Friday, August 18, 2006

Where Canadians can't learn about climate change

A Reuters piece circulating the regular media features a short list of "links to Web sites of governments, climate experts, environmental groups and companies with tips for lifestyle changes to cut individuals' use of oil, coal and natural gas."

Most of the links - the US EPA, the European Community, WWF, etc - contain the usual list of recommended personal actions like cycling rather than driving, etc.

You'll notice that for Canada, there is only a link to the government's GHG emissions calculator. Why no tips for personal action from Canada?

The Conservative government dismantled the climate change site. People hoping to visit what was a highly regarded site explaining the science of climate change are now told their interest in "the important issue" is appreciated, and directed to Environment Canada's Green Lane site, where the climate change page contains an Orwellian message that, as previously reported, does not actually mention climate change.

By contrast, the UK Conservative party is pushing for action on climate change through a new transportation policy.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The reason that web site was dismantled: it was a joke. Please take your defensive sheelds off.

Liberals started Loose a Tone compain. Headlining the compain was Rick Mercer, well known CBC comic. If anybody, environmental/GCC activists should be mad at Canadian Liberal Party. First, they signed Kyoto without any public consultation. Second, they made GCC a joke. Third, during last election. Paul Martin went to the GCC conference and publicly critisized Bush. This is at the time when US is doing much more in reduction of GG emissions than Canada, or for that case any of the Western European countries.

A regular person has very good BS detector. I have already mentioned before: scientists lost a lot of credibility. More they push for political influence, more an ordinary person looks to stick it the them.

Simon Donner said...

Fine, people can dislike the One Tonne Challenge (OTC) ads that featured Rick Mercer. We're all TV and movie critics.

That's not the issue. Not only was the OTC web site dismantled, the Environment Canada web pages explaining the science of climate change, that has been there long before the TV ads, seem to have also disappeared.