Social Justice
Law profs see environmental racism bill
as ‘catalyst for transformative change’
This past winter, COVID-19 outbreaks at two Coastal GasLink work camps in northern British Columbia spilled over into neighbouring Wet’suwet’en communities, according to media reports. The spread of disease to Indigenous communities through industrial projects is an example of environmental racism—when government policies discriminate against racialized communities by disproportionately exposing them to harms from industrial and other toxic activities. https://theenergymix.com/2021/05/04/law-profs-see-environmental-racism-bill-as-catalyst-for-transformative-change/
New research shows how extreme carbon inequality in recent decades has driven the world to the climate brink. We need fairer economies.
From 1990 to 2015, a critical period in which annual emissions grew 60% and cumulative emissions doubled, we estimate that:
- The richest 10% of the world’s population (c.630 million people) were responsible for 52% of the cumulative carbon emissions – depleting the global carbon budget by nearly a third (31%) in those 25 years alone
- The poorest 50% (c.3.1 billion people) were responsible for just 7% of cumulative emissions, and used just 4% of the available carbon budget
- The richest 1% (c.63 million people) alone were responsible for 15% of cumulative emissions, and 9% of the carbon budget – twice as much as the poorest half of the world’s population
https://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10546/621052/mb-confronting-carbon-inequality-210920-en.pdf
The Case for a Public Option for Housing
The urgency of the climate emergency continues amid and beyond this pandemic. Good housing policy is also good climate policy. Zero-emission buildings, as part of complete, walkable, transit-oriented communities, are central to the carbon-free economy we need to transition to as quickly as possible. Building publicly supported housing on land in municipal land banks will ensure affordable housing in perpetuity that will contribute to socially and economically sustainable communities.
https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2020/05/26/Case-Public-Options-Housing/
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Ford Watch
Carole and Lorraine’s short but powerful appearance on “The Zoomer” - Vision TV’s flagship 60-minute current affairs show. This episode deals with the 413. We will share the link on May 10.
Federal government to carry out environmental
assessment of proposed Highway 413
The federal government has decided to go ahead with an environmental assessment of the controversial GTA West Highway. Federal Environmental Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said: “I have decided to designate this project under the federal impact assessment process.”
The highway is expected to raze 2,000 acres of farmland, cut across 85 waterways and pave nearly 400 acres of protected Greenbelt land in Vaughan.
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/05/03/ottawa-to-carry-out-environmental-assessment-of-proposed-highway-413.html
Under cover of COVID-19, Doug Ford has been
selling out the environment
On all environmental fronts — a GTA highway unwanted, a Greenbelt unsecured, and greenhouse gases unrestrained — Ford’s Tories are unable to rise to the challenge of prudent governance and environmental protection. Queen’s Park has reduced itself to a junior level of government that requires adult supervision. Ottawa’s interventions aren’t federal overstepping. They are long overdue oversight for a premier lacking an environmental vision. Read more.
Ontario Liberals pick apart Greenbelt Council chair’s record
The new chair of Ontario’s Greenbelt Council, Norm Sterling, is under fire over his environmental record again, this time for his approach to climate pollution as environment minister in the Mike Harris government. He voted against the creation of the Greenbelt when he was a PC MPP.
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/05/05/news/ontario-liberals-criticize-greenbelt-council-chairs-environmental-record
Why are Ontario’s Greenhouse Gas emissions
going up instead of down?
Every spring, the federal government releases the most recent data they have on GHG emissions across Canada to see how well we are doing – nor not doing – to reduce these emissions. The jump of 10 megatonnes – from 155 to 165 – is significant, and makes up two thirds of Canada’s total emissions increase that year of 15 Mts. But Ontario is only about 40 per cent of Canada’s population, and not a major oil and gas producer. So what’s going on? It’s not a total coincidence that 2018 is the year that Premier Ford was elected, and immediately slashed cap-and-trade along with the billions of dollars per year it brought in funding for programs to cut GHG emissions.
https://environmentaldefence.ca/2020/04/21/ontarios-greenhouse-gas-emissions-going-instead/
'Increase in mortality': Troubling new numbers in
Halton climate change emergency
According to a report by the Atmospheric Fund, a regional climate agency, Halton is not on track to reach its 2030 and 2050 climate targets. In fact, emissions actually increased seven per cent year-over-year, according to their latest carbon emissions inventory of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area. Bryan Purcell, a representative with the Atmospheric Fund, said the consequences of inaction on this issue will be dire. “Climate change is a real and present danger that’s already impacting people and infrastructure in Halton region. https://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/10365939--increase-in-mortality-troubling-new-numbers-in-burlington-climate-change-emergency/
Oakville’s response to the climate emergency now has a leading organization – and soon, will have boots on the ground.
Future Energy Oakville (FEO) has been established to help bring the vision of a sustainable energy future closer to reality. The independent, community-based organization will work on implementing Oakville’s Community Energy Strategy by engaging homeowners, businesses and community members in actions to improve energy efficiency and reduce local greenhouse gas emissions. The strategy’s 2041 goals include:
- cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent,
- improving energy efficiency by 40 percent from 2016 levels, and
- returning at least $7 billion in energy savings to the community.
The three founding board members of FEO are John Matthiesen, Wayne Steffler and Zaheer Muhammad.
HACEN wants the town to aim higher
Direct municipal action, possibly as part of a regional project, would allow more rapid progress on emissions, argued Mervyn Russell on behalf of Halton Action for Climate Emergency Now (HACEN).
By endorsing the establishment of FEO, the town
“deliberately freed itself of directly reducing community energy use” and created a private-public partnership where volunteer private partners would do most of the heavy lifting, he added.
https://oakvillenews.org/oakville-community-news/energy-transformation-requires-community-launch-future-energy-oakville/
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May 2021 Calendar - Free Webinars Coming Up
From Grandmother’s Voice
Thursdays 6 - 7 pm from April 29-June 17, 2021 Planting our seeds
Led by local urban Indigenous leaders Jody Harbour and Sherry Saevil, this free eight-week virtual program offers authentic insight into Indigenous peoples perspectives and experiences both locally and globally. Join us. report. To register:https://www.oakville.ca/townhall/nr-21apr20_01.html
Wednesday, May 12 1 pm The Trudeau Formula
Martin Lukacs sheds light on a climate plan hatched in collaboration with Big Oil, the arming of a bloody Saudi war in Yemen, a reconciliation industry masking the ongoing theft of Indigenous lands, and the off-loading of public infrastructure to private profiteers—not a break from Harper, but a continuation of his destructive legacy. To register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0jeKquNYRHWN_2SjY8d84Q
In Case You Missed It: Many of us were attending the Milton PIC Engagement Event on Thursday. Watch this taped version of the Big Sprawl.
Victor Doyle (Chief Architect of the Greenbelt) weighed in on the chat: "What is the Province going to do? Put us in planning jail?"
WATCH HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLkje_pMTpU
Thursday, May 20 7pm Zoom Discussion of “From Seed to Seed”
You can screen this film from Thurs May 6 to Thurs May 20. FROM SEED TO SEED is a feature-length documentary about the growing momentum of regenerative agriculture, a blend of small-and large-scale farmers in southern Manitoba, cutting edge science with age old traditions, and fascinating folks. GUEST: Katharina Stieffenhofer, Film Director and Writer. Sponsored by Halton Hills Ecofilm Fest. To register for the film viewing and/or the zoom discussion contact@hheff.ca
HALTON ENGAGEMENT ON SPRAWL
We need GASP voices at this!
At the last two engagement events, lobbyists and developers drowned out the voices of the public! Staff were there taking notes and doing online polls. We NEED Gaspers to Attend in Burlington and Oakville! As Halton residents, we need democratic engagement! MORE than 1/4 of participants didn't live in Halton!
In the questionaire, say that you want a "hard urban boundary!" 3B is our favoured solution. It was presented by Mayor Burton and Clr. Fogal as Option 5. Staff are calling it 3B.
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Petitions - Let your voice be heard!
Tell RBC to stop funding the Line 3 tar sands pipeline
Construction of Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline has begun, and we need to do everything in our power to stop it. With politicians failing to act, we need to ramp up pressure on banks that are financing and enabling the project.
If constructed, this pipeline would carry 760,000 barrels of tar sands oil from Canada every day through a three-foot-wide pipe, as big as Keystone XL – devastating our climate, threatening the Mississippi River, and violating treaty rights.
We know that by preventing tar sands expansion, we can pave the way for large-scale, transformative change towards a renewable energy future.
Email RBC now.
More fossil fuel infrastructure has no place in a climate-safe future
Pieridae Energy is asking the federal government for $1 billion in financial assistance for its proposed $13 billion Goldboro liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore. Projects like Goldboro LNG have no place in a climate-safe future. Tell Minister of Environment and Climate Change Jonathan Wilkinson and key cabinet members to say no to financing the Goldboro LNG project. Say NO to Big Oil.
End thermal coal now
Despite claiming to be a global climate leader, the Trudeau government continues to mine and export thermal coal — one of the world’s dirtiest fossil fuels. Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has launched a review that will decide the future of thermal coal in Canada. Send your petition.
‘Mother Trees’ Are Real. They Model Sharing and Generosity
Suzanne Simard’s first book, Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest shared research on the relationship between trees and mycorrhizal networks. The book was based on her article published in the science journal Nature with the title: “The Wood-Wide Web.” In this web, the root systems of the largest, oldest trees are the most densely connected - joined together by fungal netorks like nodes in the internet. Simard argued that complex natural systems such as forests were often predicated on co-operation, mutual support, reciprocity and a level of almost, dare she say, maternal caring. Read more.
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Happy Mother’s Day GASPers and Friends!
Here’s to nurturing a healthier planet for future generations.
Mother Earth allows us to live here, in a physical body.
She also takes care of food and shelter.
This angel gives us so much beauty
to enjoy (if we don't destroy it).
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