In a previous article entitled “The Case for Crimes Against Humanity; or, The End of Rex Tillerson,” I stated that:

If climate change can reasonably be expected to cause severe consequences, including large-scale loss of material goods, wealth, land, livelihood, and life; and

If any person intentionally conceals the extent of the consequences or their likelihood of occurring; or

If any person intentionally prevents action to forestall those consequences;

Then, regardless of that person’s motivation, he surely commits a crime against humanity and deserves to be tried accordingly.

I went on to suggest that Rex Tillerson be the poster boy for this trial, and that if that seems unlikely now, just wait till some more powerful nations start to hurt from climate change.

In this article, I extend my charge, which is described below in the form of a letter to Canada’s Governor General on Sept. 25, 2009 by mail.

Her Excellency 
the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.  
Governor General of Canada

Dear Excellency,

I believe a grave harm is being done our citizens and country by inaction and obstruction on climate change, and moreover, can surely and easily prove this harm. I call upon you, as a citizen of Canada to my Governor General, to remove Mr. Stephen Harper from his position on the charges of high treason and terrorism:

If climate change will wreak destruction on our country comparable to or worse than an enemy invasion; and

If any citizen of our country deliberately conceals the danger; and/or

If the leaders of our country could reasonably be expected to have knowledge of the danger and yet fail to act;

Then, the citizen and/or leader are surely guilty of high treason and terrorism.

In Canada, the relevant paragraphs of the Criminal Code of Canada relating to high treason are:

(1) Every one commits high treason who, in Canada,

 (c) assists an enemy at war with Canada...whether or not a state of war exists between Canada and the country whose forces they are.

The relevant paragraphs of the Criminal Code of Canada relating to terrorism are:

"terrorist activity" means

(b) an act or omission, in or outside Canada,

(i) that is committed

(A) in whole or in part for a political, religious or ideological purpose, objective or cause, and

(B) in whole or in part with the intention of...compelling a person, a government or a domestic or an international organization to do or to refrain from doing any act, whether the public or the person, government or organization is inside or outside Canada, and

(ii) that intentionally

 (B) endangers a person’s life,

(C) causes a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or any segment of the public,

(D) causes substantial property damage, whether to public or private property, if causing such damage is likely to result in the conduct or harm referred to in any of clauses (A) to (C), or

If a citizen sees enemy forces massing on the border, he or she is obligated to warn the rest of us.  Refusing to do so, or even worse, deliberately misleading your countrymen about the danger, is commonly held to be treasonous.

Similarly, if climate change threatens the nation and her people to the same or worse extent than a human enemy would, we should be facing up to that fact and responding appropriately.

If any Canadian has knowledge of the danger and works to conceal it, that Canadian is a traitor. If the leader of the country has or reasonably should have that knowledge, and does nothing or worse, obstructs action, then that leader has betrayed the country and all of us.

Further, it is clear that Mr. Harper’s government is, at least in part for ideological reasons, seeking to prevent action on the threat of climate change, thus leading to serious harm to Canada and her people, and to many other people and nations.

I submit that it is readily shown that climate change is real and a significant threat. Virtually every climate scientist on the planet agrees. Prince Charles agrees. In Mr. Harper’s defence, he can only call various scientific prostitutes and paid shills who continue to spread deception; some of the same foul crew once shilled for tobacco and are readily exposed when held up to the light of day.

It is obvious that Mr. Harper has access to this knowledge, as he can call upon the top scientists in Canada and even the world, should he so choose. While the knowledge is readily available, Mr. Harper has consistently rejected and muzzled the government’s own scientists to ensure that Canadians do not know what their own scientists have to say. 

And finally, he surely has not acted anywhere near befits the gravity of the climate crisis to slow it and reduce its effects. On the contrary, his government has obstructed international action. Rather than mobilizing to protect us from this threat, Mr. Harper is concealing the extent of the danger and obstructing action. If we were able to mobilize our entire economy in six months for WWII, we can surely do it again for something that is as great a catastrophe – if not worse. In any event, “the economy” is no excuse when faced with such a danger.

Sir Nicholas Stern has warned “of potential economic and social consequences on the scale of the two world wars and the Great Depression.” Clearly this places climate change squarely as an enemy and demands an appropriate response.

The reason that Mr. Harper does what he does are not relevant to the charges of treason or terrorism. When someone is doing harm, we stop him immediately and psychoanalyze him later. Mr. Harper is doing great harm to the citizens and nation of Canada by denying the reality of and obstructing defensive measures on climate change.

Excellency, for the sake of Canada and Canadians, I ask that you do your duty and remove Mr. Harper immediately and charge him with high treason and with terrorism.

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