MONTREAL - Dozens assembled downtown Saturday to express concerns over the direction of Canada's environmental policy, as negotiators from 200 countries meet in Durban, South Africa to strike a new deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol.
The negotiators have been unable to speak in a shared voice but local protesters had no such problem as they denounced the federal government's stance on the question.
"The problem is not that Kyoto doesn't work, the problem is that there is not enough Kyoto," said former federal Liberal leader Stephane Dion. "More countries should be within Kyoto, but it seems that Kyoto will die or will barely survive at Durban. I hope I'm wrong."
Others shared Dion's distress that the countries haven't been able to hammer out a deal to protect Mother Earth.
"They're destroying our planet. It's unbelievable that they could decide against Kyoto," said a protester named Michael. "It's just unfathomable that everyone there couldn't organize themselves. We only have one planet."
The protesters agreed that the lucrative bounty of the Alberta oil sands had dictated Canada's seeming indifference to finding a way to commit to solid promises of planet-saving change.
"We have to do something, because in 10, 20, 30 years, it will be too late," said Richard Bergeron, leader of the Projet Montreal party.