ClimateFast Election Reflections & Next Steps

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Dear friends,

Well, the results were not what we were hoping for.

In our last several newsletters we invited every one of you to consider the importance of the June 2nd provincial election in moving climate action forward, and many of you stepped up. You joined cooperative voting initiatives, you worked on campaigns for climate champions, and you made sure to vote!

But we did not achieve the result we hoped for, the government we need.

ClimateFast is a non-partisan organization. We call on all the parties to act on climate, and in this election we asked our supporters to talk about climate, to support candidates who are pro-climate, and to help make their vote count.

Despite our best efforts to make climate an issue in the campaign it hardly registered on the campaign trail. The NDP had the Green New Democratic deal, and Del Duca promised 'buck a ride - province-wide' but the concern that we all share for immediate action on climate did not reach a broader audience. It was not talked about enough by candidates, or in the media. This even as we are told by scientists that we have just 3 years to turn off the fossil fuel tap, and we need to cut emissions in half by 2030.

ClimateFast has been active from beginning to end of this campaign.

During the election period we urged our supporters to be active. We offered a webcast on five climate election initiatives. These included Kitchen Table Climate Conversations (KTCC), Ontario Voters Coalition, GreenPAC debates, the Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign and Not One Seat.

ClimateFast’s KTCC initiative pivoted to encourage people to talk climate justice ahead of the election. We held two webcasts (1, 2), developed a provincial backgrounder and created conversation starter reels. Take a look at the blog series: Funds for Good, A Better Living, How to Live, An Everything Issue, Environmental Rule and Art and Antidotes and feel free to continue using these resources going forward!

ONTARIO CLIMATE EMERGENCY CAMPAIGN - 12 POINT ACTION PLAN

As a member group of the Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign (OCEC) we participated in a very successful campaign launch on April 27th. It was held at the Queen’s Park media studio just before the election was called and received considerable media attention. We are hopeful this will lead to many more opportunities to highlight the urgency for climate action.

Watch this short video of the 12 points Climate Action Plan by Sandra Dosen and a full recording of the launch at this link.

Our project was endorsed by David Suzuki & Severn Cullis-Suzuki.

You can view the Suzuki video - and candidate endorsements - here.

We asked all the parties to respond to our 12 point plan and we received detailed responses from the Greens, the NDP and the Liberals, which you can see here . We received no response from the PCs which is par for the course as the PCs participated in very few public appearances.

Prompted by nearly 800 letters sent to party leaders and candidates on the 12 point Climate Action Plan, we received many candidate endorsements. Thank you to all of you who sent the action letter!

Picture at left is MPP for Ottawa Centre Joel Harden, with his signed candidate pledge. Harden was re-elected on June 2nd.

We participated in the May 1st rally at Queen's Park. ClimateFast Co-Chair Lyn Adamson spoke at the feeder rally in Grange Park. Clips were played from this on CBC radio. This photo is of Lyn speaking at the May 14 rally.

We helped organize and promote the May 14th Emergency in Ontario: Rally for Climate, Communities and Nature held at Queen's Park. Over 1000 people attended. The rally was covered on CBC Radio Canada, Global News and CTV. You can watch this 3 minute clip by Yarim Angie Hinojosa of Toronto Climate Save, and this 12 minute video clip from the Climate Channel.

This blog by Matthew Lie-Paehlke of Environmental Defence reports on the May 14 rally. Big thanks to Environmental Defence for leadership, and to all the host and co-sponsoring organizations!

DOORWAYS - YOUTH ART JAM

Just two days before the election we co-organized a display of Youth Art Jam 'Doorways' with Andre Forsythe of School for Climate at Queen's Park.

It was a youth project about the election and about the climate choices we need to make going forward. You can watch it in this CBC local news video, 36 minutes in, followed by more about youth voters. Here's a clip from the Art Jam itself on May 23rd. You can see more video clips on the OCEC Facebook page.

Below are some photos of the event taken by Sandra Dosen.https://climateconversations.ca

Allie Rougeot, Fridays for Future

Andre Forsythe of School for Climate

OCEC and Doorways artists

Rahul Mehta of Stop Sprawl Peel.

Katrina Anastasia

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped organize a series of debates held in many key ridings in the GTA ('ONdebates') with GreenPAC. In addition, GreenPAC had a separate initiative supporting climate champion candidates in Ontario and nine of their thirteen endorsed candidates were elected.

Not One Seat (NOS) endeavoured to support cooperative voting in key Toronto ridings, contributing to 13 races where "unity candidates" were endorsed. Doly Begum of Scarborough Southwest was re-elected. Several ClimateFast members participated in NOS and in other candidate campaigns.

We want to commend all those who stepped forward to take active roles in the election. You are climate heroes.

We may be disappointed today - but we won't give up!

We are going to offer opportunities for deep reflection on the outcome and what we can learn to become more successful in promoting climate action at the provincial level. Read this article on the election outcome in The Energy Mix, with quotes from ClimateFast Co-Chair Lyn Adamson and volunteer Anne Keary.

We will continue to provide opportunities to engage constructively in climate activism at the municipal and federal levels.

At the federal level, a public consultation is being held until July 15th on a National Adaptation Strategy to help communities adapt to climate change. Save the date! On June 14th we will have a presentation on how to contribute to this consultation.

At the municipal level - there will be municipal elections across Ontario on October 24th.

In the meantime there's an opportunity to speak out on two-stroke leaf blowers - that will be on the agenda at City Hall in July. More on this to follow.

JUNE 5th is World Environment Day.

In the rest of the world there is some positive news. Stockholm + 50 conference, just completed, is the first global conference to name ending fossil fuels as the way we need to go. The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty shares the news.

We’d like to close by sharing with you this ten-minute debate on the climate emergency that took place the very day we were voting in Ontario. Elizabeth May initiated this exchange in Parliament.

And here’s an action you can take right away. Please support the youth climate lawsuit. This case has real significance now. It is challenging the climate target of the provincial government. You can add your name and it becomes part of the court record. This helps to make it clear to the judiciary that the public see the case as in the public interest. The case will come to court in September.

Thank you again for your commitment to the climate activism we need to ensure a climate justice future for Ontario. Together, we will make it happen.

Your ClimateFast team

ClimateFast is run solely by volunteers and is funded entirely by donations. Your donation will be used for mailings, campaign materials, room rentals and transportation.

Donate online or by cheque, made payable to:
ClimateFast
c/o Lyn Adamson
Friends House
60 Lowther Ave.
Toronto, Ontario, M6E 2Y4

Your support is greatly appreciated!

ClimateFast

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