there must be the political will to strive to contain the rise in temperature to less than 1°C above pre-industrial levels. And strict time frames must be imposed, so that overall global emissions will begin to be reversed as of 2010. There must be a target of 30% below 1990 levels by 2015, 50% below by 2020, 75% by 2030, 85% by 2040 and 100% below by 2050, while adhering to the precautionary principle, the differentiated responsibility principle, and the fair and just transition principle. Perhaps he will sign on to the global climate change Copenhagen petition. See Enclosed.

www.PEJ.org

Please Sign the petition
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/global-climate-change-copenhagen-petition

Highlights:

* Time-bound phasing out of fossil fuels and of subsidies for fossil fuels, and to prohibit any and all extraction of oil from bitumen, such as that now in progress in the Canadian tar sands.

* Crucial post IPCC AR4 science must be formally tabled to be included in the science base of the Copenhagen Climate Conference.

* Commit to a time-bound commitment to conservation, inclusive of water and carbon sinks and to subsidizing and investing in socially equitable and environmentally safe and sound renewable energy, transportation, agriculture, forestry, etc. options, that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

* Commit to the transition to a zero carbon society which should meet the needs of all nations and people in an equitable fashion and should be based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, human rights and social justice.

* Abandoning the models of exponential growth, and of over-consumptive development with the implementation of a global ban imposed on the externalization of the social and environmental costs of global pollution.

* Adherence to the precautionary principle, the differentiated responsibility principle, and the fair and just transition principle.

* Phase-out biofuel and nuclear energy and end the subsidizing and incentives of biofuel, fossil fuels and of nuclear energy.
* The reallocation of resources committed to military purposes and to transfer the peace dividend to seriously address the urgent issue of climate change and other serious sustainable development issues.

* Withdraw any occupation of another State, and will converting military bases on foreign soil. The funds raised from the demilitarization process will be used in part to set up a fund for the implementation of the UNFCCC.

* Propose that in Copenhagen, given the urgency of the issue of climate change, and its potential effects on the global population and on the political, economic, ecological and social global systems, that the requirement for consensus must be waived, and a binding agreement on all States will be deemed to exist, if 66% of the States concur.

* The redirecting of subsidies from socially inequitable and environmentally unsound non-sustainable energy to socially equitable and environmentally safe and sound renewable energy, transportation, agriculture, forestry, etc.

* Advocate measures to alleviate the impacts of climate change, two of which would include (1) the cancellation of the outstanding debt of developing States, and (2) the implementation of the minimal long-standing commitment of 0.7% of GDP being transferred to the Overseas Development Aid (ODA).

* Under common law, such as the following: Canadian common law provides useful guidance. Environmental negligence suits focus on compensation for loss caused by unreasonable conduct that damages legally protected interests. Unreasonable conduct means doing something that a prudent or reasonable person would not do, or failing to do something that a reasonable person would do.

* Stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent any further dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. This level equates to a target global average temperature increase of below 1%C, (Even reaching Bill Hare’s 1C target would leave ice melting more than it is at present.) which is the point at which global systems on land, water and air will be so affected as to create vicious feedback cycles and destabilize many ecosystems and human societies.

* Impose strict time frames so that overall global emissions will begin to be reversed as of 2010. There must be a target of 30% below 1990 levels by 2015, 50% below by 2020, 75% by 2030, 85% by 2040 and 100% below by 2050.


MORE INFORMATION ON OUR SUBMISSION TO THE COPENHAGEN CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE: http://www.climatechangecopenhagen.org/

PETITION READ ON
http://www.youtube.com/user/globalcompliance