As Obama visits Canada, help fund an ad campaign asking him to press Harper on climate change
OTTAWA, CANADA (RushPRnews) 02/16/09-With George Bush out of office, Stephen Harper has lost his biggest ally in avoiding action on climate change. When Barack Obama visits Canada on Thursday, Harper will desperately try to push Obama to accept parts of his do-nothing climate plan.We need to make it clear to the American President that Canada’s citizens do not support their Prime Minister on this issue, and support Obama to take a firm position in telling Mr. Harper that the bad old days are over, and its time for both the US and Canada to act responsibly.
The media will be eagerly following Obama’s first international visit, so we’re publishing a big ad in the Washington Post on Wednesday (see right) to attract attention, clearly telling President Obama and the US media where Canadians stand. The ad will also be delivered directly to Obama’s climate advisor. We have just 36 hours to raise enough funds to place the ad. Since this is a message from Canadians, the more of us who donate and endorse it, the stronger its message will be. Click below to join in:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/canucks_to_obama/?cl=186666762&v=2880
2009 is THE make or break year for the earth’s climate. It will take every nation working at its best to mobilize fast enough to get a global treaty at the UN Copenhagen summit in December, and Canadians want to be part of the solution. But we’re stuck with a Prime Minister and an Environment Minister who are in the pocket of the oil industry, despite all their public claims to be green. On Thursday, Harper will likely offer guaranteed oil supplies to the US in return for Obama agreeing to exempt Canada’s tar sands oil (which pollutes 3-4 times as much as regular oil) from global regulation. Side deals like this will effectively kill the global climate treaty at Copenhagen that the world desperately needs.As Obama visits Canada, help fund an ad campaign asking him to press Harper on climate change: Take action now!
Obama is facing an uphill fight to get a progressive climate plan through in his own country, so we need to make sure that he doesn’t feel any need to make damaging deals with our Prime Minister. Most Canadians are not represented by our government, so on this most crucial issue and visit, we have to conduct our own diplomacy, and give President Obama the true message of Canadians for him on climate change.
With hope,
Ricken and the Avaaz Canada team
PS – here’s a link to reports on past Avaaz campaigns –
http://www.avaaz.org/en/report_back_2/
and here’s a link for background on Harper’s lobbying strategy for the Obama visit: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081105.wclimate1106/BNStory/National/home
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