Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist

The withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol of one of the world’s leaders in fighting climate change could weaken a new agreement far beyond the 2012 scope of the treaty.

By Stephen Leahy

TORONTO, Dec 2 (Tierramérica) – Much to the surprise of most Canadians and the world community, Canada is reneging on its international commitments under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which could weaken an international agreement to fight climate change after Kyoto expires in 2012.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, elected early this year, and the new environment minister, Rona Ambrose, have dismissed Canada’s Kyoto commitments for reducing greenhouse gases as impossible to achieve.

They have also cancelled a five-million-dollar pledge to help least developed countries adapt to the impacts of climate change and have withdrawn Canada’s participation and funding of the Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

“That’s totally irresponsible… It’s a slap in the face to the people of small island states and Inuit people of the North,” said Enele Sopoaga, permanent representative of Tuvalu to the United Nations. His small island country in the South Pacific is experiencing flooding due to rising sea levels.

“I am extremely frustrated by the double standards of industrialized nations. Canada criticizes other countries about their human rights policies or about the death penalty while they are playing with the lives of island people and the Inuit,” Sopoaga said in a Tierramérica interview.

– Complete “Kyoto Gets a Slap in the Face from Canada” story at Tierramerica

Quote of the Day:

“We’re finding more new species than known species,” says Ron O’Dor of the Census of Marine Life expeditions to Antarctica including the current exploration of region under the former Larsen B ice shelf.

Full story

Plumbing the Secrets of the Ocean Depths

now available

Hear the latest speeches and interviews with leading environmental thinkers such as Amory Lovins, David Suzuki, George Monbiot along with environmental news and features at Radio Ecoshock. Vancouver’s Alex Smith trolls the media world to find the best enviro talk and puts it together in a slick, professional format. And Smith’s enviro newscasts serves up latest enviro news with a light touch and silly sound affects.

Check it out here.