Here are a few things you can do to educate yourself and get started toward helping change things for the better:
- Read this 2-page letter: http://www.pacinst.org/climate/climate_statement.pdf (PDF)
- Watch The Story of Stuff (and other videos on the site): http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/
- TED talk by James Hansen (NASA): http://www.ted.com/talks/james_hansen_why_i_must_speak_out_about_climat…
- http://www.pembina.org/oil-sands/photos
- http://garthlenz.com/
Suggested Reading (borrow from library or buy and donate to the library)
- Storms of my grandchildren – James Hansen, NASA scientist (also available as an audiobook)
- Heat – George Monbiot (paper or e-book)
Join & participate in groups
- Toronto Climate Campaign - www.torontoclimatecampaign.org
- Citizens Climate Lobby: http://www.citizensclimatelobby.ca/
- Council of Canadians: http://www.canadians.org/
- Post Carbon Toronto: http://www.meetup.com/PostCarbonTorontoMeetup/
- Transition town movement: http://transitiontoronto.ning.com/
- Find a neighbourhood group in your area, such as Green Neighbours 21, Toronto Green, etc.
Sign up for an email list or two…
- Greenspiration – great weekly newsletter: email: greenspiration@web.ca
- Council of Canadians email list: http://www.canadians.org/publications/subscribe/index.html
- Upcoming events: www.torontoclimatecampaign.org,
- Eco and Food: http://lizrice.ca/events/#upcoming
- Peace Notes – bi-monthly postings on peace and environmental events, and social change training – peaceworks@primus.ca, www.peaceworkstmm.org
So you’ve educated yourself, now what? Here are some suggested next steps…
- Contact your local, provincial and Federal elected officials and start communicating with them regularly, ask what they are doing on environmental issues and how you can support them.
- Find your city councilor: http://app.toronto.ca/im/council/councillors.jsp
- Find your provincial MPP: http://www.ontario.ca/en/faq/qanda/000486
- Find your federal Member of Parliament: http://www.parl.gc.ca/
- Speak with your family, friends and co-workers, respecting their wishes if they’re not ready to listen yet.
- Consider learning more about the Occupy movement, www.occupyto.org