Next month's negotiations in Kyoto on the binding Climate Change Convention have forced Canada to scramble for a position, after five years of keeping our heads buried firmly in the sand.
Most scientists agree that human impact on climate change has become a major threat.
Although the upper atmosphere has cooled slightly, the earth's surface is getting warmer. This means unpredictable weather, with more hurricanes, floods, forest fires, droughts and other extremes. Insurance companies, who are hardly environmental enthusiasts, are now badly worried. After the small island countries, who face complete destruction, Canada may be one of the hardest hit. Already the Mackenzie Valley has warmed by triple the global average.