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

How can we help government become more open and responsive?

How do we as citizens organize to get better outcomes ourselves?

These questions form the basis of a conference called Vancouver ChangeCamp happening on June 20.  A few weeks ago I sat down with Reilly Yeo and Steve Williams, two of the organizers, to talk about the event and public engagement more generally.  I begin this episode with a short reflection on the recent STV referendum because, after all, voting is the predominant form of citizen engagement.

Listen to the interview

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Credits: This episode was made using Creative Commons media. Bumper: “Songs of Triumph” by scottaltham, Ocean waves crashing by Luftrum, Urban herring gulls by acclivity, Road construction by Heigh-hoo

Have you found yourself listening to a really good busker and wishing there was some way, more than just tossing a loonie, to show your appreciation?  Well Karen Fung has and it led her to conceive of Busker Idol.

“Busker Idol encourages crowds to participate, à la American Idol, to vote for the best buskers in a variety of categories.” What’s more, Karen envisions a highly interactive system that lets street performers share their creations and build a fan base directly. In this way, we, the public, gain a more direct role in promoting art in Vancouver.

Listen to the interview

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Credits: This episode was made using Creative Commons media. Bumper: “Songs of Triumph” by scottaltham, Ocean waves crashing by Luftrum, Urban herring gulls by acclivity, Road construction by Heigh-hoo, Episode: Market / busker sounds by vedas