On the afternoon of Friday December 18th, the final day of the Copenhagen Climate Talks, Climate Action Montreal wrapped a tarred sheet around the statue of Sir John A. McDonald at Place du Canada in downtown Montreal.  They hung a banner stating "votre erreur, notre futur" (your mistakes, our future) from the statue to send a message that governments are gambling with the lives of youth around the world.   Tarring the statue of John A. McDonald signifies the embarassment that 75% of Canadians believe the current government is bringing upon Canada. 

In Copenhagen, developed nations have stated they will pursue a treaty that limits global temperature rise to 3.5 degrees, an increase that scientists say would have catastrophic results. Around the world, youth are demanding that this treaty not pass, that it would leave their generation and those that follow to deal with the consequences.

“Right now in Copenhagen, Stephen Harper is signing Canada onto a global suicide pact,” said Cameron Fenton, Concordia student and campaigner for Climate Action Montreal, “warming of 3.5 degrees will be catastrophic, drowning small islands, expanding deserts and causing a chain of events that our generation will have to deal with.”

“Canada's actions are forcing youth around the world to rise up in defense of their very future. Our government along with the majority of the developed world is placing fossil fuel industries ahead of basic human rights, signing on to a treaty that fails to limit warming significantly is a crime against humanity, and all life in Canada and abroad,” states Kawina Robichaud, biology student and campaigner for Climate Action Montreal.

“I simply do not want to live in world where I am forced to fight the reality that 3.5 degrees of warming will create,” said Ariel Charney, Dawson Student Union executive, “Harper is selling out my generation.”

This Wednesday Canadian youth led a sit in at the Bella Center in Copenhagen to raise the stakes on a global climate deal. The action was echoed in Canada when 20 people occupied the constiutency office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper to demand action. Over the past month 8 sit-ins have occurred at the offices of Conservative M.P.'s, as well as one within the House of Commons at a meeting of the Environment committee.