A novel method has been devised to shame politicians in Canada, who have not taken action to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Global non-governmental organisation (ngo) Greenpeace is naming excessively smoggy days after such leaders.

The christening system started with Smog Day Augustine, named after parliament member Jean Augustine, who "for nine years has taken Toronto's votes but done nothing to clean its air'.

"Fighting smog means ratifying Kyoto and doing it now,' said Peter Tabuns, executive director of Greenpeace. Greenpeace's naming system is quite similar to the one used by the us National Weather Service to name hurricanes.