Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday April 23, 2016
In November 2015, the Federal Government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, signed the Paris Climate Change agreement, whereby Canada, amongst other countries,pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the extent that global temperature increases could be kept under two degrees.
You can check out this TED talk by Johan Rockstrom to get a clear understanding of the impending ecological crisis:
In this Globe and Mail article, the premier of Saskatchewan, Brad Wall, expressed concern that the provinces, members of the federation of Canada, have not been consulted.
Here is a Liberal MP speaking with the CBC about the need to ratify the Paris Agreement.
Using some of your new parliamentary literacy, answer the following question: Should Canada consult with the provinces before ratifying the Paris agreement and should Canada be doing more in terms of reducing emissions?
Answer using the comment section below or Twitter, Instagram, Vine, and/or other social media. Be sure to use the hashtag #cdnpoliDoNow. Be sure to use evidence from the sources provided and from your own research to support your claims.
For those keeping track of outcomes for your portfolio, here are some you may wish to address and provide evidence for:
Grade 9
Social Studies
- Give examples of ways in which government affects their daily lives. Examples: rights and freedoms, security, laws, education, health care, services…
- Describe Canadian parliamentary democracy. Include: constitutional monarchy, federalism, Governor General, Prime Minister, Cabinet, House of Commons, Senate.
- Describe the responsibilities and processes of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government.
- Be sensitive to the impact of majority rule on minorities and marginalized groups.
- Evaluate Canadian perspectives regarding current global issues.
- Give examples of Canada’s participation within international organizations. Examples: United Nations, Commonwealth, la Francophonie, Olympics…
- Evaluate implications of living in a consumer-based economy.
Science
- Develop a formula for domestic power consumption costs, and solve related problems.
ELA
- question and reflect on personal responses, predictions, and interpretations; apply personal viewpoints to diverse situations or circumstances
- acknowledge the value of others’ ideas and opinions in exploring and extending personal interpretations and viewpoints
- analyze and explain connections between previous experiences, prior knowledge, and a variety of texts [including books]
- obtain information and varied perspectives when inquiring or researching using a range of information sources [such as expository essays, books, radio and television transcripts, charts, tables, graphs, diagrams…]
ICT
- Discuss information, ideas, and/or electronic work using tools for electronic communication. (Examples: email, electronic whiteboards, web pages, threaded discussions, videoconferences, chats, instant messages, camera phones, wikis, blogs, podcasts, online whiteboards…)
Grade 10
Geography
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Draw conclusions and make decisions based on research and various types of evidence.
Explain the importance of stewardship in the preservation of the Earth’s complex environment.
Respect the Earth as a complex environment in which humans have important responsibilities.
Describe sustainability issues related to natural resource extraction and consumption.
Henderson Hallway 
I think that the Canadian government should have consulted with other provinces before ratifying the Paris agreement so that other provinces could prepare to start trying to reduce emissions and if that provinces main source of income is crude oil or coal the should be consulted so that they can find a new source of income when the country starts trying to cut down on emissions.
I think Canada not informing the provinces is a good thing, because if you were to think about if they consulted each province about it first then there would be disagreements and some provinces might back out or not participate at all. One of the reasons they might not participate/back out is because some provinces might start to lose money trying to cut down the emissions. Meaning that they would have to shut down certain things to help lower carbon emissions, no one likes to lose money. But, since Canada did not consult the other provinces they would just be doing it instead of complaining about losing money. On the bright side, each province would be losing less money because if they are able to pull this off and the global warming target is where it needs to be, then they would lose less money because the water levels wouldn’t rise 6 meters (20 feet) and not one building would be destroyed. If they are not successful then they would lose even more money other than trying to do something to help lower the carbon emission by shutting down a few things. I also think that Canada ratifying the Paris agreement is a good decision because I think Canada (us) should be doing as many things as our Country can to help lower emissions and this will not only help our country but the world in general. We also need to be doing as much things as we can to help reduce emissions in our planet because if we don’t there wouldn’t be a planet that would need helping.
The provinces should have been consulted before the agreement so that the process becomes a lot easier.
The reason why it would give the provinces time to find a way to reduce emissions as much as possible. Global warming has been a problem for a long time but acting without the provincial government is causing another one.
The Canadian Government should have informed the other provinces before they signed the France contract. The usage of greenhouse gases are making the ice caps melt, thus making other animals lose their homes. Since the ice caps are melting, the ocean levels are rising 6 meters (19.6 feet) causing the places to flood. I think to reduce the carbon emission is to, cut down some car oil usage. Also us, as humans, can find new ways to help reduce carbon emission because, our planet is not going to last very long if we keep up doing what were already doing. If crude oil is the main income that we make in Canada, then that’s a horrible way to decrease carbon emission. We need to find a new way to make a new source of income without destroying the environment.
I think that The Canadian Government should’ve informed the other provinces before they signed the contract, so that the other provinces would’ve been abled to prepare for the reducing of the emissions. The polar regions are particularly vulnerable to a warming atmosphere. The average temperatures in the Arctic are rising twice as fast as they are elsewhere on earth, and the worlds ice sheets are melting fast. Not so long ago, the Arctic Ocean was covered by thick ice. Snow has melted ever earlier on surrounding lands, and bigger waves and storms have assailed and, weakening ice.
I think that the Canadian Government not consulting the other provinces is a good thing. It’s because we don’t really have much time to ask about the contract to every single province, we need every second to at least help as much as we can. If we asked them it might have taken so long that the ice might have already melted (not really just an example of what might have happened). So it is a good thing that they signed it already because they were trying to go and help out our world and our country, consulting the other provinces might just have taken our time away, when in that time we could have used it to do our best to help out. Since its been signed the provinces could start to prepare as early as they can before it happens, rather than when they complain about losing money and not be able to prepare to the disaster that might or might not occur. Though the provinces might lose money through this, they wont lose as much money as they would if they did not sign the contract and the disasters happen where the water levels rise. So signing the contract before consulting the provinces is a good thing since we’re going to be able to help as much as we can to lowering the emissions, so the water level doesn’t rise and we can help our world and sustain a better future.
Canada is a large country but it doesn’t produce as much emission as you think, US and China produce the most making 38% of global emissions combined. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do anything about this, we still have to reduce. Canada needs to take action but I believe that they should consult the other provinces first. First of all, consulting each province means everyone understands what is going to happen, ratifying the paris agreement before consulting the others can cause confusion and may even anger some provinces. Secondly Canada has till the end of the year to ratify the paris agreement, that’s 3 months from now and if they were to use their time wisely and work at a faster pace, we could consult with all the provinces before ratifying the paris agreement. Obviously there is the risk that we won’t make it in time and sometimes we just have to move forward, ice is melting and we don’t have time to wait for everybody. A problem like this will have consequences either way but we have to think ahead and choose what really matters. US might actually back out (if Donald Trump wins the election) which is another reason why us and many countries should sign the paris agreement. Everything counts and we should do our part in our daily lives because the little things build up.
Personally i think Canada should consult the other provinces, this is a big decision that can impact many people and cannot be decided over night from one based opinion of a province or a country. Every one of us has a voice and it should be heard by the government. In addition, by consulting the other provinces we are building a stronger relationship and bond with them which is truly what our world should be, sadly however it isn’t always like that. We need other provinces to know that we care about their opinion and they’re included on major decisions that can affect them as well and not just leaving it to the big guy. By notifying other provinces it’ll help them prepare for whatever decision the government decides, global warming is happening and we never know what the world we live in will be like years from now. Some provinces may be upset with the decision or with whatever happens, but by including them in the decision there will be a less chance they’ll cry a global outbreak attacking the government. Lastly, by showing that other provinces and countries that they’re coming together it’ll spread awareness and encourage them to take global warming seriously and take action. The more awareness we have in the world, the stronger change of impact we’ll have with global warming activists internationally.
I think Canada should’ve consulted with the provinces. Where we agree or disagree we still need to handle this situation as one. Every person in Canada have a different opinion and each one of it counts. We should have a voice to speak out what we believe in. Yes, Justin Trudeau is the Prime Minister and he decides what happens in Canada, but he still give the people living in Canada a chance to talk about this issue. By consulting the other provinces, it will help them prepare for the outcome of what the government decides and it will make us a better and stronger country. This may also help build a stronger relationship between each and every province. By this action, this may help people become more aware of what is happening around them; such as global warming. As we take action about global warming, we may be able to encourage other countries to be more aware of it. Having more awareness about this issue in the world, we may be able to lessen the issues we have in this planet.
Well, I believe that the provinces should’ve been warned about this change. Doing this, may clear up some confusion and questions. This can also make things be more organized so provinces can get ready and do this change more successful and more efficient. Which can probably reduce a lot more greenhouse gas emissions rather than rushing the change which may make things worst. Too much greenhouse gas emission in the atmosphere is bad for us and for the animals too. So in conclusion, the provinces should’ve been warned so they can start creating more efficient ways to create energy to reduce greenhouse gasses rather than signing the contract instantly.
I agree with this, we shouldn’t have to consult the other provinces to save our planet.
we might not have much time to get things on track, so making sure the other provinces are happy with it are the least of our concerns.
after decades of ignoring the facts us humans finally recognise that climate change is happening and the worlds in trouble. and in paris the worlds leaders have finally got together and have issued 9 planetary laws. but canada isn’t ready to start the reduction of green house gas because of the provinces. I’m my humble opinion Justin trudeau should of been at the paris agreement since the very beginning. my augment is that our planet is at stake and every second matters. the sooner we start the 9 planetary laws the sooner we can begin the process of fixing our planet and creating a better future.
At this point my opinion is in the grey area, even though I like the idea of becoming more eco-friendly with a ebook the feel and smell of a physical copy of the book will always be my number one favourite things in the world. Thinking about it, I believe that the libraries will prevail for a long time still, but I could see it being used less and less to the point of there only being few in the world, but that might not be for another number of years. Ebooks, looking at its pros and cons right now, its success will depend on the people’s needs, beliefs and personal preferences. Once the ebooks are developed further and maybe fix some of the cons that were listed I could see how it might take over, but then again there will always be people who will prefer borrowing/buying a physical book. Physical libraries will always be useful, not only do they provide quiet spaces, but they also enable people to interact with each other and help each other in their research and talk about their interests- plus, book clubs still exist even though we have the internet! Ebooks should never replace physical books in my opinion, I am a bit of traditionalist and personally love the feel of physical books.
woops wrong page
Should Canada consult with the provinces before ratifying the Paris agreement and should Canada be doing more in terms of reducing emissions?
As much as the prime minister is our leader, he should have talked to the rest of canada before making this move. Though I do agree with his decision, but without conversing with the rest of canada, and making a plan that would work for all of canada. Without doing any of these our prime minister just signing the paper is useless and a waste of time without a set plan with all of the provinces, as can be seen with the fossil fuel industry still doing A-Okay. We took a step in the right direction, but its too small and too unsure, honestly quite dissapointing
I think that Justin Trudeau should have consulted with all of the provinces first, even though hes the prime minister we can vote him right out. I dont think this world will survive with fossil fuels, its such a main resource now a days, everyones to lazy to walk they would rather drive. and now our lazy species has to deal with climate change. sucks for us