Good Sunday Morning!
Hope everyone had a Happy Earth Day! Although it is hard to be exuberant when two stalwart defenders of old growth, Brent Eichler and Howard Breen, have been on a hunger strike for weeks. Their demands are so modest. They just want to meet with John Horgan or his Forests Minister Katrine Conroy. Here is the link to an excellent story about their brave stance from Georgia Straight.
On Earth Day,. Minister Conroy phoned Howard Breen who has, as of now, gone 23 days without food. He cut off their conversation when she refused to consent to a public and recorded meeting: https://www.straight.com/news/
Lately, with close friends, family and constituents in our community meetings, the question keeps coming up: In the face of the “Now or Never” warning from the IPCC (April 4), what more do we do? How can we make any impact?
It is agonizing. Here we are with a former Greenpeace and Equiterre climate campaigner as Environment Minister, and within 48 hours of the U.N. Secretary General condemning any new fossil fuel development as “moral and economic madness,” our government committed to off-shore drilling to produce an additional one billion barrels of oil. The April 7th budget committed to building the TMX pipeline, after transferring it to Indigenous ownership. I’m gagging on the cynicism of it. Feeling anger is normal. Rage is appropriate. But where do we put our energies?
I hate to go to what may seem a default partisan response, but, honestly, I do not see any action as powerful as getting more Greens elected. True, direct action of all kinds (within the principles of non-violence) is appropriate, but nothing will make as big an impact on our fossil fuel friendly national media and the political elites that think they have the climate “file” handled for now, like an unexpected surge in Green support.
We have an opportunity coming up to make that difference. June 2 is the Ontario election. Only Mike Schreiner and the Ontario Greens have a comprehensive and smart platform for real climate action.
But, to our collective shame, the federal Greens had such a disastrous campaign in 2021 that it hurt our provincial cousins. The media increasingly writes all of us out of the script. Electing more Green MPPs in Ontario will change that story. Electing Green MPPs to Queens Park, giving Mike Schreiner the reinforcements he needs and deserves, is really do-able. All of us, across the country, should do whatever we can to send a climate message. Electing Green MPPs in Ontario is the most significant, immediate way we can respond to “Now or Never.”
Here is how you can help.
- If you live in Ontario, you know what to do. Send donations. Get a lawn sign. Volunteer and go door to door.
- If you do not live in Ontario, you cannot make donations to GPO. At least, you cannot send money. But you can VOLUNTEER!
- For Greens outside of Ontario, please donate to the federal Greens as the Earth Day Challenge is still on!
- GPO needs volunteers on the telephone, calling into key ridings where our candidates can win.
- Here is the list of the great candidates stepping up: https://gpo.ca/find-candidate/
- To help fantastic Ontario Deputy Leader, former Ontario Environment Commissioner, Dianne Saxe, email: [email protected]
- GPO invites Greens from outside the province to come for a visit! The writ drops in early May and we will be off to the races. Experienced canvassers make a big difference.
- I will get to Ontario to campaign and I will sign up for phone canvassing. Please join me!
It is now or never for the climate. Electing more Ontario Green MPPs sends a clear message that helps Mike Morrice and me in parliament! It helps our brilliant Greens in the BC Legislature, Sonia Furstenau and Adam Olsen. And of course, Greens doing well anywhere, help Greens do well everywhere!
We must also find every way we can to raise a loud protest at the commitment to TMX and Bay du Nord. Repeating Antonio Guterres- Our government is committing moral and economic madness. Mike Morrice and I will be hammering away at the Liberals in Parliament as we resume tomorrow. Now or never.
Check out some upcoming activities in my P.S. below.
Stay well and safe.
Elizabeth
P.S.
URGENT! Deadline May 10. Please sign my petition to ban export of thermal coal!!
Thursday, April 28:
I will speak at Victoria City Council in favour of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
Saturday, April 30:
MP Community Meeting on Galiano at the Community Hall, from 6:30 -8 pm
May 7-8
Helen Stewart is kindly inviting people to her garden for an event.
Open Garden and Studio
11 AM -5 PM, at 2875 Tudor Avenue, Ten Mile Point
May 15th: The Victoria Chapter of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan is holding a Red Pashmina walk on to raise funds and awareness for our sisters in Afghanistan, as well as in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. It will be a 3 km walk from the legislature along the inner harbour, up Government St to Bastion Square and back to Douglas St.
Meet on the BC Legislature lawn 10:00am PT Registration 10:20 Introductory Remarks 10:30am and then the walk!
Saanich-Gulf Islands Greens
https://sgi.edagreens.ca/