Canada butt of climate prank

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Canada butt of climate prank

At the Copenhagen climate conference, Canada's reputation as a recalcitrant polluter was put in focus Monday, when person/persons unknown distributed a hoax press release announcing that Canada is setting bold new targets for reducing greenhouse gases.

The spoof did not amuse the office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who will be in Copenhagen later this week.

"More time should be dedicated to playing a constructive role instead of childish pranks," Dimitri Soudas, a spokesman for Harper in Copenhagen, e-mailed the Globe and Mail newspaper.

Canada is in the spotlight because of its energy consumption, and the pollution generated by its vast oil sands development in northern Alberta.

The Harper government has been urged to adopt a more aggressive agenda by such provincial leaders as British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell and Quebec Premier Jean Charest.

The three-part spoof announced that the Great White North was about to do what critics of climate policy have urged it to do. It declared:

"In a major development coming three days before the final round of UN climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, and responding to the recent concerns expressed by the G77 bloc of countries, Canada's Attache for Environment and Planning announced today an ambitious plan for a new climate framework that answers vital concerns voiced by developing nations."

It pledged that Canada will bring in new targets, by 2020 reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels.

A second spoof, released soon thereafter, claimed to be a denunciation of the earlier statement:

"One hour ago, a spoof press release targeted Canada in order to generate hurtful rumours and mislead the Conference of Parties on Canada's positions on climate change, and to damage Canada's standing with the international business community."

A third send-up took the form of a video supposedly from a Uganda delegate praising Canada's bold action.

"It's not clear who is behind all this, but the suspicion is that it is the work of an American group called the Yes Men," reported the Globe and Mail.

The Yes Men pulled off a memorable prank recently in Washington, D.C.

They staged a fake press conference at the National Press Club. A "spokesman" for
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce took the podium and announced that the Chamber was withdrawing its longstanding opposition to climate change legislation pending before Congress.

The event became farce when a REAL U.S. Chamber of Commerce official walked into the room. The prankster and the Chamber spokesman then engaged in a brief, furious debate over who was legitimate.

The Yes Men are reportedly at work in Copenhagen.

Posted by Joel Connelly at December 14, 2009 3:34 p.m.
Category: National politics

Comments

#422234

Posted by snesich at 12/14/09 3:49 p.m.

LOL!

Kudos to "The Yes Men", the most brilliant satirists of our time! They have spoofed the powerful and influential on several occasions, and in the process have focused public attention on the truth.

Also, they are completely hilarious! I'm still ROFL after watching their first two films. If you liked "Borat", you'll absolutely love "The Yes Men"!

http://theyesmen.org/

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#422250

Posted by Old Goat at 12/14/09 3:58 p.m.

Yep. They need to clean up their act. Victoria, BC still pumps raw sewage into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A lot of the citizens have been raising a big stink about it because their 'planned' turd crusher still isn't up and running.

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#422257

Posted by unregistered user at 12/14/09 4:07 p.m.

The Yes Men forged documents purporting to represent the government of Canada.

One legal analysis has the hoaxsters facing 3 years in prison and the costs associated with their prank, which work out to around $500,000.

Canada should charge them and extradite them. Then we'll see whether bored rich kids continue to find fraud and forgery to be enjoyable sport.

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#422297

Posted by Will in Seattle at 12/14/09 4:38 p.m.

Stephen Harper, famed Albertan, has been responsible for policies that cause more global warming pollution in Canada in his time in office than in all of Canada's existence.

Plus, as all Canadians know, he's a robot.

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#422302

Posted by unregistered user at 12/14/09 4:41 p.m.

Not really sure how a couple of fake press releases could contribute to 500 000 dollars in damages, unless you consider the inflated costs associated with the Canadian leaders having to rearrange their schedule to refute the prank.

It seems as though the above comment will only consider the ramifications and consequences of breaking with political status quo and ignore the more serious issues of our environmental impact, our diplomatic interference and narrow minded economic take on the situation at large.

These pranks will not change the world. They are not an ends in themselves. They are artistic interventions that make light of the absurd policies and combative politics of our federal government.

Fine them if you want. It only bolsters their standing and cause.

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#422307

Posted by unregistered user at 12/14/09 4:42 p.m.

Unregistered user, who claims "One legal analysis,,blah blah blah" - what is the name of your source?

I'm a criminal lawyer in Canada and your " legal analysis" is utterly idiotic !

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#422342

Posted by unregistered user at 12/14/09 5:07 p.m.

People in glass houses...

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#422347

Posted by unregistered user at 12/14/09 5:13 p.m.

Will in Seattle...

The Liberals ratified Kyoto and then sat on the @sses for the next 9 years.. Nice to point a finger at Harper without really knowing the facts .. eh?
The next volcano to erupt in your neighborhood (St Helens) will once again release more Co2 into the atmosphere than all of mankind since the start of the industrial revolution.
U are an @SS

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#422398

Posted by Ron spins at 12/14/09 6:13 p.m.

unregistered user

Whose quizzing another"unregistered user"
claims he is a criminal lawyer..........

I have been waiting for that admission

Thank you

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