CCODP wants Harper to take aim at greenhouse gases

By DEBORAH GYAPONG
Canadian Catholic News
Ottawa

Development and Peace has joined humanitarian groups calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to recommit to the Kyoto Protocol in order to minimize the impact of global warming on vulnerable people in the developing world.

"UN reports have clearly shown that the impacts of global warming will fall disproportionately upon the poorest countries in the world by increasing the number of environmental disasters and placing at risk the health, livelihoods, and access to food and clean water of millions of already deprived people," said John Watson, president-CEO of CARE Canada.

"By walking away from its Kyoto commitment and delaying immediate action on climate change, the Canadian government is in fact undermining international efforts to reduce poverty, improve health and ensure environmental sustainabil-ity in poorer countries."

Watson's comments were contained in an Oct. 2 news release on the Development and Peace website www.devp.org.

The groups - including the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC), the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, CARE Canada, CUSO, Development & Peace, Mennonite Central Committee Canada, One Sky, Oxfam Canada, the United Church of Canada, USC Canada and World Vision Canada - wrote to Prime Minister Harper on Sept. 29.

They demanded "that Canada takes all necessary actions to meet its international commitments on climate change and to assist vulnerable populations in the developing world to cope with changes that are already occurring," said the release.

Global poverty

"Humanitarian groups fear that by delaying immediate action on climate change, the federal government is putting at risk the lives of millions of people in impoverished nations and is undermining efforts to end global poverty."

On Oct. 10, in Vancouver, Harper announced that his government would table Canada's first Clean Air Act when MPs returned to Ottawa Oct. 16.

The act would set out clear, consistent, national standards, Harper said, and would demand industry compliance.

Harper focused primarily on smog and poor air quality, but also said that smog and greenhouse gases could not be dealt with in isolation.

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