Faking but not kidding around: Online student hoaxers play email prank on Environment Minister Peter Kent

By Adrian Barnes

Early this morning media outlets around the country received what appeared to be a press release from the office of Environment Minister Peter Kent. It went like this:

Canada’s Environment Minister, the Honourable Peter Kent, announced today the re-release of What a Difference a Degree Makes, an elementary school teaching module designed to inform students about causes and impacts of climate change. The module ran successfully for a number of years in the early nineties. The relaunch of What a Difference a Degree Makes is part of a renewed commitment from the Government of Canada to address climate change.

The re-launch of What a Difference a Degree Makes is part of a renewed commitment from the Government of Canada to take on climate change.

“Climate change is the defining issue of our time,” said Minister Kent. “We know how important action on climate change is to Canadians, even more so now than in 1995. We are immensely proud to re-launch this groundbreaking, made-in-Canada educational program.”

The updated program reflects advancements in scientific understanding of climate change over the past fifteen years.

“Scientists know far more about climate change now than they did a decade ago,” said Environment Canada spokesperson Bryce Carson. “The urgency of tackling climate change is greater than ever, and it is critical that we come forward with solutions across the board: everything from investments in renewable energy to environmental education.”

“This education program is part of our plan to create a consolidated and effective response to the challenges of climate change,” Mr. Carson said. “We see enormous potential in these students. We want them to become educated about climate change in order to be a part of solving tough climate-related problems.”

This release, however, was followed, hours later, by an email from the real Ministry:

This morning, media and the public were deceived by an unidentified environmental group posing as Environmental Canada representatives. Setting up a counterfeit website, www.ec-gov.ca, the group announced the re-launch of an old campaign that would educate youth about the urgency of combating climate change. A false press release stated that the educational material would drive a campaign for youth inclusion in Canadian climate change strategy development. The Honourable Minister of the Environment Peter Kent condemned the hoax.

The outdated module, What a Difference a Degree Makes, was discontinued in the early nineties to reflect a change in government priorities.

“The government of Canada takes the challenges of climate change seriously,” Minister Kent responded. “We have set an ambitious but achievable target to limit greenhouse gas emissions to a 3% increase above 1990 levels.”

Almost simultaneously, a group calling itself the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition released the following statement, taking credit for the hoax:

A group of concerned youth successfully impersonated representatives of Environment Canada this morning by announcing the re-launch of a discontinued climate change education program. What a Difference a Degree Makes, a module delivered to elementary school students during the 1990's, focused on topics of climate change science and human impacts. Through this hoax the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition has highlighted the Canadian Government's deliberate neglect of its responsibility to educate Canadians about climate change.

“Our government does not take climate change and its consequences on our generation seriously,” said Malkolm Boothroyd of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition. “Programs like What a Difference a Degree Makes show that the Government of Canada used to take the climate crisis seriously, but shifting priorities have placed the interests of polluters above those of current and future generations.”

The Canadian Youth Climate Coalition created a look-a-like Environment Canada website which announced the reintroduction of What a Difference a Degree Makes, which was accompanied by press releases distributed to thousands of Canadian journalists. Following this announcement, a number of prominent environmental organizations publicly congratulated Environment Canada on this unexpected yet welcomed change of heart. Eventually, Environment Canada was forced to deny responsibility for re-releasing the desperately needed climate change curriculum. Organizers were deeply concerned that the Government of Canada considered the release of a climate change education program "erroneous information".

“We are excited to take matters into our own hands and launch our own climate change education program, Wings of Change,” added Amara Possian of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition. “We've been preparing for over a year and over the next eight months, we will be visiting classrooms across Canada, taking on the task of educating thousands of youth about the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change.”

Wings of Change will encourage young people to engage politically and provide them with the opportunity to be part of the larger climate movement. This project combines principles of pageantry, theatre and collective artistic expression to deliver messages directly from young people to the halls of political power. Learn more at www.cyd-djc.org

 An innovative way to point out shifting priorities in a government that may not have a clean environment at the forefront of its goals or an irresponsible hoax? You be the judge. Let us know by way of a quick comment to this story.