Angry in the Great White North

It is one thing to go to local MP. It is quite another to become part of a structured and organized effort to influence the decisions of the government as a whole:

But a new campaign will see some of Canada's younger constituents calling the shots by challenging members of Parliament to take action on climate change - once they decide which MP they plan to adopt.

There's no need for anyone to pack their bags: the Adopt-an-MP campaign, organized by the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, won't see elected representatives forced to move house.

Instead, it encourages Canadian youth to select an MP whom they will educate about global warming on an ongoing basis, putting the heat on politicians to take a leadership role in making climate change a top priority on Parliament Hill.

While youth are encouraged to take their local MPs under the wings, the coalition will have a top 10 board posted of more high-profile adoptees, including the federal party leaders and environment minister, that individuals are encouraged to adopt in "large numbers,'' Hudema said.

Can someone explain to me just how this is not a lobbying effort, and as such requires these young people to register in the federal lobbyists database?

Who exactly is behind the CYCC?

COUNCIL

In response to the coalition's growth and evolution, the council is currently being restructured. In the future, it will act as a large decision-making body and will include one representative from each member organization as well as regional representatives from local CYCC groups.

Not much help there. How about the website itself?

Domain ourclimate.ca
Registrant Name Jeca Glor-Bell
Registrar Netfirms, Inc.
Renewal Date 2007/09/24
Date approved 2006/09/24
Last changed 2006/09/28

And who is Jeca Glor-Bell?

The Sierra Club of Canada appointed national board members through its chapters until 2003, when the first national board election by members was held.

Jeca Glor-Bell (Ontario)

Jeca Glor-Bell graduated from Trent University in 2003 with a Honours B.A., Environmental Resource Studies and International Development Studies. She has been working with the Sierra Youth Coalition for the last 2 years as the Ontario Sustainable Campuses Coordinator.

And, of course, the Sierra Club is dedicated to influencing the government to take major action on the issue of climate change:

The energy used to drive our economy has a huge impact on our atmosphere. Sierra Club of Canada advocates a sensible mix of solutions: the highest possible energy efficiency, deployment of renewables (wind and solar), reduction in the use of fossil fuels, the phaseout of nuclear power and a shift to the new, innovative technologies (hybrid and fuel cells) to move people and goods around.

Ultimately, the threats of climate change, species extinction, toxic contamination and deforestation are symptoms of a larger problem. Pursuing the solutions, the economic and institutional shifts to deliver a reduced ecological footprint, reduce population growth and assist countries in the developing world to find a path that avoids our mistakes is the work of out programme for a "transition to a sustainable economy".

So a board member of the Sierra Club creates an organization that aims to lobby the highest levels of government on the issue of climate change using youth.

A less charitable interpretation is that the Sierra Club is using children as a way of avoiding the closer scruitiny under which formal lobbyists operate.

But then environmentalists would never do such a thing.