The ClimateFast newsletter shares information, resources, news, and activist opportunities about the climate crisis that may interest our readers, and does not necessarily reflect the views of ClimateFast members. If you have an event or resource you would like to share, please send it to newsletter@climatefast.ca.

Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 passed second reading on Nov 10th. This bill erodes the powers of Conservation Authorities and regional municipalities and opens up wetlands and other natural areas, as well as essential farmland, for development. If passed, it will open up much of the province to massive habitat destruction and biodiversity loss, and leave communities more vulnerable to natural disasters, all without effectively addressing the need for new and affordable housing in Ontario.

ClimateFast participated in the November 18th rally against the bill at Premier Doug Ford's constituency office, and we encourage others to participate in one of the many rallies being held across the province (see the Events section below). We made a submission to the committee hearings on the bill as an organization, and several members did the same as individuals. We are also collecting petitions to oppose the bill; anyone interested in circulating a physical petition can contact lyn@climatefast.ca for more information. We encourage all Ontarians to contact MPPs and ministers, sign petitions, and make every effort to make their voices heard on this dangerous bill. 

• Check out the backgrounder and call to action from Ontario Nature.
• Sign the petitions from the Ontario Headwaters Institute, “Ontario Must Withdraw Bill 23 and Shift to Sustainable Planning”, Environmental Defence, “Save Our Wetlands from Bill 23", and the David Suzuki Foundation,  “Urge the Ontario Government to Amend the Homes Act”.
• View the recordings of webinars "Bait and Switch: Understanding Bill 23, The 'More Sprawl, Fewer Wetlands' Act", from Ontario: Yours to Protect, and "Protect the Greenbelt: A Town Hall", from opposition leader Peter Tabuns.
• Read "City of Ottawa staff have analyzed the local impacts of the province's new housing bill, and their conclusions are grim", from the Ottawa Citizen.
• See the Association of Municipalities Ontario’s list of public consultation opportunities on the bill.

On November 12th, ClimateFast joined with For the Love of Creation and the climate justice organization from Trinity-St. Paul's United Church for a candlelight vigil to highlight the desperate need for meaningful progress at the COP27 conference. Before the vigil, participants gathered indoors to write postcards to the Prime Minister, sending 85 cards in total. It was a beautiful event, full of music, poetry (including 'Candles for COP27' by Colleen Lynch) and reflection. It was also well attended despite the cold, and drew attention from media, including CBC Toronto's TV newscast. A total of 19 vigils were held across Canada, as detailed on the For the Love of Creation website.

Our action letter campaign to tell the CBC that they need to tell the truth about our Climate Crisis continues on. Please click on this link to sign the action letter. And please pass this request along to your family and friends. If we can get the CBC to change how they report on the Climate Crisis then Canadians will have to take it more seriously. We had over 400 people sending out action letters to the CBC executive and the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the federal minister responsible for the CBC. Let’s keep adding to this total and keep the pressure on the CBC.

In support of the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, the Ontario government is proposing changes to the Greenbelt, removing some land while adding other parcels. This directly contradicts Premier Ford’s campaign promise that he would not interfere with the Greenbelt. Comments on these proposals are welcome through the Environmental Registry of Ontario by December 4, 2022.

Dave McKay, CEO of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), will be appointed to the Order of Ontario on November 21st. Under his leadership, RBC is Canada’s largest funder of fossil fuel companies and continues to pour billions of dollars into expanding and maintaining oil and gas production. For Our Kids has provided a letter template to oppose granting this honour to McKay.

Thursdays, January 12 - March 30, 2023
7:00-8:30pm ET
Online
In partnership with the Good Grief Network, we are hosting a 10-week program to create personal resilience in the face of the climate crisis. 

Beginning on January 12, 2023 we will meet virtually from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. (EST) each Thursday for 11 weeks (our first meeting will be an orientation session). While we understand that sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up, it is strongly encouraged that participants commit to attend all sessions. 

Space is limited to 10 participants who will be selected randomly on December 9th. 

If you would like to register to this free program, please email Susan Bakshi: susan.bakshi@mac.com

Speaking at COP27, environment minister Steven Guilbeault announced that the proposed cap on emissions from Canada’s oil and gas sector will be finalized by the end of 2023. The details of the regulations have yet to be publicized, though an earlier report suggested that the government would aim for a 46% emissions reduction from 2019 levels by 2030. Advocacy groups in Canada are continuing to press for a stricter cap, ideally 60% below 2005 levels by 2030, as well as a quicker timeline.

Read The Energy Mix's article
Read the National Observer's article

After narrowly beating the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in a runoff election less than a month ago, Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is using the COP27 conference to announce his plans for climate action. He promised to make climate change his government’s top priority, to take extensive measures to halt and reverse deforestation in the Amazon, and to push wealthy, highly-polluting nations to pay their fair share of adaptation and mitigation costs in the developing world.

Read The Guardian’s article

The Auditor General’s office recently released a report detailing the federal government’s failure to invest in mitigation and maintenance work that could help First Nations communities prepare for emergencies. According to the report, the government spends 3.5 times more on disaster response, which can include costly and disruptive evacuations for remote communities, than on disaster preparedness in these settings. This issue is likely to become more pronounced as climate change makes natural disasters a more frequent occurrence across the country.  

Read the National Observer's article
Read the CBC's article