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This is a very important month for climate action!
In December, over 170 countries signed on to the Paris climate agreement. But, today, 1 May 2016, we still fast for the climate.
We fast because the Paris deal isn't good enough for the world's most vulnerable people. Our leaders have made a big step forward, but
we need to keep the pressure on.
2016 could mark the beginning of the end for the fossil fuel economy, and the dawn of a new paradigm of sustainable development with climate justice.
But
our governments' promises still won't keep warming below 2ºC
, let alone 1.5ºC. The world's poorest still need more climate finance, and real compensation for the loss and damage caused by climate disaster.
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Break Free From Fossil Fuels
So it's up to us now. We need to ratchet the pressure up, and lead the change to the future we want. It's time for us to break free from fossil fuels.
Are we going to let the fossil fuel companies’ profit-seeking determine the fate of the earth?
Or are we the people going to rise up and defend the land?
JOIN AN ACTION NEAR YOU TO KEEP COAL, OIL AND GAS IN THE GROUND!
BREAK FREE FROM FOSSIL FUELS - cross-Canada and worldwide actions - May 4th - 15th 2016, https://breakfree2016.org/
In Toronto, May 13th, 4:00 - 4:30 p.m. S/E corner of Spadina and Bloor. Join our CLIMATE JUSTICE RALLY – NO MORE PIPELINES!
(near M.P. Chrystia Freeland’s office, Vice Chair, Cabinet Committee on Environment, Climate Change, Energy) https://www.facebook.com/events/1590018207993577/
Supported by: Toronto350.org, Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice, ClimateFast, Council of Canadians (Toronto), KAIROS Centre/East Toronto, Toronto Youth Environment Council & United Church of Canada (Toronto SE Presbytery Social Justice Project)
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Consultation for a National Climate Action Plan - only 30 days remaining to comment!
The federal government has launched a climate change consultation website. Have your say on climate change prevention and mitigation strategies until June 1st.
http://letstalkclimateaction.ca/index.php?lang=en
Here are
six key talking points
that ClimateFast suggests you include in your submission.
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How Urgent is Action? It's Urgent!
CO2 levels are rising quickly:
https://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/atmospheric-co2-leaps-into-uncharted-territory-408-ppm
Temperatures are off the charts in 2016:
Prime Minister Trudeau is of the opinion constructing new pipelines is compatible with keeping global temperature rise under 1.5° C. We need to fight back and say no!
Be sure to comment and to attend roundtable discussions near you. Your MP or a grassroots organization may be sponsoring an event in your community. If not, organize your own and let us know what progress you make!
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TransformTO in Toronto
If you live in Toronto you have three upcoming opportunities to contribute to the City of Toronto climate plan – which will be brought to council this fall. The goal is to find ways to cut CO2 emissions 30% by 202 and 80% by 2050 focusing on housing, transportation, and waste disposal.
CONSULTATION MEETINGS WILL BE HELD – MAY 3RD IN SCARBOROUGH AND MAY 9TH IN NORTH YORK and ClimateFast member Lyn Adamson is organizing a meeting to be held May 31st at the Maria Schuka Library on Eglinton east of Dufferin St., 6:30 – to 8:15 pm.
For the meetings on May 3rd and May 9th you can find more info and register here:
http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=ba07f60f4adaf410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
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ClimateFast Hosts Earth Day Event 'Adventures in Low Carbon Living'
Featuring Dr. Tomislav Svoboda, a Toronto physician who is celebrating a 10 year carbon strike. Dr. Svoboda has completely avoided travel by both car and airplane in an effort to reduce his carbon footprint. Here are a photo from the event:
At this event we also screened James Hansen’s latest video describing the slowing of the ocean currents and expected sea level rise due to Greenland ice sheet melting. Hansen says ‘this is so unnecessary – we need to price carbon.’
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Resources:
A.) PLANETARY – a documentary film available on line until May 22nd (TVO, 1 hour 24 minutes)
http://tvo.org/video/documentaries/planetary
The film explores what we need to do to ensure that we avoid the worst ravages of climate change. It features interviews with Joanna Macy, Charles Eisenstein and others.
B.)
CLIMATEFAST is part of an international Fast for the Climate: you can read their latest newsletter here:
http://us9.campaign-archive1.com/?u=5cb7bc273fe0311fa8342d2e9&id=0da0c79f06&e=91ed23fd1b
C.) For your submission to the federal consultation, please consider including the following points:
We urge the Canadian government to undertake the following steps:
- Establish a new science-based emission reduction target consistent with a 1.5° C temperature rise. Cutting our emissions as much as possible as soon as possible will set us on a path to achieving this goal, whereas delaying action may preclude any possibility of staying under a 1.5° C rise.
- A clear and measurable plan for a just transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050. Investing in renewable energy creates up to eight times as many jobs as investing in oil and gas extraction.
- An end to subsidies for fossil fuel industries and investments in a green economy. The 2016 federal budget is an opportunity to act on Canada’s 2009 promise to eliminate subsidies to fossil fuel industries and announce significant initiatives to support public transit, green infrastructure and clean technologies. Annual Canadian subsidies to fossil fuel industries averaged $2.9 billion over 2013 and 2014, with $1.7 billion of this from the federal government.
- A carbon fee set at $30 per tonne and a commitment to increase it over time. We urge a national standard for pricing carbon emissions through a carbon fee set initially at $30 per tonne of greenhouse gases and increasing in steps to a level consistent with limiting temperature increases to 1.5° C.
- A new, permanent regulatory approval process for assessing energy projects to replace the flawed National Energy Board process. It must account for the upstream and downstream carbon emissions of the projects and it must respect Indigenous peoples’ rights to free, prior and informed consent as required by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
- A $4 billion annual contribution to climate adaptation and mitigation measures in the Global South. Based on precedents where Canada has contributed 3% to 4% of multilateral funds, Canada’s fair share of the $100 billion U.S. promised in the Paris decision document requires a contribution of $4 billion a year by 2020.
These are taken from our letter sent prior to the March 3rd federal provincial meeting on developing a climate action plan. This letter can be read here and was signed by 75 organizations from across Canada.
THANK YOU everyone for all your efforts. TOGETHER we will make the difference for future generations!
The ClimateFast team