Climate Leadership from Within
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.”
Watch the full 45-minute discussion now and let me know what you think.
If you only have a few minutes, then watch this short 3-minute clip from the discussion.
11am: Saturday, December 12
Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch Promenade
(350 West Georgia St – map)
Join Ashley Webster and panelists Andrea Reimer, Emily Chan and Paul Lock for a discussion on climate change, Copenhagen and the potential for leadership from Canada’s cities.
Beginning this coming Monday, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen to, hopefully, replace the failed Kyoto Protocol with a new agreement to cut carbon emissions. Kyoto was largely unsuccessful because America, then the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, never ratified it, and China, now the world’s largest emitter, was not bound to any real reductions at the time the deal was made. And let’s not forget that while Canada signed the agreement, we have failed to honour it. That climate change is real and is being caused by humans is about the only thing that most people agree upon. Beyond that, it gets very complex and the public debate is rife with misconceptions and myths. If we are going to take serious action we urgently need to get clear on the facts of climate change, get beyond changing our light-bulbs, and get over the not very motivating idea that we need to live in the cold and the dark to save the planet.
Bring your questions: one member from the audience will be selected to join the panel on the merits of a question or comment submitted during the first half of the discussion. This event is being filmed for broadcast online and on Shaw Community television; details will be posted in the days leading up to the event. Please send me an email or follow me on twitter if you wish to be notified when broadcast details are available.
This panel discussion will kick off a full weekend of action including music, kids programming, speakers, theater, and a candle-light vigil - all at the Vancouver Public Library Central Branch.
Special thanks to the Climate Action Network, TckTckTck and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee for making this event possible.
Past Events
- Climate Leadership from Within
- The Vancouver Commons Episode 2: Citizen Engagement
- The Vancouver Commons Episode 1: Busker Idol
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! 
This was an excellent discussion with well spoken, thoughtful panelists. For many of us, the issue is not about whether there is a problem but moreso with what can we do today, and tomorrow and the next to begin to turn this around. Using energy more efficiently has just permitted us to have more stuff, bigger homes, and more cars parked in the driveway. I agree with Paul that the decisions we make have to be specifically targeting how we use less fossil fuel to day than we did yesterday and ultimately how to not use any at all.
There is change that I see – the most obvious one at our small town’s local supermarkets, where many shoppers are bringing their own green bags and the shoppers who walk out with the traditional plastic bags are starting to be in the minority. I can see in the next year such shoppers feeling the disapproving stares of those who’ve made the switch and ultimately finding it easier to go along.
I agree the argument that any attempt to solve this problem will be at the expense of our standard of living is a red herring. There is huge economic potential in this new technology and there will be green billionaires and whole industries driving the economy of towns and cities that we cannot yet even imagine.
But we will have to change what we value and how we assign value. We may have to walk to work, smell the morning air and greet our neighbours – and see in that value and an enviable standard of living worth changing for.
Excellent production – we congratulate all involved.