“We have five minutes to midnight.” This is a climate emergency and we have to take action immediately.
Friday, September 27th marks Day 7 of ClimateFast, a fast and vigil for climate leadership.
At 12 noon ClimateFasters will march with their banners from Parliament Hill to 24 Sussex Drive, the residence of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, to bring the message home. Our walk is our statement in support of the IPCC report and of governments around the world taking immediate action on it. ClimateFast is calling on this government to end fossil fuel subsidies, put a price on carbon, and to develop and implement a renewable energy plan that will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. To date 103 MPs and 13 Senators have signed the pledge. www.climatefast.ca
This Friday, September 27th, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) releases the executive summary of its report on climate change. It has been five years in preparation. A total of 209 Lead Authors and 50 Review Editors from 39 countries and more than 600 contributing authors from 32 countries contributed to its preparation. It is the best information available on climate change.
Rajendra Pachauri, head of the IPCC has already stated "We have 5 minutes before midnight." We need to act now.
Meanwhile, big oil continues to deny that we need to change directions on energy policy and works to discredit the report before it is even issued.
These peaceful fasters, who are either food or carbon fasting, will be accompanied on their walk by the RCMP. Frances Deverell, President of the Canadian Unitarians For Social Justice and Ottawa Host for ClimateFast, warns the Prime Minister: “You cannot prorogue climate change. You need to recall parliament immediately. This is a climate emergency. We are on a path to ecocide, and massive human suffering if we don’t change our direction immediately. It is unethical and unconscionable. We owe it to our grandchildren to take responsibility for ourselves today. The whole world, including Canada, must be transitioning to renewable energy now.”
ClimateFast is supported by over 35 organizations (including Lead Now, Council of Canadians, Polaris Institute, Citizens For Public Justice, Ecology Ottawa, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace and the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition) and many individuals across Canada.