Mightydrake/Wikimedia Commons
Environmental groups were celebrating, a climate champion in the Canadian Senate was optimistic, and one of the country’s highest-profile fossil senators appeared to be onboard after the country’s new climate accountability legislation, Bill C-12, cleared the House of Commons earlier this week and looked likely to receive Senate approval before Parliament shuts down for the summer.
The week had been shaping up as a last-minute moment for the bill, with speculation rampant that the minority Parliament will be dissolved for a federal election this fall. When a parliamentary session ends, all leftover legislation dies on the order paper unless it’s reintroduced in a subsequent session.
Climate groups had been pressing for C-12 to be strengthened and adopted. On Wednesday, they were cheering after the bill passed the House of Commons Tuesday night.
That’s a Nice Bill ‘Ya Got There, Canada
It really wouldn’t make one bit of difference if the bill “dies on the order paper” because it isn’t a binding contract that would penalize us in any way. It’s a nice bill, and Canada can say “we’re sorry” when it’s broken. Canada hasn’t reached any of its environmental targets in the past, and there isn’t anything forcing them to abide by this one. It just makes us feel good.
THREAD: How we can make #BillC12 a bold and ambitious climate law.#C12 is a new legislation that could finally help Canada meet all of its climate goals. But there’s a problem: it doesn’t actually hold the government legally accountable to targets.
It needs 3 key amendments👇 pic.twitter.com/To9KRqb1hM
— Leadnow (@leadnowca) January 27, 2021
A new study co-authored by NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), says Earth is warming much faster than expected, with the amount of trapped heat from the sun approximately doubling between 2005 and 2019. The 10 warmest years in the 141-year record have occurred since 2005, with the seven most recent years being the warmest.
Hunger, drought and disease will afflict tens of millions more people within decades and reports from the G7 get-together in June, saw other countries beside Canada making pledges. At the same time, Canada poured over $18 billion into supporting fossil fuel companies since the start of the pandemic. It seems they pretty well made a mockery over the IPCC reports.
Luckily, Steve Colbert may have found the best use for the G7.
Before I order these figures, does anyone know if you can take them out and play with them or are they glued to the display stand? pic.twitter.com/vLVS1QfjEa
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) June 12, 2021
The Climate Crisis we’re inevitably facing has already shown us we need more than promises to be accountable. They’ve only been a band-aide to console the public that action is taken seriously. Behind closed doors, the government has been entertaining fossil fuel lobbyists and doling out the dough to help support their rich, foreign owned companies. Meanwhile — the world suffers.