Toronto Budget Wins!
Three fabulous events this week!
• Film, the Need to Grow, March 10
• Celebration of Community Climate Action, March 11
• OPG and Enbridge vs our Climate, March 12
Music for the Climate
WaterDocs festival – and discount tickets! March 25 - 29
Earth Hour and Seedy Saturday – March 28
April dates!
• Climate Strike April 3
• Provincial Day of Action April 17
• Workshop on How we Win April 20
• Fill the Legislature for Climate Action April 22 -Earth Day!
Resources and Opportunities
• Links to books, articles and info on GreenPAC internships!
TORONTO BUDGET WINS!
Since the start of January, ClimateFast was very involved in Toronto's 2020 budget process, pressing Council to include robust climate funding that recognizes the Toronto's Climate Emergency Declaration.Thanks to dozens of deputants, fully funded climate action and its intersection with equity, prosperity and health were the dominant themes of the public budget consultation sessions held throughout the city. The Mayor and councillors received many emails, and at the start of the council budget meeting, five councillors presented our petition signed by hundreds of residents. Thanks to everyone who wrote, spoke, or attended these meetings!
Overall, our efforts led to several significant successes. After ten years of austerity budgets, City Council passed a budget that truly invests in the city and creates a means of new revenue through the introduction of the building fund levy.
• TransformTO received all requested funding to implement its current plans as well as an additional $3.7 million to hire new staff and provide new and enhanced services to accelerate climate action in keeping with Toronto's new goal to be a net-zero carbon city by 2050 or sooner.
• There was increased investment in TCHC energy efficiency retrofits
• Transit will benefit from the purchase of more buses and streetcars
• In response to the ClimateFast petition, Council voted 15-10 in favour of Councillor Layton's motion to study a commercial parking levy as a dedicated revenue stream for transit, climate initiatives and investment in resiliency. Those voting in favour included the Mayor and many of the swing-vote councillors who were the focus of ClimateFast's lobbying efforts.
Thank you to Councilors Wong-Tam and Layton for their budget motions. And to Councillors Perks, Fletcher, Bradford, Layton and Matlow for presenting our petitions.
Read more here.
ClimateFast members Lyn Adamson, Rosemary Boissonneau, and Katie Fettes (right) with Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, between Rosemary and Katie, with our thank you card!
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MORE AMAZING WINS!!!
Company withdraws Teck Mine application – a WIN!
Heathrow Airport – 3rd runway – DEFEATED in court – on climate grounds! – a WIN!
And there is evidence these wins are making companies nervous…as they should be! A new day is dawning, the turnaround we need is underway!
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THREE FABULOUS EVENTS THIS WEEK!
FILM SCREENING: Date: 10 Mar 2020 - 6:15pm to 8:15pm Annette Branch Public Library, 145 Annette St.
THE NEED TO GROW https://www.green13toronto.org/event/need-grow-free-screening-and-discussion
The United Nations estimates that at the rate we are depleting our farmland, we have fewer than 60 years of farmable soil left on Earth.
Can we feed the world without destroying the planet? The answer depends on what we do now! The good news is, there ARE solutions.
"In a race against the end of farmable soil three individuals fight for change in the industry of agricultural food production, calling for a revolution."
The Need To GROW takes you inside the hearts and innovations of three very different leaders - an 8-year-old girl challenges the ethics of a beloved organization - a renegade farmer struggles to keep his land as he revolutionizes resource-efficient agriculture - and an accomplished visionary inventor faces catastrophe in the midst of developing a game-changing technology. The Need To GROW delivers an epic story of solutions and the struggles to implement them. It will make you laugh, make you cry, give you chills, and inspire you to participate in the restoration of the Earth.
View the trailer and learn more here. Find out about radical initiatives for carbon capture, food and energy production, and well-being.
Green 13 is pleased to host this free screening with David Burman of DRAWDOWN Toronto. Green 13 gratefully acknowledges the sponsorship of the Annette Branch Library for this important screening.
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WEDNESDAY MARCH 11 - Celebration of Community Climate Action!
Celebrate climate action with us!
Join us on March 11 to celebrate two years of climate action with Carbon Conversations TO. Hear stories from fellow Torontonians about their personal climate change journeys and get inspired to start or continue your own actions toward tackling climate change.
DATE: Wednesday, March 11, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
LOCATION: Centre for Social Innovation, 192 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON, M5T 2C2
RSVP TODAY
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To help fuel this massive increase in fossil fuel electricity generation, Enbridge wants to import fracked gas from Pennsylvania by building a giant pipeline in Hamilton -- a pipeline that would degrade Hamilton's Beverly Swamp provincially significant wetland and raise Enbridge’s gas rates by $120 million.
If Doug Ford and Enbridge get their way, Ontario will blow way past its 2030 Climate Protection target.
We don’t need to import fracked gas from Pennsylvania to keep our lights on. Learn how we can lower our electricity bills and our climate impact by importing clean water power from Quebec and by investing in energy efficiency and Made-in-Ontario renewable energy.
It’s time to protect our climate and our pocketbooks by phasing-out our gas-fired power plants and moving Ontario toward a 100% renewable electricity future.
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/173270727262687/
More info: https://www.cleanairalliance.org/stop-the-polluting-hamilton-pipeline/
Petition: https://www.cleanairalliance.org/stop-gas-pipeline/
Article: https://theenergymix.com/2020/03/02/ontario-climate-hawks-join-city-council-to-oppose-fracked-gas-pipeline-through-hamilton-sign-on/
Cosponsored by Ontario Clean Air Alliance, ClimateFast, Toronto 350, Voice of Women for Peace, Toronto East End Climate Collective and Just Earth – come out and help us launch this campaign!
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CLIMATE SONG CIRCLE – Tuesday March 17th, 7 – 9 pm, 60 Lowther Ave.
Bring a song to share or just come and join in, please rsvp as space is limited
lyn@climatefast.ca
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THURSDAY MARCH 19, 7:30 pm, Tranzac Club
Music for Climate Justice 5 will be a magical evening of story telling, shadow puppets and music and a silent auction. All proceeds for this show go to www.indigenousclimateaction.com. This is an indigenous-led organization. Tiki room at the Tranzac club 292 Brunswick Ave.
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WATER DOCS – MARCH 25 – 29TH! www.waterdocs.ca
Climate Fast is a co-sponsor, you can sign up for these films with a 15% discount! Enter this code: 20CF15 (does not apply to opening night screening)
March 25@6:30: The Captain Is In! And the 2020 Water Warrior Award goes to… Captain Paul Watson
Join us as we celebrate a life of passion for our oceans, co-hosted by Ontario Water Works Assn. Student Chapter.
March 26@6:00: All Creatures Great and Small Opening Night Screening
It’s up to us to be good stewards of our oceans.
March 26@8:30: It’s Party Time! Opening Night Reception
Come celebrate all things water with live music, short films, tasty food and great conversation.
March 27 Activist Double Feature (in partnership with Cinéfest Sudbury)
@6:00: Part 1 - Cinema Sit-in
CINEMA SIT-IN is a grassroots, multi-location film screening to unite audiences in an urgent call for climate action. In its inaugural year, Cinema Sit-in will screen the Canadian Premiere of the feature documentary Little Yellow Boots - a story that seamlessly weaves together past, present and future into a beautiful, moving and hopeful documentary film about the power of each of us to make a difference.
The screening will be followed by a discussion led and facilitated by Duncan Holmes, an ICA professional facilitator from Toronto addressing the question we are all wondering about, "What can I do?”
@9:00: Part II - Stand-up For Water!
Learn about the Indigenous prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor.
Mni Wiconi: Water is Life
Filmmakers: Michael Genz & Jeremias Galante
USA | 2018 | 3 min | Canadian Premiere
And This is How the Rivers Came to Be
Filmmakers: Miguel Araoz Cartagena & Stephanie Boyd
PERU | 2019 | 3 min
The Condor & The Eagle
Filmmakers: Sophie & Clement Guerra
USA | 2019 | 79 min
March 28@6:00: Life On The Line The Best of the Best - Water Docs 2020 Best Film Awards Presentation
Valley of the Southern North
Filmmaker: Byron M. Dueck
CANADA | 2018 | 19.5 min
Sea of Shadows
Filmmakers: Richard Ladkani, Wolfgang Knöpfler & Walter Köhler
AUSTRIA | 2019 | 105 min
Witness a thrilling rescue mission to save a species on the verge of extinction and the devastation wrought by dams.
March 29@3:00: Water Drops Shorts Program A Water Docs Film Festival Favourite!
8 great short films about water curated especially for you!
WaterDocs Water Warrior Award being presented on March 25 will take place at Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto, St. George Campus, 2 Sussex Avenue in downtown Toronto. All other screenings on March 26-29 will take place at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, 506 Bloor Street West, Toronto.
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MARCH 28 - EARTH HOUR 8 – 9 pm – where will you be?
Did you know Saturday March 28th is Earth Hour? At 8 pm – get together with friends for a walk in the dark, with candles, or dinner and sharing by candlelight, or…. Take some quiet time at home in reflection on what it means to really take on this climate crisis now, together, and what might be done in the year ahead.
If you have a special gathering and take a photo – please send it to us! lyn@climatefast.ca
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MARCH 28 IS ALSO SEEDY SATURDAY IN SCARBOROUGH!
Scarborough Seedy Saturday and Green Fair
Sat., 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
St. John Henry Newman Catholic High School, 100 Brimley Rd S
Scarborough, ON
More info: http://tcgn.ca/event/scarborough-seedy-saturday-green-fair/
ClimateFast will have a table! Can you help? Email: rosemary@climatefast.ca with the time of day that would work best for you.
Please note: Monday March 30th will not be the launch of Africa Climate Initiative – but will be a planning meeting for this program – and will also be a planning meeting for the Hamilton Pipeline campaign – to be launched on March 12th. So save the date, come out and get involved! 7 pm, 60 Lowther Ave.
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SAVE THESE DATES FOR APRIL – EARTH MONTH!
Friday April 3rd – ClimateStrike, 11:45 am Queen’s Park – will have amazing speakers & music!
Friday April 17th- province-wide day of action at MPP’s offices – can you get involved in a visit to your local MPP? Send an email to lyn@climatefast.ca for more info.
Monday April 20th – very special workshop in organizing skills! Very special trainer too! George Lakey, author of ‘How We Win’ and ‘Viking Economics’ - Hold the date!
Wednesday April 22nd – Let’s fill the House for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! Challenge the Ontario government’s anti-climate record with a public demonstration of our concerns! Presentation of petitions – and more. If you are able to take a few hours during the work day and join us there, please do! Details of this campaign being developed, would you like to join us on this? lyn@climatefast.ca
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RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES!
GUY DAUNCEY – fabulous resource!
Climate Emergency: A 26-Week Transition Program for Canada
https://thepracticalutopian.ca/
Citizens Guide to Climate Success by Mark Jaccard, can be downloaded from this website:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/citizens-guide-to-climate-success/49D99FBCBD6FCACD5F3D58A7ED80882D
Mark is giving another presentation on March 23 as the speaker for the Eric Krause lecture. Tickets (free) are available here.
Drawdown Review – 2020 revised version of the Drawdown program.
More articles and resources at: myclimatechange.home.blog
Subscribe to receive Energy and Climate news three times a week in this free e-newsletter, the Energy Mix.
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GREENPAC INTERNSHIPS
GreenPAC runs a Parliamentary Internship for the Environment program. This program sends outstanding young environmental leaders, aged 18-30, to Ottawa for a paid, full-time placement in the office of a Member of Parliament (MP) with a proven record of environmental commitment. Our MP partners come from across the country and across the political spectrum. This year, we are thrilled to be working with MPs Jenica Atwin (Green), Richard Cannings (NDP), Larry Maguire (Conservative), Mumilaaq Qaqqaq (NDP), and the Honourable Joyce Murray (Liberal).
The internship is a terrific opportunity for future sector leaders to experience the policymaking process firsthand and build a political network. Outside of office hours, Interns participate in a range of leadership development programming, including fireside chats with experts from government, industry and NGOs.
Applications are now open for our 2020-2021 Internship cohort! If you have any exceptional young leaders within your network, please consider sharing the program details and application form with them. Applications are due by midnight (EST) on March 31, 2020. Don’t hesitate to contact our Program Manager at internship@greenpac.ca if you have any questions or would like more information.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
WE NEED TO ACT ON CLIMATE – FAST!