Canadians ready to pay to deal with climate change, says Suzuki

Last Updated: Friday, April 20, 2007 | 11:21 AM ET

CBC News

Canadians are ready to pay a little extra to help deal with climate change, David Suzuki said Friday before a meeting with the federal environment minister.

"I think they're willing to suck it in and accept that they're going to have to pay more but they want it to be fair," Suzuki said during a news conference in Ottawa.

Earlier this year, the 71-year-old environmentalist travelled across the country on a month-long bus tour to promote the issue of the environment.

"The thing I hear over and over again is: 'Some sectors in Canada are getting a softer ride, and why should we as consumers have to pay when, say, the tar sands or the auto sector are not being asked to meet their obligations as well?'" said Suzuki.

Suzuki was to meet with Environment Minister John Baird Friday and deliver a petition signed by more than 30,000 Canadians who say the environment is their top priority.

Issue 'transcends politics'

He said Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose Conservative government says Canada can't meet Kyoto targets, refused to meet with him.

However, Suzuki says the issue of the environment has "transcended politics."

"People on the right and on the left are concerned," he said. "They are sick and tired of political posturing and rhetoric … This is a moment and an opportunity."

Canadians want to see "concrete targets and timelines and serious efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," he said, adding that Harper didn't make the environment a high priority during his first year in office, but has started to move on the issue.

"That's a reflection that he understands the public is deeply concerned," he said. "No politician can ignore the environment now."

Baird issues dire warning

The meeting comes a day after Baird said Canada would suffer disastrous economic consequences if it tried to meet its Kyoto targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The federal study Baird outlined to the Senate committee on the environment on Thursday would result in a recession, massive job losses and a large spike in gas prices.

Harper, speaking in Winnipeg on Friday, said he stands by Ottawa's numbers.

"It's impossible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one-third in five years without a huge cost being born by the Canadian economy," he said.

Suzuki predicts long-term economic failure

Suzuki on Thursday blasted the federal report, saying the government is ignoring the cost of failing to address climate change.

"First of all, let's stop listening to the goddamn economists," he said.

"Twenty per cent of the economy will disappear. It will cost more than World War I and World War II put together. We'll go into a kind of depression we've never, ever had in all of history."

He said ignoring the warnings would be a "crime against future generations" and said he wonders if there is a legal basis to take action against governments or corporations that fail to heed such warnings.

As well as his meeting with Baird, Suzuki was to meet with Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion and NDP Leader Jack Layton.