Donna LaFramboise
No Frakking Consensus
SPOTLIGHT: If you value free thought and open debate, David Suzuki is no role model.
BIG PICTURE: Amnesty International calls them ‘prisoners of conscience:’ people jailed not for violence, but for expressing the wrong opinions. This term was coined by Amnesty founder Peter Benenson back in 1961, who cited the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Ten years ago, he urged a Montreal audience to find “a legal way of throwing our so-called leaders into jail because what they’re doing is a criminal act.” In Suzuki’s universe, climate change is a compelling problem (although not compelling enough for him to reduce his own air travel). Politicians who fail to take certain measures should therefore lose their liberty.
The difficulty, of course, is that there are diverse perspectives regarding the source, magnitude, and significance of recent climate change. The climate on this planet is always changing, and many smart people consider its recent fluctuations to be trivial. Those who hold such views – whether they be scientists or democratically elected leaders – have a right to behave according to their conscience.
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No Frakking Consensus
SPOTLIGHT: If you value free thought and open debate, David Suzuki is no role model.
BIG PICTURE: Amnesty International calls them ‘prisoners of conscience:’ people jailed not for violence, but for expressing the wrong opinions. This term was coined by Amnesty founder Peter Benenson back in 1961, who cited the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought…Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion…Canadian broadcaster David Suzuki, 82, doesn’t believe in freedom of thought. He thinks people should go to jail if they think the wrong way about climate change.
Ten years ago, he urged a Montreal audience to find “a legal way of throwing our so-called leaders into jail because what they’re doing is a criminal act.” In Suzuki’s universe, climate change is a compelling problem (although not compelling enough for him to reduce his own air travel). Politicians who fail to take certain measures should therefore lose their liberty.
The difficulty, of course, is that there are diverse perspectives regarding the source, magnitude, and significance of recent climate change. The climate on this planet is always changing, and many smart people consider its recent fluctuations to be trivial. Those who hold such views – whether they be scientists or democratically elected leaders – have a right to behave according to their conscience.
Read more
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