Read the Gazette article here.

Several members of the Halifax delegation wrote letters to the editor regarding the feature. Not all of them made it to print this week, so for your reading pleasure…

To whom it may concern,

Firstly, I’d like to congratulate the Gazette on what I think have been the best
issues I have seen since I began attending Dalhousie in 2007. I look forward to
picking up a copy (or reading it online) every week. I was particularly looking
forward to the coverage of Power Shift 2009, which I was fortunate to attend.
When I heard a Gazette writer was joining us on the trip to Ottawa and would be
writing an article I was excited about the coverage that climate issues would be
receiving.

I was not impressed, to put it mildly. There are several elements of the feature
that are either misleading, or outright false. I’d like to address them.

Mr. Tichinoff states that ‘hundred of youth protesters gathered on Parliament
Hill on Oct. 26…’ The actual number is estimated to be as much as 3,000
people and consisted of individuals from every generation and background. I saw
parents with young children, the elderly, as well as a large youth population
participating in the most organized and well-attended rally I have ever had the
pleasure of taking part in. He states that ‘The time-worn words and catch
phrases speakers spewed from the stage were met with a tepid response from the
crowd.’ I can assure you the response was anything but tepid. I was in the
front portion of this rally for the entire duration, and I have never felt more
energized and ready to make a difference than I did in those moments on
Parliament Hill. To see the mass of Canadians taking a stance on such a cold,
miserable day was inspiring. Additionally, Mr. Tichinoff should check his facts
as the international day for action on climate change was October 24th, not the
26th as he stated.

I would like to bring attention to the fact that the ONLY student quote in the
entire article is from a misinformed McGill delegate and serves no purpose
other than to diminish the incredible work the speakers at the opening
ceremonies have done over the course of their lives. Perhaps he should have
taken the time to read the Power Shift website? Who was he expecting – Al Gore?
Leonardo Dicaprio? “Eco-celebrities”? I can’t even express how angry I am that
this statement was included and how insulting it is to the people who spoke and
have dedicated their lives to environmentalism.

Mr. Tichinoff states that ‘Disinterested reporters and photographers milled
around the stage. However the rally saw little coverage in the mainstream
media.’ I assume he would count himself among the disinterested reporters, as
is evident from the tone of the article. Additionally, he is factually
incorrect with the second statement. The rally received national media
attention from CTV, CBC, and Global. If the author would like references I am
more than willing to provide.

‘Power Shifters wandered the concrete and glass campus, clutching their
schedules, looking about in bewilderment. Not everyone received a map of the
campus.’ I would like to point Mr. Tichinoff to page 12 of the Power Shift
program guide that every registered delegate received when checking in. On this
page is a detailed map of the University of Ottawa campus. Perhaps he misplaced
his guide? Of course delegates in a new university will be confused by their
new environment, just as a tourist in an unknown city would be. Mr. Tichinoff
is correct to state that the workshops were highly informative, but I question
how he would know the depth of them considering he left our mandatory lobbying
strategy session early the night before we were to meet with our MPs and
senators. When it came time to hand back Parliamentary security clearance forms
with the names of delegates who would be meeting with representatives we were
left to say ‘Where is Joel?’

‘The disturbance made national headlines. It was the only significant media
attention the conference received. Many Dalhousie delegates were uncomfortable
with the coverage.’ I find it troubling that Mr. Tichinoff would choose to make
such a bold statement without any student quotes. But then again, he did not
talk to us much. I was one of the many youth removed from question period
during the protest. While I did not actively participate in the protest (I was
simply in the same gallery from which everyone was removed), I was far from
‘uncomfortable with the coverage.’ I am not ashamed of what happened in
Parliament. It only shows how frustrated the climate movement is with our
government. Protests such as the one that occurred during question period need
to happen to bring issues to the forefront, which is more than I can say for
this skewed article. Apart from three sentences near the end of the issue, the
reason why we were there in the first place is largely ignored.

To sum this all up, I am extremely disappointed with the Gazette for publishing
this shotty piece of journalism. I have a vested interest in protection of the
environment, as does every other individual on our planet. Climate change is
happening and it’s happening NOW. If our government fails to act, our children
and grandchildren will be suffering the repercussions. The only way to get our
government on board is through advocacy, education, and the power of our VOTE.
To see this article is disheartening. Instead of focusing on the issues and
scientific facts of climate change, the author chose to dwell on negativity and
cherry pick statements. I can assure you that this conference was an
overwhelming success and that the delegates I had the pleasure of meeting from
all across Canada – from the Yukon, to Alberta, to Newfoundland & Labrador -
left wanting to make a difference. Perhaps Mr. Tichinoff should have sought out
our opinions in addition to that of the McGill delegate at opening ceremonies
and the Montreal delegation at Fill the Hill. It would have provided a much
more balanced and accurate story.

Shame on Mr. Tichinoff for writing an article so fatalistic and skewed that it
insults the environmental movement and those of us who care enough to be part
of it.

Sincerely,

Maggie Lovett

Biology – 3rd year
SustainDal Executive
Powershift Recruitment Committee

Ch-ch-check it out.

Operation Wake Up! is broadcast live Monday to Friday from 8AM-9AM. Do yourself a favour and tune in!

On Saturday our day was filled with the hill. Fill the Hill was an event full of energy and passionate people who care about our future. This was the first time I was at the center of the political Canada in a place surrounded by power and ambition. Being the capital of Canada I though there would be more people in attendance than were there, but don’t get me wrong, I was still impressed by the numbers.

What I came home from Ottawa with were new skills, ideas and contacts for my own battle home in Mount Uniacke. I attended workshops that can help me organize the community, organized the assets in the community, and contacts with people near me who I hope can be a great asset to me. These new tools are going to pull our Long Lake project a long way hopefully. 

On Monday was what I consider the most productive day. This is when I learned more about communication and the power it holds. I’ve sent many letters to many people in my time. The recipients or more often, their secretaries send me back replies that say they care but are unable to do anything. Our correspondence with our local MP and a local Senator seemed to be more productive. They listened to us, and learned as well. They asked us what we wanted and took down notes as we briefed them on scientific facts. It felt as though our presence had much more power than simple letter writing.

I was sad to leave Ottawa on Monday as it felt like spending more time there could be used positively to encourage the government towards the healthier future. If I had to do it over again I would attempt to alleviate the confusion over appointments with government officials. Seemed that the communication between everybody could have been better. I would love to go next year if I’m able. Coming up with money was not easy for me so I’m not sure of the possibility for next year. I made lots of new friends, and skills on this weekend I tend to keep for long to come. Thanks for the great time!

Doug
My Blog
Photos on Flickr

It's a Climate Emergency on Parliament Hill.

What a powerful weekend. No other way to describe it. Every day was so jam packed, I didn’t have a moment to blog about it. I will assemble my (Maggie’s) thoughts in the next couple days and encourage other members of the Halifax group to do the same on here.

Meanwhile, Doug has already written a post over at his blog. Read it here.

No doubt you have read news stories about the disruption at Question Period in the house of commons on Monday. Four of us were in the gallery that was kicked out and I will share my perspective in the coming days.

The Halifax delegation for Power Shift Canada NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!!!! SO! We’re offering a fantastic evening of music and drinking for your enjoyment!

WHAT? A benefit concert

WHERE? The T-Room

WHEN? Thursday October 15th at 8:30 pm

COST? – ONLY $5!!!!!!!!!!

This is our LAST and biggest fundraising event!

Power Shift Halifax’s benefit concert will feature the following artists:

- Ana Vido

- Jason Szeto

- Luke Collins

- Chelsea Redmond

- Aaron Halcovitch

- Donald Rankin

-Takuya Ozawa

-Kris Osmond (with Parade Square)

-David Macmichael

This will be a relatively laid back night of mostly acoustic music with some optional dancing thrown in – and let’s not forget, cheap drinks as offered by our host, the T- Room. So bring a crowd of friends and chill out to some great tunes knowing you’re supporting a fantastic cause!

HOW DO I GET TO THE T-ROOM!?

- JUST south of the Spring Garden/Barrington intersection, you’ll see a 1970s-esque circular building.

- The T-Room is inside.

- Go there.

*** Unfortunately this event is 19+ ***

You can take pride in contributing so a stronger, cleaner, smarter future for today’s youth!

http://powershifthalifax.chipin.com/help-send-the-power-shift-halifax-delegation-to-ottawa

Thanks!

This December, I will have the honour of representing Sierra Club Canada at the 15th UN Conference of the Parties in Copenhagen, Denmark. This round of climate negotiations is of vital importance since governments of the world will come together to sign a new international climate treaty. The current global climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, created legally binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for industrialized countries, and has been implemented with varying degrees of success around the world.

Emily outside of environment minister Jim Prentice's office.

You may or may not be surprised to learn that Canada has an abysmal record when it comes to action on climate change. Kyoto requires Canada to reduce our GHG emissions 6% below 1990 levels by 2012; however we’re currently approximately 25% over our 1990 level emissions! On top of that, the Canadian Delegation obstructed negotiations so successfully that Canada was named the Colossal Fossil by the international NGO community last year in Poznan, Poland. In other words, we were the worst country at the negotiations.

I was most disappointed by the realization that the Canadian Delegation was not representing the views of many Canadians; Canadians who understand that climate change will not only affect coastal, agricultural, and urban communities in Canada, but also developing countries that are poorly equipped to deal with it. Not only are Canadians being misrepresented at these negotiations, the Canadian Delegation actually held Canadians responsible for its inability to act on climate change, citing consumer habits (read: ‘Canadians love big trucks too much’) as a reason why they could not take a constructive role in the negotiations, causing them to play an obstructive role instead.

This is in spite of the fact that individual Canadians have taken actions big and small to stop climate change: industrial regulation and targets (things like a price on carbon, emission targets for vehicles and industry) are needed now. What is missing is leadership and will, not support from the Canadian public.
The lead up to Copenhagen is arguably as or more important than the negotiations themselves because it is our chance to tell our government a million times over that we need to do better, that we are running out of time.

We at Sierra Club need, and indeed the planet, need you to write a letter to your MP, MLA, city councillors and both the federal and provincial Ministers of Environment telling them that there is no time to waste, that we need to adopt aggressive targets in Copenhagen that will drastically reduce our emissions post-2012, somewhere on the order of 25-40% below 1990 levels by 2020. We need more green jobs, and more funding for renewable energy. We need you to tell them that nothing else will do.
For my part, I’ll be tracking daily developments in Copenhagen on the Sierra Club blog at www.sierraclub.ca/climatecrisis/. Stay tuned to find out what your government is doing on your behalf at the negotiations.

Where: Meet on the second floor at the Dalhousie SUB, then off to Split Crow, Peddler’s, Seahorse, Pogue Fado, and the Toothy Moose.

Price: Only fifteen dollars!!!!!

This includes cover, green hard hats in lieu of pub crawl tees (which are way cooler), and tons of fun.

Check out the facebook event!

The principles:

1.  Reduce Carbon Emissions Immediately
2.  Invest In Clean and Renewable Energy
3.  Create Effective Green Jobs
4.  Demonstrate a Commitment to Environmental Justice
5.  Demonstrate a Commitment to Managing a Sustainable & Clean Economy
6.  Lead Canada To Do Our Part To Build and Ratify a Strong and Progressive Global Climate Agreement In December 2009

Rank them online at the Powershift website.