FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 1, 2011

CONTACT - Robin Tress
Media Liaison, Canadian Youth Delegation to COP17
robin@ourclimate.ca
Durban: 076. 327. 9167
International: +27. 76. 327. 9167

Canadian Contact - Daniel Cayley-Daoust
Canadian Number: 819.593.4579

High resolution images available: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cydcancun/

Durban, South Africa (29/11/11) - Earlier today at COP17, the youth delegates held a bake sale to “buy back their future”. Taking a page from Big Oil, youth from across Canada, as well as the Canadian Youth Delegation at the UN climate negotiations, are raising money to compete with big polluters to set Canada’s climate agenda in Durban

“We are hoping to raise enough money to sway the Canadian government to commit to a binding and ambitious climate agreement,” said Canadian Youth Delegate, Malcolm Boothroyd. “Unfortunately we don’t receive $1.4 billion in government subsidies to help our cause.”
 
Youth across Canada are simultaneously sending letters to the Prime Minister’s office containing small change to urge the federal government to switch gears and put people before polluters.

Canada’s current international climate policy promotes the expansion of the Canadian oil industry, lobbies for foreign investment in the tar sands, and supports insufficient, non-binding emissions reductions.  These actions commit the planet to irreversible climate change, violate human rights, and have made Canada into an international pariah during the current climate negotiations.

“Corporate lobbyists have been extremely successful in pushing the Canadian government to adopt their agenda,” says Boothroyd. “If their money talks, why can’t ours?”

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For more information, see cyd-djc.org.