The International Climate Summit in Copenhagen is over and, regrettably, no binding deal was made. For a laugh, I highly recommend this little gem of a summary on what transpired in Copenhagen.
One of the better perspectives I have read on the negotiations is from Vancouver urban planner Stephen Rees who reminds us that we should not wait for politicians to make changes. Climate leadership can come from cities; after all, 85% of Canada’s population lives in a city. This was one of the points I was hoping to make with this panel discussion. If you live in Vancouver, the best action you can take is to encourage and support the commitment that Vancouver has made to be the greenest city in the world. And if you live in some other city, then let them know what Vancouver is doing and challenge your mayor and council to take us on. As Andrea Reimer said in the panel discussion: “we’d be happy to get the pants beat off us if somebody was trying to be even greener.”
I am a man on a mission to create a world that I will be proud to pass on to my son. I use every tool at my disposal toward this task: words, images, technology, education, relationships. We must act now because the need is great! 