CONTENTS
- INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO SHARE DIALOGUE ON CANADA DAY
- O Canada! We Stand on Guard For A Safe Climate
- The UN News Centre
- The National Climate Assessment
- Hunger in the Time of Climate Change
- Unity for the Climate
- Fast for the Climate
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO SHARE DIALOGUE ON CANADA DAY
Here in Toronto we are inviting people to join together at 4 pm on July 1st. (Taddle Creek Park, Bedford and Prince Arthur [St. George Station] Friends House if raining - 60 Lowther Ave). We are going to share on the question: how can we help to ensure a safe climate future for Canada? We will share our concerns and ideas. Then (for those who have fasted that day) we will share a light supper to break our fast. You may wish to invite others to join you in your community. Send us a photo!
Remember: fasting is optional. Acting on the climate crisis - fast - that’s something we are all working for, together. Your letters to politicians and the media are very important in developing the political will for climate action. THANK YOU!
RSVP: climatefast@climatefast.ca if you are coming to the Toronto event.
O Canada! We Stand on Guard For A Safe Climate
It’s July 1st and we celebrate our country’s birthday. It’s a good time to reflect on what it means to be a Canadian – especially in times of great change; and especially at this time when we face global dilemmas like the dire crisis of climate disruption.
What will Canada be like in twenty or fifty years? If we just stay with the status quo, and continue building our economy based on mining and fossil fuels, as we have done for two centuries, we will have disastrous results. If we take the path that ClimateFast asks and work to make the transition toward renewable energy we will have the possibility of a safe climate. Prime Minister Harper says that no country will make a change if it means a slowing economy or loss of jobs. He believes he is defending Canada’s best interests by hanging on to fossil fuels as the foundation of who we are. We respectfully disagree. We will create more jobs as we turn toward a renewable energy future.
We believe that if we stay the present course, we will be writing the death warrant of Canada as as a positive nation in the world. We are already known as a rogue force for destruction. We want to change Canada’s role - and contribute to a positive future.
We believe that we must explore and take risks, to discover the underpinnings of a new economy for Canada in the twenty-first century. We see a future based on renewable energy of many different types. We see a future based on the innovation of our people to design smart, interactive networks, and to create new models of energy storage and delivery. We also see a future based on new relationships between our workplaces and our communities, where employers—job creators—are accountable not only to their stock holders, but also to their workers, their communities that resource them, and to the earth that sustains us all.
In this system it would not be possible for a company to determine its own self-interest as based only on a financial bottom line for a few people. The financial and social well-being of all of us would have to be considered. We would work through competing interests using good science, open dialogue, and mutual respect. We would practice democracy in our families and become good at building consensus, so that we could translate those skills into good decision-making in our schools, workplaces, communities, and governments.
Let’s dream big for Canada and let’s put our life energy into making it happen.
Will you support our Put Climate First on the First of the Month campaign? climatefast.ca
Will you commit to writing one letter a month on or around the first of each month? Please sign our pledge form and consider pledging to hold a letter writing event or film showing in the week of October 1st when Parliament will be back in session this fall. This would support those of us who are in Ottawa Climate Fast event taking place on Parliament Hill Sept 29 - Oct 2nd.
Will you invite your friends and family to join you?
If we can organize 12 people in every riding in Canada to get together and write one letter around the first of each month, it will make a big difference.
Together we will generate the political will to
- End all fossil fuel subsidies
- Put a price on carbon
- Focus priorities on a transition to renewable energy.
Write your letter today, and send us a copy by e-mail please.
There are a lot of encouraging developments to keep us moving forward. Here’s a link to one article, and friend our Facebook page where we post other news. facebook.com/CLIMATEFAST
The UN News Centre
Developing nations’ policies push renewable energy capacity to record high, says UN-backed report
The National Climate Assessment
The National Climate Assessment (NCA), released by the White House on May 6, 2014, stresses that erratic weather is already changing life on Earth and will become more disruptive over time. However, the 800-plus page report with over 200 scientific contributors, concludes that there is still time to avoid the worst impacts. CSPAN has a video of the NCA event on May 6
Other NCA resources are listed here and upcoming / past activities are listed here.
WHY ISN’T CANADA DOING A NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT? Ask your MP!
Hunger in the Time of Climate Change
We need to understand the impact of climate destabilization on feeding the world: “Hunger in the Time of Climate Change” took place on May 14th. A recap and recording of this event is available here.
Unity for the Climate
At the time of this writing, unicyclist Joseph Boutilier is approaching Brandon, Manitoba. Check his progress through his blog and twitter @josephboutilier. Please check his route and site to see how you can support his initiative.
Fast for the Climate
On June 4th, France officially launched its participation in Fast for the Climate, this global solidarity movement. The speech Yeb Saño’s delivered that day may be found here.
This ongoing fast seeks to send a message to governments that people from all walks of life, from all corners of the globe, expect climate action. Already, millions of people have lost their homes and their livelihoods as a result of climate change. Yet government action remains profoundly inadequate and fails to secure the benefits a clean energy revolution would deliver for people and the planet.
The time to solve the crisis is now: we expect countries to cut carbon pollution and to secure a renewable energy supply. We expect richer countries to help poorer nations reduce their own pollution and adapt their communities to climate impacts, while we urge all world leaders to work together in order to ensure the planet is a safe and better place for future generations.
Currently, people from following countries are fasting: Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, South Africa, Egypt, Lebanon, France, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Norway, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Niue, Philippines, India, Canada, U.S.
We will fast on the first day of every month, until countries agree to a comprehensive, fair climate action plan that puts the world on a pathway to phase out carbon pollution. Stand in solidarity with this global movement - register here! Put climate first on the first of the month!
Links
fastfortheclimate.org/en (English)
fastfortheclimate.org/fr/ (French
twitter.com/FastForClimate
facebook.com/fastfortheclimate