Environment Canada hit by 'damn clever' climate stunt

[Clintonista2]

Canada is red-faced at the Copehagen climate-change conference as a result of a spoof news release purporting to be from Environment Canada announcing Canada was bringing in bold new emissions reduction targets.

The authentic-looking release, which was announced on a fake Jim Prentice Twitter account, even made it on to the United Nations website and a fake story about it landed on a fake Wall Street Journal website - all an elaborate ruse to embarrass Canada, which is being considered the "dirty-old man" of the conference for its intransigence on negotiating better targets.

“In a major development coming three days before the final round of UN climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, and responding to the recent concerns expressed by the G77 bloc of countries, Canada’s Attache for Environment and Planning announced today an ambitious plan for a new climate change framework that answers vital concerns voiced by developing nations,” says the fake release. It says that Canada plans to bring in new targets of 40 per cent below 1990 by 2020 - way more ambitious than what the real Mr. Prentice has come to Copenhagen with.

The real Environment Canada quickly released its own statement to contain the damage: “One hour ago, a spoof press release targeted Canada in order to generate hurtful rumours and mislead the Conference of Parties on Canada’s positions on climate change, and to damage Canada’s standing with the international business community,” it says. It says that the spoof was “unfortunately” reported in major international outlets. It says the targets and all statements in the release are “unequivocally false.”

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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/

[HeresyLives]

1. We've become an international joke.

Thank you Mr Harper.

[RedSock]

2. ha - this is great

it forces sweater boy to come out and say, "no, we are not enlightened. we love pollution!"

[HeresyLives]

3. More is coming tomorrow apparently.

'More will be revealed tomorrow,'
climate prankster says
Jane Taber

Jim Prentice is not having a good day today in Copenhagen. It started with an embarrassing fake press release announcing Canada had bold, ambitious greenhouse gas emissions-reduction targets.

It appeared that the press release had made it on to various websites but those websites, including on purporting to be the Wall Street Journal’s European edition, were part of the hoax, too.

And then a second press release saying the first press release was a hoax was also a hoax. What a schmozzle.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/more-will-be-revealed-tomorrow-climate-prankster-says/article1399975/

[HeresyLives]

4. Further to this -

It makes you wonder when the U.S. Secretary of Energy is embarrassed to have a public photograph taken with the Canadian Minister of the Environment.


http://thestar.blogs.com/copenhagen/2009/12/us-snubs-canada.html