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Jul 17, 2001, 7:02 AM
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TORONTO (CP) - Two Greenpeace activists scaled the city's CN Tower early Monday to string up a banner 346 metres above the ground protesting inaction on global warming in Canada and the United States.
Steven Guilbeault, 31, of Montreal, and Chris Holden, 23, of England, strung up a banner reading: Canada and Bush - Climate Killers, under the observation deck of the world's tallest free-standing structure, a popular tourist destination. By noon Monday, the pair were shimmying back down the tower.
Police and CN Tower staff were waiting for them and Toronto police spokesman Robb Knapper said the pair may be charged with mischief or trespassing.
Jamey Heath, Greenpeace spokesman, said the environmental group is protesting the failure by the U.S. and Canada to ratify the 1997 Kyoto agreement to cut greenhouse-gas emissions.
The activists, who spent four hours climbing up the tower Monday morning, said they feel their operation was a success in raising awareness about climate change.
"The view from here is great; you can already see the smog," said Guilbeault via cell phone as he was suspended under the observation deck.
The activists were climbing down because of rain forecast for later in the afternoon. They were bringing their banner back down to the ground with them because "Greenpeace doesn't litter," Heath said.
Guilbeault and Holden used standard safety harnesses and ascender cables to "inch like worms" up the outside of the 181-storey, 553-metre tower, said Heath. They had been training for the task for several weeks.
The Kyoto agreement is the subject of a meeting that started Monday in Bonn, Germany.
Canada has said it won't ratify the treaty until it's sure it's capable of fulfilling a commitment to cut greenhouse emissions six per cent from 1990 levels by 2010.
Environment Minister David Anderson has suggested there is little hope of any breakthrough in Bonn, since the United States is still reviewing its position on the climate issue and President George W. Bush has rejected the Kyoto agreement.
Bush says he wants to deal with climate change largely through voluntary action and technological improvements. He also said that complying with the Kyoto agreement would hurt the U.S. economy.
Greenpeace is demanding that Canada join European governments in supporting the protocol.
"Waiting for Bush is only another in a long list of excuses to justify Canada's inaction," said Jo Dufay, Greenpeace Canada campaign directors.
But federal officials told a briefing Thursday that the world cannot wait for the U.S. and that they expect real progress in Bonn.
© The Canadian Press, 2001
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Protesters Climb CN Tower, Canada
