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Credit: Betty Muir

So much is happening this spring! It’s time for change and people are involved all across the province. Please read on for actions that you can take, and events you may wish to come to, and other ways you can become involved to support the transition to a renewable energy future. Given that we have less than 12 years to bring GHG emissions down by 45% and they are currently still going up, we have our work cut out for us - at the municipal, provincial, and at the federal government level. Most hopeful: youth organizing! Toronto students joined an international day of action inspired by Greta Thunberg on March 15- and received amazing media coverage, scroll to the end for links. Scroll down for a full list of climate events in April!

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MUNCIPAL LEVEL: Emergency resolutions and Toronto initiative to sue fossil fuel companies

Many municipalities across Canada are passing EMERGENCY RESOLUTIONS to enable faster action on carbon emission reduction targets - and to make sure politicians know there is public support for climate action. Right now Matt Lie-Paehlke is working on lobbying councilors in Toronto by having constituents contact them for meetings. Please email Matthew at travellinmatt@gmail.com if you would like to help with this campaign. If your councillor is McKelvie, Minnan-Wong, Pasternak or Perruzza, Matt would especially like to hear from you.

Newsflash! Hamilton City council unanimously passed a climate emergency resolution on March 27 ^th ! Details: https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=185406 . Has your municipality passed a climate emergency resolution? Let us know! lyn@climatefast.ca . A history of the campaign in Quebec can be found on the Climate Action Network website: https://climateactionnetwork.ca/2019/02/26/a-history-of-quebecs-declaration-of-climate-emergency-campaign/

TORONTO CITY COUNCIL - GREENPEACE has launched an initiative to ask Toronto City Council to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for the costs of fossil fuel pollution. Please send a letter to your councillor! - https://act.greenpeace.org/page/40382/-/1

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PROVINCIAL LEVEL - LOSING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONER!

Just heard we are losing our Environmental Commissioner this coming Monday rather than May 1st as had been planned. Please consider writing a letter to the editor today and coming out to see and hear Dianne Saxe next week - April 3rd and/or April 4th - event links follow. (April 3rd is during the day, April 4th is an evening presentation). Dianne Saxe deserves a standing ovation for the truthful information she has provided. She has shown true leadership. Dianne Saxe has issued a new report so make sure to take a look for that.

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2019/03/27/ford-wins-ontarios-environment-loses.html Write to: lettertoed@thestar.ca

New energy conservation report from the commissioner: https://eco.on.ca/blog/fossil-fuel-conservation-could-save-billions/

PROVINCIAL LOBBYING - Sharon Howarth continues to coordinate meetings with MPPs. We invite you to get involved! especially if you are in a riding with a conservative MPP. We are speaking with MPPs about the Peoples Climate Plan for Ontario . Contact Sharon@climatefast.ca if you’d like to participate.

Citizens Climate Lobby held a breakfast reception with MPPs from all parties at Queen’s Park on March 26. A highlight was an amazing speech by Fridays for Future activist 12 year old Zoe Keary-Matzner. MPP Gilles Bisson captured her message here.

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RALLY TO OPPOSE THE PROVINCAL GOVERNMENT’S COURT CASE AGAINST CARBON PRICING : Can you hold a vigil, picket or visit your local MPP’s office on Monday April 15th? If you have a conservative MPP this would be a really helpful support to this action at Osgoode Hall on the first day of the court case. We want the MPP’s to know that their constituents support carbon pricing and oppose the government spending our tax dollars to fight it. If you can please email lyn@climatefast.ca and I will let Environmental Defence know about your action. If there are multiple actions around the province, this will increase the news coverage for this event.

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Credit: Betty Muir

APRIL EVENTS!

April 1 - Course on Project Drawdown (April 1, 8, 15, 22, and May 20 or 29) Sliding scale spaces available. More info on Drawdown at: www.drawdown.org , and in Toronto: www.unifytoronto.ca . Drawdown is all about solutions and was featured on TVO

JOIN THE DRAWDOWN ECO-CHALLENGE ! From April 3 - 24: More info here

April 2 -4 - Divest Fest at U of T

Wed April 3 - U of T - Building a post Carbon World . Daytime workshop 'Designing 2050 - Pathways to a Sustainable Future' and evening presentation Bill McKibben at 6 pm, Isabel Bader Theatre - Bob Hunter memorial lecture 'Turning up the Heat'.

Thursday April 4, 7 - 8:30 - An evening with Dianne Saxe , Rosedale United Church,

Friday April 5 - FridaysforFuture at Queen's Park, 12:30 - 2 pm. Come out and support the youth ! and please reserve Friday May 3, 12 noon to 2 pm, for a Canada wide day of action on climate. Toronto will have a march and an action with climate ribbons. If you want to help, please email fridaysforfuture@climatefast.ca . or come to the next planning meeting Monday April 1 ^st 6:30 pm, 60 Lowther Ave. We also have a young people’s singing group practicing on April 1 (for performing on Friday April 5), Contact: cassandranorton@gmail.com for details.

Sunday April 7 - next planning meeting for ClimateFast, at Friends House, 60 Lowther Ave, 6:00 - 8:00 pm . Want to join the core planning team? Please email: lyn@climatefast.ca

Monday April 8-Climate Action: Let's #TransformTO Together

by Toronto Public Library - Malvern District Library 30 Sewell’s Rd. 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM Introduction to TransformTO Please call 416-396-8970 to register. More info

Wednesday April 10th - Addressing the Climate Elephant with Friends and Family - 6 pm, 60 Lowther Ave. Hosted by Carbon Conversations Toronto

This event is being brought to you by popular request from our planning sessions held last fall. So please do come if you can!

Monday April 15th - Rally For Climate Action - 12:30 - 1:30
Osgoode Hall courthouse - 130 Queen St. W. of University Ave. - protest the province's fight against the federal government.Hosted by Environmental Defence Canada - Tell Ford you don’t want our tax dollars wasted fighting against carbon fee and dividend!

Monday April 25 - FUNDRAISING CONCERT FOR NATURE CONSERVANCY

Forest Bathing - Music and Poetry in Conversation with Nature Thu, April 25, 2019 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM Heliconian Club Tickets are $10 Violist Esme Allen-Creighton and pianist Anyssa Neumann invite you to an evening of music and poetry featuring works by Robert Schumann, Dmitri Shostakovich and Paul Hindemith. Poetry will reflect on each musical selection, applying a natural lens to ask "If this song were a forest, what would it be like?" Tickets: Earth Day Concert!

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CLIMATEFAST - also has groups developing in Etobicoke and Scarborough under our Community Futures initiative with Green Neighbours Network and Toronto Green community. Please email lyn@climatefast.ca to get involved in workshops and training being planned for late April through June 2019.

We have a film group working on setting up a new Climate Film Festival. If you love films - your help is needed! Next meeting April 11 ^th , email Sarah if you are interested: mueller.sarah.1709@gmail.com

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TABLING! We are in tabling season folks! Lots of opportunity to get the word out about what we are doing. Can you help? Jay Scott is tracking tabling opportunities and would love to hear from you: Jasco.scott@gmail.com

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MEDIA COVERAGE - FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE! THE YOUTH ARE RISING!! Here are several links from excellent coverage received. Congrats to Fridays for Future organizers and youth speakers!

'Adults, be brave': Students demand climate action at Queen's Park - CBC News

IT’S MY FUTURE 12 year old Zoe Keary-Matzner says - CBC radio, Here and Now

‘ The youth have risen!’ Climate strikers storm the streets CBC Kids News • with Sophia Mathur, 11, video from prep session and on the street

VICE video coverage, interview of Sophia Mathur, prep session & rally: Facebook or Twitter

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THANKS EVERYONE FOR ALL THAT YOU ARE DOING - TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE FUTURE!

WE NEED TO ACT ON CLIMATE - FAST!

Monday April 8-Climate Action: Let's #TransformTO Together

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