ClimateFast News

Contents

• Bring back the Life - Climate Change song
• #fastfortheclimate - #Lima2014, #COP20
• Help make Fast for the Climate on December 1st the defining civil society action on the opening day of COP20 in Lima
• COP20 Event in Toronto on December 1st
• Lights for Lima Events for December 7th

 

 

 

a call-out to everyone to join the ‘world’s largest climate fast’ on December 1st, 2014 for the opening of the UN Climate Conference in Peru – COP20. Join Fast for the Climate in solidarity with those suffering yet acting against climate change.

 

 

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#fastfortheclimate – #Lima2014, #COP20                    by Frances Deverell

 

December 1st, 2014, the opening day of COP20 Lima is expected to be the biggest climate fast in history. Latin American and international NGOs from environmental, development and climate justice networks, a broad range of youth activists, negotiators from across negotiating blocks and other high-profile people in the UN climate talks will join the fast. Many people are hungry for action.

 

In her new book, Reflections on My Life, Elizabeth May asks who we are in Canada today?  Are we the kind of people who would shirk our duty to the world and to future generations for short term gain?  Are we the kind of people who are so discouraged that we would let the status quo continue it’s course without saying anything?  Doing nothing about it?  Not even taking the trouble to vote for our leadership?  Or do we have the strength and the courage to face our difficulties and take action to transform our economy into a vital, job-producing, thriving economy for the twenty-first century?

 

Climate change is not a partisan issue.  Thanks to all of your continued letter-writing, 123 MPs have signed our politician’s pledge including most NDP members and many Liberal members.  Matt Kellway, NDP MP, has reintroduced the Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-619) and invites all to sign a petition in support of his bill.  Canadians of all stripes should let their government know that we expect them to promote aggressive targets to reduce our greenhouse gases and make the transition to renewable energy.  The Canadian delegation to Lima, Peru should reflect all parties and include prominent representatives from civil society.   We need to work together as Canadians to achieve tough goals..

 

The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change has said, “the only way our economies can still prosper is if we both phase out fossil fuel pollution entirely and adapt to the impacts of climate change.”  The new world goal is to eliminate emissions from fossil fuels entirely by 2050.  Sooner is better.  We can either unlock the benefits of green jobs, better health, and a reduction in poverty by moving to renewable energy and greater energy efficiency, or sentence our children and grandchildren, and companion species, to catastrophic climate effects where climate mitigation and adaptation will cost much more. There are limits to adaptation.

 

The people are on the move.  The Great Climate March walked from California to Washington to gain support for climate action.  Yeb Saño led a party of marchers across the Philippines one year after typhoon Haiyan demolished vast swaths of the Philippines.  Joseph Boutilier, Unity for the Climate, unicycled from Victoria to Ottawa to get his climate message out there.  The citizens of Burnaby are occupying Burnaby Mountain park in an act of resistance against pipeline expansion.  Other people are taking action by forming renewable energy co-operatives and building the new energy system – not waiting for government permission.  ClimateFast followers diligently write a letter every month to our leadership, calling for change.

 

Join the largest climate fast in the world on December 1st.  And please, let fastfortheclimate.org know that you are fasting.

 

• Write a letter to the editor.  Invite your friends to write one too.  (See our sample letter)

• Post a picture with your statement on our facebook page.  

 

Call out to Canadians that we have to let our leaders know that we expect some real progress on these talks in Peru.  This is the challenge for our generation – to define a quality of life that includes harmony with the world that sustains us.

 

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Help make Fast for the Climate on December 1st the defining civil society action on the opening day of COP20 in Lima