According to this professionally conducted telephone poll:
77% of Canadians support increased taxes on carbon based fuels, with revenues used to fund research and development for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs; and
84% agree that “Rich countries like Canada have a moral obligation to show international leadership by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.”
(Analogous US results: 60% and 57%, respectively)
I conclude that Canada’s inaction on climate change is not mainly due to citizens being unconvinced of the science or the need for action (though most people probably don’t realize how serious the problem is). Instead the main problems are a lack of effective democracy, a crisis of leadership, and the undue influence of the fossil fuel industry and related special interest groups. Realizing this, the way forward will come through: more citizen involvement and collective action, leadership with conviction and vision, and democracy that reflects the voices of all participants.