Dear Mr Harper

In response to your request for advice from Canadians on the budget, we urge you to consider our country’s most critical priority, survival, which indeed is the great issue for all humankind, and most of the world’s species who cannot speak for themselves.

Economic stimulation measures should have a significant environmental component, and greenhouse gas emission reductions must be the highest priority.

Dear Prime Minister,

Like other citizens concerned about the climate crisis, we are appalled at your decision to seek prorogation (the second time!), thus depriving opposition MPs who want to raise this crucial issue of the opportunity to do so. Especially with the failure of the Copenhagen Conference to reach a binding agreement, and your government’s failure to give positive leadership, MPs have plenty to say and ask.

Prime Minister, Minister of the Environment and all MPs

The Copenhagen meetings are going on right now, and the federal government’s position continues to disgrace us. Polls indicate that a good majority of Canadians want strong action on climate change, do not want to wait for the Americans, and do not believe that the economy should be an excuse for inaction.

Dear MPs

We note that your government has abandoned the “controversial” intensity targets on greenhouse gas emissions.

Yet we continue to be appalled that the Canadian negotiating team is going to the Copenhagen meetings with the shamefully low target of 3% reductions (based on 1990 levels).

Dear Mr Ignatieff

We were very pleased to see Liberal support, and your own, for the Bloc motion on absolute reduction targets in greenhouse gas emissions of 25% by 2020, based on 1990 levels. This would appear to be a new commitment on your part, as you never signed the KYOTOplus pledge.

We would appreciate your confirming this commitment, especially since your recent speech at Laval University omitted mention of numerical targets.

Prime Minister

We were naturally pleased that you have finally announced that you would attend at least part of the Copenhagen meetings on climate change in December. We remained concerned, however, with your failure so far to announce a commitment to absolute as opposed to intensity-based reductions. We urge you to make a firm commitment to 25% reductions at least in greenhouse gas emissions, based on 1990 levels.

Dear Liberal MPs

    We are appalled by the remarks of the minister of the environment, Jim Prentice, excusing inaction by Canada on climate change for the next number of years. But we have seen nothing from the LPC to indicate that you would do any better.

Dear Prime Minister and all Conservative MPs

As Canadians we are appalled at the position the Canadian government has taken on the climate crisis. We expect that Canada, with our privileged position, would be giving leadership. Instead it is undermining the efforts of other governments who are addressing conscientiously the greatest challenge we face as inhabitants of Planet Earth.

Dear Prime Minister

We are appalled by the remarks of the minister of the environment, Jim Prentice, justifying Canada's inaction on climate change for the next number of years. He (and you) seem to be unaware of the urgency of swift action. Mounting scientific evidence indicates that polar ice is melting faster than predicted, and global warming proceeding faster. This is no time to relax.