Across Canada and the USA, including here in Huntsville, people are banding together to express their concerns about the climate crisis and economic inequality.
The effects of inaction and inadequate action have been felt locally: hundred-year floods have happened less than a decade apart, affordable housing is difficult if not next-to-impossible to find, well-paying jobs are hard to come by.
And then there’s our effect on the other species we share this planet with. Earlier this month, the UN released a disturbing report on the state of the Earth’s biodiversity, calling for urgent change world-wide. The global report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services noted that species are declining at an unprecedented rate—one million species are now threatened with extinction, many of them within decades. IPBES Chair, Sir Robert Watson, said, “The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.”
In response to these climate, biodiversity and economic issues, a coalition of Canadian workers, artists, Indigenous leaders, scientists, youth, and people directly impacted by the climate catastrophe have formed The Pact for a Green New Deal, a grassroots movement that aims to address the climate crisis and economic inequality through policy reform. Across the country, town hall meetings are being held to generate discussion on needed actions and to challenge political leaders to take action with a Green New Deal that rests on two principles:
“1. It must meet the demands of Indigenous knowledge and science and cut Canada’s emissions in half in 11 years while protecting cultural and biological diversity.
2. It must leave no one behind and build a better present and future for all of us.”
The Pact for a Green New Deal envisions the creation of more than a million good jobs you can support a family with, and inclusive communities that begin with the foundational rights and sovereignty of Indigenous communities.
If you’d like to add your voice, there will be a town hall in Huntsville this Sunday, May 26 at 4:00 p.m. at Sustain Eco Store.
“We aren’t seeing any action from Canadian government so this is an attempt to form a collective vision of how we want our country to be run and the changes we want to see,” says Celine MacKay, owner of Sustain and co-organizer of the event with Judith Blanchette and Kim Delagran.
“This movement is more than just eco,” adds Blanchette. “It’s social equality, Indigenous rights, green energy, poverty, et cetera. It’s our relationship with the earth, our relationship with each other and even our relationship with business.”
All attendees at the town hall will be given the chance to express their concerns, which will be recorded and provided to The Pact for a Green New Deal.
If you are planning to attend the Huntsville town hall, please RSVP at act.greennewdealcanada.ca/town-halls/huntsville.
If you cannot attend and agree with the movement, organizers ask that you sign the Green New Deal pledge at greennewdealcanada.ca.
Among those across the country who have endorsed The Pact for a Green New Deal are Greenpeace Canada, scientist David Suzuki, writer Naomi Klein, and musician Neil Young.
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Joe I am skeptic about most things and I don’t like people telling me what is what. I recall that after Hurricane Hazel in 1955 most municipalities created the water shed, green space plan in the event of flooding again. I agree with you about proper zoning but a lot a municipalities have lost sight of that catastrophe that was 63 years ago and the frequency of flooding and forest fires have increased. I would never suppose to know it all but when in doubt solid evidence based research helps. Find out for yourself and check all your sources. We all need to be informed.
The loss of bio diversity is a huge problem and I applaud you for taking action. It would be a huge global loss to lose more species.
On climate change and flooding. The flooding in every case took place in a flood plains, don’t go relating flooding to climate change. In fact, does the climate seem to you to be changing? I think better zoning requiring for example, minimum height above flood plain in order to build would be a better, more mature response rather than believing we can change climate one way or the other.
Good luck with bio diversity, a really important topic.
Thanks
Bravo Céline, Judith and Kim for hosting this important Green New Deal town hall. The implementation of the Pact will bring vital resilience to all small towns and rural hubs. I look forward to contributing to this visioning and renewal of our communities.