Compassionate human being and informed citizens the world over are looking on at the current health care 'debate' in the US (and I use the term debate in the loosest way possible) with something akin to slack jawed disbelief.
The American health care system - if you could call whatever is going on down there a system at all - ranks as the world's most expensive while delivering close to the worst service in the developed world and insurance/pharmaceutical industry interests are working overtime to scare Americans into the ill-founded belief that health care coverage is somehow bad for them.
Canada has been a prominent target in that fearmongering, but now Canadians have a chance to voice their views. Avaaz.org has launched a petition aimed at US legislators that debunks the lies being told about the Canadian system, and urges them to make their decisions based on facts.
Visit Avaaz to add you name. They're fast approaching their goal of 50,000 signatures, and every voice counts.
US President Obama met with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper late last week in Ottawa. Following their brief meeting the two North American leaders outlined three main priorities for their bilateral relationship — working together to restore economic growth, a commitment to stabilize Afghanistan, and yes, a new initiative on environmental protection.
Indeed, in the lead up to yesterday's face-to-face Harper's statements about the environment were almost urgent. The Globe and Mail reported that,
"Mr. Harper said Mr. Obama's presidency is ushering in a new era of North American co-operation against climate change after George W. Bush's inaction held back Canada's ability to tackle greenhouse-gas emissions."
Perhaps like yourself, the statement above did not quite line up with my memories of Harper's foot dragging and general denial of climate change. But I am open minded, and to that end I took a quick survey of past Conscious Earth posts related to Harper and the environment. Maybe I remembered his track record wrong....
- May 30th, '06: The Flogging of Corn Cob Bob
- Jun 14th, '06: Feds Refuse to End Oil & Gas Subsidies
- Aug 30th, '06: Harper's Head in the Smog
- Oct 6th, '07: Conservatives Rhetoric Announces An End of Rhetoric
- Nov 6th, '07: Harper Snubs EU, Cancels Summit
- Nov 7th, '07: Tories Recognize Global Warming...When it Suits Them
- Dec 15th, '06: Harper Plans Green Sham III
- Jan 5th, '07: Harper Names New Environmental Salesman
- Jan 9th, '07: Voters Won't Buy McHarper's Green Plan
- Jan 17th, '07: Tories Solve Global Warming....Conservative Style
- Jan 22nd, '07: Harper Sucks the Voters Green Thumb
- Jan 25th, '07: Canada Takes Heat from UK on Climate
- Jan 31st, '07: Harper Shoots His Own Foot in "Battle of Kyoto"
- Feb '09, 07: The Greenest Thing About Baird is His Tie
- Feb 15th, '07: Tories Embarrassed (Again) As Opposition Passes Pro Kyoto Bill
- Sep 7th, '07: Leaders Agree to Aspire to Stop Global Warming
- Sep 20th, '07: Canada Faces Lawsuit Over Kyoto Failure
Nope, guess not.
Apologies for the lack of of '08 postings. I felt the need to spend some time out of country following the Conservative's overwhelming "progress". Still, there was some promise to the initial dialogue between Obama and Harper including plans for greater collaboration on carbon sequestration and employing smart grid technology to the electricity infrastructure. However, the ultimate success of these initial talks will depend on how rapidly and aggressively the new president implements a cap and trade system on carbon, and how those regulations would apply to imported energy from Canada's tar patch.
Time will tell. In the mean time, here's a photo compilation from the Conscious Earth posts listed above.
With a vote on Obama's stimulus package schedule for tonight, the President spoke with the same conviction and passion that had driven his campaign in calling for a stop to obstructionism and the status quo.
Obama pointed to the early success in passing equal pay legislation and child health care legislation while coming down hard on Republicans who advocate "the same tired arguments and worn ideas that helped to create this crisis."
See the highlights here:
More coverage is availabe in the full clip of the President's address from yesterday. Well worth the watch:
Has a new era truly begun? The clarity of direction and concrete details being issued by President-Elect Obama would certainly indicate it.
In a video address, Obama committed to putting the US back at the climate change negotiating table and to begin playing the role as leader that they always should have. He's promising a federal cap and trade system with targets to bring US emissions down to 1990 levels by 2020 and to reduce them a further 80% after that.
"Few challenges facing America, and the world, are more urgent than combating climate change. The science is beyond dispute and the facts are clear. Climate change and our dependence on foreign oil, if left unaddressed, will continue to weaken our economy and threaten our national security."In the lead up to the announcement, 350.org created a global petition to urge Obama to join other countries and bring atmospheric CO2 down to 350 ppm - the level generally agreed to be sustainable and safe by world experts. Powered by Biro Creative - a talented shop here in Vancouver who also helped in our recent landslide win for new mayor Gregor Robertson - the petition drive uses an interactive "Get on the Globe" world map that asks supporters to sign on, send the new President a letter, and upload their own supporter videos and pictures to promote action on climate change. The effort led to nearly 50,000 sign ups.
Add your name to the Globe, and see Obama's announcement below.
The Boston Globe has an excellent photo compilation honouring the next President of the United States.
Congratulations USA.
The United States is on the verge of history today and at the polls they are making it already. News reports from around the country are predicting the highest voter turnout in more than a century as 80% or more of all registered voters are lining up at the polls.
People are not lazy. They’re not apathetic. And if there is a lesson to take away from today it has to do with the quality of the individual who chooses to run for office. People care about politics everywhere, and they’re waiting for the smallest sign of leadership, direction, and a vision of tomorrow that is better than what we have today.
It’s the failure of our parties and representatives to offer that hope that keeps people from the polls, not a flaw in the voters themselves.
Enjoy today’s moment in history, and work to bring a part of it to your country and your community.
While the Federal Liberals took a step further into the leadership void today, political junkies can fall back on some good news south of the border. The big news out of the US this weekend was the unequivocable endorsement of the Obama campaign by Gen. Colin Powell.