NAME CHANGE & REBRANDING: We have changed our name to the Canadian Health Association for Sustainability and Equity (CHASE) from Creating Healthy and Sustainable Environments (CHASE) to better reflect who we are (a non-profit directed and run by public health professionals) and what we do (work to improve public health, protect the planet, and decrease health inequities).
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Invest in public transit to create healthy, green and just communities
COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact on public transit systems that rely heavily on the fare box for their funding. With collective fare box losses as high as $400 million per month, transit agencies across Canada have been forced to eliminate service routes and jobs during the pandemic. Twice in 2020, the Canadian government provided emergency funding that has been used, in part, to keep transit systems afloat and operating. It is time to recognize public transit as an essential service and to fund it accordingly.
In a regular year, nearly 2 million people across Canada use public transit to get to work each day. In August 2020, that number dropped to half a million as 42% of transit users worked from home, 26% switched to their cars, and 7% switched to active modes of travel such as cycling. It is important to reflect on the fact that, during a pandemic, half a million people in Canada were still using public transit each day.
About 20-40% of people in our communities are unable to drive to school, work or to run errands because of their age, income or ability, or they choose not to drive. For many people, public transit is an essential service that provides them with independent and less costly access to jobs, schools, essential services and recreational opportunities. Many of these people provide services deemed essential during the pandemic – personal care workers in long-term care centres, grocery store workers, cleaners in health care institutions, and workers in food processing plants. For many people, public transit is the only affordable way to get to work...KEEP READING.
Invest in Transit Backgrounder (6 pages)
Invest in Transit Fact Sheet (3 pages)
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LETTER: To Federal Ministers of the Environment and Climate Change, Infrastructure and Communities, Finace and Health, Canada. From the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA), Ontario Public Health Association (OHA) and CHASE. Re: Canada's Updated Climate Action Plan - A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. Feb 8, 2021. Click here.
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REPORT HIGHLIGHTS: EAT - Diets for a Better Future - Rebooting and Reimagining Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems in the G20. Guest post prepared by Plant Based Data. August 25, 2020
Climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, and diet-related illnesses are major concerns, and this report by Eat-Lancet shows that changing diets is one of the single most effective strategies we have to building a better future. The concept of planetary health comes from the realization that our human civilization is intertwined with complex natural ecosystems. This investigation of current food consumption patterns shows that dietary choices in G20 countries have a massive impact. The document also comments on the footprint of various G20 National Dietary Guidelines (NDGs), and the footprint it would have if adopted worldwide. As such, the Lancet document demonstrates how the impact of a diet relates to its scalability....Click here to read full summary.
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PRINCIPLES: Powering Change: Principles for Businesses and Governments in the Battery Value Chain. Prepared by Amnesty International. Endorsed by over 50 organizations globally. February 4, 2021 Click here.
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LETTER: To UK Prime Minister Johnston re: Addressing Climate Change and COVID19 at G7 Meeting. Prepared by the G7 Global Task Force. January 27, 2021. Click here.
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LETTER: To Federal Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade re: Export Development Corporation subsidizng Fossil Fuels in Canada. December 2020. Collaborative letter prepared by Julia Levin at Environmental Defence. Click here.
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PRESENTATION: Intersection Between Climate Change, COVID19 and Health Inequities. Presented by Kim Perrotta to the Health Promotion Ontario Panel re: Managing Health Inequities in a Pandemic. Nov 26, 2020. Click Here.
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PRESENTATION: Addressing Climate Change as Public Health Professionals. Presented by Kim Perrotta MHSc, Workshop Presentaton at Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) Conference. Oct 16, 2020. Click Here
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BLOG: Highlights from the 2020 Lancet Countdown Report on Health and Climate Change. Prepared by Kim Perrotta MHSc, December 12, 2020. Click here to continue reading.
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BLOG: Use Taxpayer Dollars to Create a Healthy, Green and Just Recovery. CHASE Executive Director, Kim Perrotta MHSc. Nov 20, 2020. Click here.
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OP-ED: COVID-19 Recovery can Help in Climate Crisis. Hamilton Spectator, June 23, 2020. Dr. Charles Gardner, MOH for SMDHU, Ian Culbert, Executive Director for CPHA, Kim Perrotta, Executive Director for CHASE. Click here.
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OP-ED: Green Investment and Resilient Communities Lead to a Brighter Future. Hamilton Spectator, April 20, 2020. Kim Perrotta, CHASE Executive Director. click here.
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