Deeper Shade of Green

Dear Mr. Moore,

I am an ordinary citizen of your riding that is very much concerned with the threat of Climate Change and what it will mean to our economy, environment and how it will affect my children’s future.

I have been following the environmental regress of the Conservative party ever since your party came to power. I have also been keenly observing what has transpired in Bali. And I would like some answers as to where the Conservative government really stands. On one hand you tout these seemingly impressive goals, such as the reduction in emissions in “Turning the Corner” policy announced in April of 2007, and on the other hand you deceive the public by hiding the details of the said plan (20% reduction from 2006 levels, not 1990). Incidentally, “Turning The Corner” has been shred to pieces by every environmental agency, by Mr. Al Gore himself and it is known that even the modest goals you set forth in that policy cannot be attained with the plan of action you have laid out.

The Conservative members never make themselves available when called upon to explain their environmental plan. What have you got to be afraid of if you truly believe your plan is good for Canadians? Any good plan should be able to withstand some degree of scrutiny. The public has the right to engage with their elected leaders and ask questions on such important issues as Climate Change. Instead, your party has consistently boycott every initiative undertaken to curtail the threat of Climate Change and what happen in Bali was downright ridiculous – with Minister Baird misrepresenting Canadians, having been sent to Bali with clear instructions to boycott the process, and slipping out of conferences so as to avoid scrutiny. I am utterly ashamed to call myself Canadian after what happened in Bali.

The conservatives are not representing what Canadians truly want. We want clean energy, we want clean air, water, land. It starts by halting further expansions of the tar sands and eventually eliminating them. It starts by working with other countries on lowering our emissions. It stars with Carbon taxes, incentives for energy efficient products and for taxing heavy polluters. Stop sleeping in the same bed as the oil industry and start leading the country on a path of sustainability. The science is there. Even leading economists agree: time to take real action is now, lest we suffer severe economic consequences.

I eagerly await your reply. Please refrain from sending me a boilerplate answer – I am not interested in those. I can read that online from the conservative party’s website. I want to know how you plan to represent my concerns and those of my neighbours, friends and colleagues at the parliament. Unless you haven’t noticed, there is a rising concern over the issue of climate change and a rising dissent towards what the conservative party is doing about it.

Sincerely,

Peter Endisch Jr.
Coquitlam, B.C