The idea for a Letter-Writing Bee arose as we were looking for a way to connect with potential volunteers who do not have a lot of time but want to be involved in climate action. We learned from our research that politicians pay more attention to personalized letters from concerned members of the public, particularly from their own constituents, than form letters or petitions, so organizing a letter-writing group with an informal and fluid membership seemed to be a workable plan.
Taking inspiration from the “knitting bees” in days of old, we organized the Letter-Writing Bee to learn together and write letters together. Since March 2021, Bee participants have requested action by politicians, at all three levels of government, to:
- prioritize approvals for energy projects using renewable sources (provincial)
- pass Bill C-15, An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) (federal)
- protect the Duffin Wetlands (provincial)
- stop the construction of Highway 413 (provincial)
- pass Bill C-230: The National Strategy to Redress Environmental Racism Act (federal)
- ban neonicotinoid pesticides (federal)
- pass Bill C-12: Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act (federal)
- expand and improve Indigenous Education in Ontario (provincial)
- fully fund TransformTO (municipal)
The feedback from bee participants has been a very positive, and I think all of us have appreciated the extra push it gave us to learn about issues and actually do something about them!
If you would like to join the Letter-Writing Bee, contact volunteer[at]climatefast.ca.