Yesterday, the UN climate negotiations in Bali took a dangerous turn. A US proposal, supported by Canada, would get rid of the requirement for industrialized countries to consider specific, internationally binding, greenhouse gas reduction commitments, replacing it with text that calls upon countries to adopt any measures they think appropriate. We are asking our members to contact the Canadian government and tell them that Canadians want action on climate change, and want Canada to play a constructive role on the world stage.

As leaders of an increasingly vocal and organized grassroots cyber-movement against controversial, anticipated changes to the federal Copyright Act, their persistent efforts derailed Industry Minister Jim Prentice's plan to introduce an amended bill this morning. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=160783

"To show up at someone's party and yell at them, seems rude and not very smart," said NDP environment critic Nathan Cullen, who witnessed the exchange between Baird and the environmentalists. "But I think it is this minister's nature. I think he enjoys fighting more than he enjoys working together." http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/science/story.html?id=89115ff1-a...

Advocates of network neutrality frequently express concerns that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will use sophisticated network filtering technologies that facilitate Deep Packet Inspection to track and modify the content of web pages as they are being served to end users.

It is not as if Canada is not already importing foreign workers. Last year more than 250,000 came in, most of them classified as “economic immigrants”. But they are chosen on a points system which rewards university education and advanced skills. In their countries of origin, many were part of the urban elite. Three-quarters settle in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, where there are relatively few job vacancies. Besides, few of these highly qualified immigrants would be interested in pouring cement or coffee for a living. Posted at economist..

Apparently Industry Minister Jim Prentice will not introduce the Canadian DMCA tomorrow. Whilst I hope this is true, I still take it with a grain of salt and believe he is only holding out until the storm of outrage dies down. Keep up the pressure, let him know the outrage will not subside..even in the new year. Keep American style DMCA out of Canada.

From http://kempton.wordpress.com/2007/12/08/fair-copyright-rally-calgary-par...

CANADIANS! Tomorrow is your best chance to fight the Canadian DMCA! Event in Calgary, national phone-in Posted by Cory Doctorow, December 7, 2007 3:52 AM If you're a Canadian and you want to talk to Industry Minister Jim Prentice about his proposal for a Canadian DMCA, a copyright law that's even worse than the ten-year-old American legislation that resulted in lawsuits against 20,000+ Americans without stopping infringement or paying artists, now's your chance!

Well written article by Wayne MacPhail Thanks to Jim Prentice, Canada may be about to step one year forward, ten years back, at least as far as copyright law goes. Any day now, Prentice, Canada's Industry Minister, is expected to table proposed changes to the Copyright Act in the House of Commons. All bets are that the changes will bring our copyright law into line with U.S. regulations which have proven useless, expensive, foolhardy, restrictive and punitive to consumers.

There is a national Kyoto outcry and rally this Saturday, Dec 8th. Find your location and be there.. CALGARY, AB Canadian Youth Climate Coalition (CYCC), Greenpeace, and Global Exchange are organizing a local action. itstimetoriseup@gmail.com EDMONTON, AB CYCC, Greenpeace, and Global Exchange are organizing a high school walkout for December 7. itstimetoriseup@gmail.com HALIFAX, NS Ecology Action Centre is planning street theatre for December 8. Contact janice.ashworth@ecologyaction.ca or (902) 442-0300. MONTREAL, QC