Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes is under fire for comments he’s made about climate change. The Ottawa-based Climate Action Network has obtained e-mails in which the Conservative MP questions the cause of global warming. “I’m shocked he’s not accepting the science behind climate change,” said Mary Stockdale, a Vernon resident who received one of the e-mails. In the correspondence, Mayes says, “Climate warming is happening. Just what the cause is has yet to be substantiated. Is it C02 in the atmosphere, sun activity or cyclical? Is this a trend that will change as we have seen recently in cooling of temperatures and rebuilding of ice caps?” He goes on to write, “I am careful not to over react and spend billions of taxpayer dollars because a few scientists say C02 is causing the planet to warm. Scientists, when I went to school, said there was a coming ice age. They also said that the ozone layer was disappearing over the Arctic. “Scientists theorize many things, some prove to be true, some not. I want to make certain when I vote, my vote is supported by sound scientific facts and less media hype.”
Janet A. Denison, who also received an e-mail, believes Mayes is out of line with a majority of his constituents. “He holds a fringe opinion on this. There’s a fear he’s not trusting the science,” she said. Denison also wonders if Mayes’ views are his own or indicative of the Conservative government and its environmental policies. “They are thinking of the oil and gas industry to the detriment of the globe. They sound like the Republican Party in the U.S.,” she said. Stockdale hopes Mayes will reconsider his stance. “This is our defining issue and time is running out,” she said of the environment. “I have children and grandchildren and am concerned about what we’re leaving them.”
Mayes’ e-mails became public just as the conference on climate change wrapped up in Denmark. “Given the disgraceful and obstructive behavior of the Harper government in Copenhagen, and the revelation of their secret plan to let emissions rise, it is a legitimate question to ask if Prime Minister Harper shares his MP’s views on the science of climate change,” said Graham Saul, of the Climate Action Network, in a release. “Prime Minister Harper and his environment minister no longer get to pay lip service to the science of climate change and do nothing about it.” Mayes could not be reached for comment.
-------------
Mayes can’t hide from the truth
Morning Star Editorial: Published: December 19, 2009 12:00 PM 
The forces behind global warming have been known for some time but MP Colin Mayes obviously didn’t get the memo. In e-mails sent to constituents, Mayes pokes holes at the human role played in climate change. “Scientists theorize many things, some prove to be true, some not. I want to make certain when I vote, my vote is supported by sound scientific facts and less media hype,” he writes. Such a view is staggering when one considers the amount of research that has gone into the earth’s shifting climate, including from federal agencies. For Mayes to claim “only a few scientists say C02 is causing the planet to warm,” shows that he is completely out of touch with the issue. The unanswered question, though – is Mayes a lone voice in the wilderness or is he singing from the Conservative choir book? And given the government’s record at the recent climate change talks in Denmark, it is obvious the Tories have their head in the sand and are not willing to be constructive participants in tackling a problem with planetary ramifications. As an example, it is considering easing emission rules for oilsands companies.
Instead of just firing off e-mails, Mayes actually needs to roll up his sleeves and get to work, reviewing the volumes of research available. He also needs to meet face-to-face with his constituents and hear their concerns about what is happening to the environment. It is time for Mayes to get with the program.
No comments:
Post a Comment