International leaders from business, science, arts join call to PM Harper
COPENHAGEN
,
Dec. 15
/CNW/ -
President Mikhail Gorbachev
and The Rt. Hon.
Kim Campbell
have joined prominent business leaders, scientists and artists calling on Prime Minister Harper to "dispel perceptions of defeatism" and to "rally the Canadian people" toward a clean energy economy in a joint letter delivered today.
The letter's authors point to the "considerable criticism" of
Canada
at international climate negotiations and urge the Prime Minister to recommit
Canada
to its historic international role. The signatories note that
Canada
is one of the world's top ten greenhouse gas emitters but also has "unparalleled potential" for clean energy. The authors warn
Canada
is "missing the economic opportunity of the twenty-first century."
Signatories to the initiative include:
Margaret Atwood
, Author;
Bill Becker
, Executive Director, US Presidential Climate Action Project;
Dr. Martin Beniston
, Director of the University of
Geneva
Institute of Environmental Sciences and IPCC author; Tzeporah Berman, Executive Director PowerUP
Canada
; The Rt. Honourable
Kim Campbell
; Neve Campbell, Actor; John Coo,
President Green Cross Canada
; Jean-Michel Cousteau, Oceans Future President; Louise Dennys, Executive Vice-President, Random House of Canada/Executive Publisher, The Knopf Random
Canada
Publishing Group;
President Gorbachev
, Founder Green Cross International; Luc Hardy, Venture Capitalist; Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon, Author;
Carl Honore
, Journalist and Author;
Dr. Mark Jaccard
, Environmental economist & IPCC author; Adam Koniuszewski, COO Green Cross International, Climate Change Task Force Project Leader; Adam Kreek, Olympic Gold Medalist;
James Hoggan
, author of Climate Cover-Up;
David Hughes
, President, Global Sustainability Research Inc; Avrim Lazar, CEO Forest Products Association of
Canada
;
Hunter Lovins
, President & Founder, Natural Capitalism Solutions; Yann Martel, Author;
Prof. Mohan Munasinghe
, Vice Chair IPCC-AR4;
Sarah Murphy
, Pfizer
Canada
; Joanne Photiades, Senior Manager BDC the Development Bank of
Canada
; Dr John Polanyi, Professor of Chemistry, University of
Toronto
, Nobel Laureate (1986);
John Roy
, Founder, RoyComm Group;
Clayton Ruby
, CM LLD, Canadian Lawyer;
Caroline Tison
, Executive Director, West Island Community Shares; Dr
Andrew Weaver
, Climate Scientist & IPPC author;
Bruce Westwood
, Founder, Westwood Creative Artists;
Ronald Wright
, author and Massey Lecturer.
Individuals can support this effort by sending their own letter at: http://www.climatechangetaskforce.org/campaign/view/13/Prime+Minister+Harper+-+Your+Finest++Moment%3F
The joint letter and list of signatories is at: www.powerupcanada.ca/press/2009/12/article135/
For further information: Tzeporah Berman, PowerUP Canada: 45 50 10 60 33; Adam Koniuszewski, Green Cross International: 41 79 417 87 97
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