FEBRUARY
      14,
      2007
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He
      said
      governments
      struggle
      with
      this
     
     
      issue
      because
      they
      worry
      about
      the
      im-
      —
     
     
      mediate
      future,
      instead
      of
      the
      future
      of
     
     
      generations
      to
      come,
      he
      said
     
    

    
     
      “When
      you
      think
      about
      it,
      political
     
     
      agenda
      has
      to
      be
      driven
      by
      the
      next
      elec-
     
     
      tion...it
      turns
      out,
      children
      don’t
      vote.
     
     
      The
      political
      reality
      of
      it
      is
      children
      don’t
     
     
      count,
      they’re
      not
      on
      a
      political
      agenda.”
     
    

    
     
      In
      the
      last
      six
      months,
      global
      warming
     
     
      and
      the
      environment
      have
      been
      thrown
     
     
      on
      the
      political
      agenda,
      and
      now
      more
     
     
      than
      ever,
      the
      Canadian
      population,
     
     
      including
      Suzuki,
      is
      waiting
      to
      see
      what
     
     
      Prime
      Minister
      Stephen
      Harper
      will
      do
     
     
      in
      the
      coming
      months.
      _
     
    

    
     
      “The
      reason
      Harper
      is
      talking
      green
     
     
      now
      is
      not
      because
      he
      has
      any
      green
     
     
      bones
      in
      his
      body
      but
      because
      he’s
     
     
      smart.
      He
      watches
      the
      news
      and
      he
     
     
      knows
      it
      the
      No.1
      concern.”
     
    

    
     
      Suzuki’s
      comments
      came
      the
      same
      day
     
     
      the
      Intergovernmental
      Panel
      on
      Climate
     
     
      Change
      released
      a
      report
      saying
      global
     
     
      warming
      will
      have
      devastating
      results
      in
     
     
      the
      next
      century,
      even
      if
      drastic
      mea-
     
     
      sures
      are
      taken.
     
    

    
     
      The
      report,
      compiled
      by
      scientists
     
     
      from
      113
      countries,
      said
      climate
      change
     
     
      was
      very
      likely,
      caused
      by
      humans,
      and
     
     
      temperature
      rise
      could
      be
      disproportion-
     
     
      ately
      high
      in
      Canada,
      up
      to
      10
      C
      in
      the
     
     
      next
      century.
      :
     
    

    
     
      Suzuki’s
      frustration
      with
      government
      _
     
     
      is
      apparent
      throughout
      the
      interview
      as
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CAMPUS
      >
     
     
      —
      Suzuki
      (continued...)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      he
      spoke
      of
      the
      small
      role
      the
      minister.
     
     
      of
      environment
      plays
      in
      the
      scheme
      of
     
     
      things.
     
    

    
     
      Even
      so,
      He
      was
      optimistic
      about
     
     
      how
      the
      current
      minister,
      John
      Baird,
     
     
      might
      have
      a
      chance
      to
      set
      the
      wheels
      of
     
     
      change
      in
      motion.
     
    

    
     
      In
      1997,
      Canada
      was
      one
      of
      34
      na-
     
     
      tions
      to
      sign
      onto
      the
      Kyoto
      Accord,
     
     
      which
      set
      a
      target
      for
      countries
      to
      reduce
     
     
      greenhouse
      gas
      emission
      15
      per
      cent
     
     
      below
      1990
      levels.
      Canada
      is
      only
      on
      of
     
     
      four
      countries
      in
      the
      accord
      who
      won't
     
     
      meet
      their
      targets.
     
    

    
     
      As
      it
      stands
      emissions
      need
      to
      be
      90
     
     
      per
      cent
      below
      1990
      levels
      to
      make
      any
     
     
      great
      impact
      on
      temperature
      tise,
      he
      said
     
    

    
     
      For
      this
      reason,
      Kyoto
      is
      no
      longer
     
     
      enough,
      but
      it
      is
      significant
      because
      it
     
     
      makes
      industrialized
      nations
      acknowl-
     
     
      edge
      the
      problem
      at
      hand,
      Suzuki
      said.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      atmosphere
      is
      finite,
      and
      we’ve
     
     
      filled
      it
      up
      -
      we’ve
      more
      than
      filled
      it
      up
     
     
      -
      with
      carbon
      dioxide.”
     
    

    
     
      To
      create
      change,
      the
      world
      must
      look
      |
     
     
      to
      their
      ancestors,
      and
      how
      they
      came
      to
     
     
      dominate
      the
      earth,
      he
      said.
      This
      means
     
     
      looking
      toward
      the
      future,
      something
     
     
      only
      humans
      can
      do,
      and
      acting
      quickly.
     
     
      Pessimism
      will
      help
      no
      one,
      he
      said.
     
    

    
     
      “There’s
      always
      hope.
      If
      you
      don’t
      have
     
     
      hope,
      than
      don’t
      say
      anything
      and
      get
      the
     
     
      hell
      out
      of
      the
      way
      because
      you’ve
      given
     
    
   
   
    
     
      up.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SMU
      N
      AUT
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PAC
      reer
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ree
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fi
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      °
      5
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SUNT