Our MP's have worked hard over the last few months to hammer out a new piece of legislation in the fight against climate change. The Clean Air Act contains tough new provisions for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from industry and vehicles. Unfortunately, unless the Conservative government brings the bill back before the House for a vote, it will die on the order paper 
VTACC developed a do-it-yourself Valentines Campaign kit in which we subtly modified classic Valentines to send a call for action on climate change. Each kit contained cards addressed to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Environment Minister John Baird, and Liberal leader Stéphane Dion and, of course, a card that could be addressed to any MP, to ensure that everyone on Parliament Hill was included!
This was VTACC's inaugural event, which we planned because of frustration over lack of government action on climate change. The BC government's decision to build two new coal fired power generating plants was the last straw, and provided the catalyst for us to form VTACC: Voters Taking Action Against Climate Change.
Global Warming: More than Hot Air?
Dr. David Chapman,
Professor of Geophysics, Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Utah
Tuesday, February 5th, 7 pm
Canadian Memorial United Church
What do we know? What do we not know? What can we do? What should we do?
We know from weather station records that Earth's surface temperature has increased on average by 0.8 oC in the last 100 years. Proxy records suggest an average increase of 1.2 oC since the industrial revolution with polar regions warming much more. Sea level is increasing and the outer layer of Earth is accumulating heat energy. We know also that planet Earth has an atmosphere that creates a natural greenhouse effect, keeping our surface warmer than it would otherwise be. Human activities are substantially increasing the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide and methane, to levels far above those that have existed for the past 600,000 years.
We do not know, on the other hand, all the details of our complex climate system sufficiently well to predict the exact consequence of greenhouse gas increases on global temperature. Should we wait for greater certainty about global warming or should we take steps immediately to stabilize possible climate change?
Global trends suggest that allowing "business as usual" is a risky path. World population is approaching 6.7 billion and may rise to 9 billion in the lifetimes of our children. Much of the population growth will be in developing countries with a natural desire for an increased standard of living. That living standard increase, according to current examples, comes with increases in per capita energy consumption. Because 90% of society's energy presently is produced by burning fossil fuels, the inevitable population increase and drive towards higher standard of living simultaneously aggravates the enhanced greenhouse gas condition and, with it, global warming.
There is an alternate path. We could unleash our engineering, economic, and political entrepreneurs to improve energy conservation and efficiency and move us towards greater use of renewable energy sources. Technology and training in energy efficiency and use of non polluting fuels could allow developing nations to skip the carbon intensive energy production stage of industrialization. Such a path would simultaneously reduce excessive consumption in developed countries and provide conditions that would bring worldwide population growth under control. Global warming may be the "smoke alarm" that pushes us to action.
Global Warming as Spiritual Crisis and Opportunity
Bruce Sanguin,
Minister, Canadian Memorial United Church
February 19th, 7 pm,
Canadian Memorial United Church
The state of our planet is a reflection our spiritual life as a species. The modern and postmodern world views have voided the cosmos and creation itself of any inherent meaning, purpose, or significance except as a commodity for consumer culture. A dialogue between science and spirituality may help us to become re-enchanted with creation as a sacred mode of presence. A spirituality of awe and wonder can provide the spiritual foundation and energy to engage in the Great Work of repairing our planet.
Lessons for the Future from Canada's Climate Policy Failures
Dr. Mark Jaccard,
Professor of Resource Environmental Management at SFU
March 4th, 7 pm,
Canadian Memorial United Church
Canada's climate change policies have been a disaster. Since 1988 the country has made three commitments to reduce greenhouse gases and implemented six different policies, with no success. This talk explains the causes of this policy disaster and shows the only way to fix it. In brief, without policies that make the emitting of greenhouse gases expensive, emissions will not fall. Canadian politicians need to tell Canadians the truth: if we want to reduce the climate risk, we must have a tax or an economy-wide regulated limit on greenhouse gas emissions and need it immediately.
