It is painfully ironic that the the world "leaders" at the G8 summit lack the leadership to grapple with the challenges of our time. From AID, to trade to climate change, the best they can do is try not to piss each other off… how pitiful is that!

Gro Harlem Brundtland, the UN Special Envoy on Climate change notes in a CBC interview "We need to reduce global warming emissions by 80-90% by mid century to avoid catastrophic change…Canada is dragging behind but it is not alone in being quite far from its obligations much can be done in a few years."

She goes on, "We are falling behind on the MDGs (Millennium Development Goasl) and this is a big problem in its relation to dealing with climate change. We need to help poor countries jump ahead of these bad technologies to use technologies that support sustainable development."

Civil society leaders must now rapidly step and fill the gap in leadership and influence shape a political global agenda whereby "elected" governments are pressed to take immediate action on climate change.