Earth Day time to up our game

Last Earth Day, my friend called and I told him, "it’s my special day.., you didn’t wish me a Happy Earth Day!"
He hit back, "every day is Earth Day!" and thus began our tradition of saying “Happy Earth Day” as the first greeting with every phone call on any day.

And to some extent, our little pattern is accurate. Environmental awareness, if not action, has become so mainstream that for more of the population, environmental consciousness is now built into daily behaviour. But as people have changed attitudes throughout the world, the threat of inaction by government and large industry still threaten us all with global catastrophe. (Wow, that sounded harsh.. wish it wasn’t true).

So today it’s back to the political again as was off to Jack Layton’s house to deliver a set of demands with City-TV and CBC tagging along. I was asked by the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition to join in delivering a call to action on climate change, which is being delivered by young people to political leaders across the country today. I haven’t looked into the other 'plant a tree for Earth Day' type activities happening in the area today, but this action is a good one to be a part of.


Other things are happening in my neighbourhood. At Queen’s Park was a rally to kick of a walk to stop a mega quarry in Dufferin County. One hundred kilometres north of the City lies an application by a US Hedge Fund to construct the second largest open pit mine in North America, on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment - would be almost half the size of the City of Toronto ripping out kick ass farmland.

At the same time in about the same place, a strategic action planned by youth is taking place. It’s U of T’s turn for a vote mob and it will be big, with over 1,000 registered on Facebook as we speak. A Happy Earth Day it will be for me if youth get out to vote. Young Greens have chalked lines to the same polling station and are also focusing on getting out the youth vote. Michael Erickson’s NDP campaign is having an advance poll party. Greenpeace is rallying against new nukes.

I’ve been involved in many these youth movements over the last few years, from Sustainable Campuses, Youth Climate Change, Young Greens and now the youth food movement. These have similar goals and sometimes similar people, and have been making a big difference – if not just a kick in the pants, energizing the broader environmental movements and organizations.


Sadly though, it's tough times out there for environmental advocates, but not for a lack of work to be done.

The federal government has done everything it could to rid environmental programs of funding, as reported before the election - but with little fanfare - in Canadian media. Expected cuts were to include a whopping 59% for climate and air pollution programs, the latter being a supposed environmental priority for the Tories.

That adds up to an overall 20% reduction in Environment Canada's spending and a 21% cut for Natural Resources Canada.

While spending cuts are easier to argue in deficit days, the cuts come at a time when barely anything is being done by federal government to reduce climate change, a crisis whose costs will outweigh any small savings of doing nothing, many times over.

In Canada's biggest province things also look bleak. After canceling potential offshore wind because of localized public opinion differences, Ontario's provincial government who has shown support for green energy is facing a challenge from a Party threatening the dismantling of the Green Energy and Green Economy Act. This comes with a base of support from Landowners who have traditionally butted heads with all government environmental policy, including Greenbelt legislation. The same Party under Mike Harris left a 40% cut to the Ministry of the Environment.


In Canada’s biggest city, a mayor has been elected who’s been guiding Council through priorities of tax and spending cuts, with perceived public perception that these issues are critical over pretty much all else. Meanwhile, area grassroots environmental and food movement organizations are growing like gangbusters. With a deep financial crisis, Council will have to find savings of hundreds of millions by next year, and we assume continued financial support for programs like the Toronto Environment Office, Toronto’s Food Strategy, Live Green or Tower Renewal.

These political leaders are all very popular. Harper and Hudak Conservatives could both win majorities. The federal political landscape is split up, and the other parties, according to a new Sierra Club survey, are slipping in their support for environmental issues. There may be a historic opportunity to elect the Green leader who has been involved in nurturing many of our youth movements and could have an impact. But with the NDP on the rise and the Liberals in free fall, where would a Conservative majority leave us?

The environmental movement has to up its game. We’ve reached the attention of many, except for those holding power. We need some deep discussions about where we’re headed and what will work from now on.

One hope is to eat our way out of the mess. The New York Times recently headlined, “Foodies Can Eclipse (and Save) the Green Movement.”

“But here's the good news,” read the article, “the two sides aren't really competing. As the food movement matures and grows, it could end up being the best vehicle available for achieving environmental goals.”

As usual, the advice I can provide is to get involved and learn. Work with like-minded folks and see the broader political context. Be strategic and have discussions – if we reach out and work together, we can win.

Suggested reading:

My past Earth Day articles, 2006, 2009, 2010

Federal Election Party Platform Environmental Report Card, Sierra Club of Canada

Our Generation, Our Future, Our Demands, Canadian Youth Climate Coalition

Foodies Can Eclipse (and Save) the Green Movement, Time Magazine

Take action:

http://www.elections.ca/

http://www.pushfoodforward.com

http://www.facebook.com/no.mega.quarry

http://chocosol.posterous.com

http://tyfpc.ca

http://www.ourclimate.ca/wordpress

http://www.greenpeace.org/canada

Calling for a new generation of Moonies

Darcy Higgins

We all owe a big thank you to Ban Ki Moon.

The UN Secretary-General, it appears, has basically stopped everything to put climate on top of his agenda, having convened over 100 heads of state for meetings on the climate crisis. He did this with a little ambition and a lot of optimism, pulling these leaders together to get things moving on a political level, towards necessary aims at Copenhagen. His challenge to fellow leaders: “Your words have been heard around the world. Let your actions now be seen. There is little time left. The opportunity and responsibility to avoid catastrophic climate change is in your hands”.

The convention in New York was met with a world of actions from the public. On Monday, TckTckTck launched a global wakeup call with 1500 events in 112 countries, including several in Canada, at least three in Toronto. Showings of The Age of Stupid were also premiered in countries worldwide Monday and Tuesday. Rebecca and I attended one of those events.

Stupid was enough to give anyone the heebie-jeebies. Set in a 2055 dystopia based on real scientific projections for what will happen to our planet should we not reduce emissions, the central question was, why didn’t we act when we knew what was coming? Perhaps far-fetched, perhaps not, but virtual annihilation of the human species was portrayed. Do today’s global citizens actually realize, actually feel that this possibility is heading our way if we don’t act? I don’t think so. The movie therefore made it real. Even if you set your disaster expectations a little lower, science still leaves us with harsh realities to come.

To be honest, the film really was a shock to the system. What we’re doing here in disaster prevention is the most important work that we could be doing right now.
The film led us through in-depth stories of people who live among us… in England, Louisiana, India and Nigeria. These stories provide insight as to why we aren’t acting and analyze our collective and individual addictions to oil. A lot is about jobs, necessities and wants, and a failure of social-economic-political systems to lead us to a re-organized economy. Answers to the “why we didn’t act” question exist all around us, but the consistent posing of the question in the film made me continually reflect on the gravity of the situation.

Despite Moon’s efforts, all is not well coming out of New York. The U.S. and China have left without committing to new binding targets. And Stephen Harper skipped most of the meetings, instead attending a Tim Horton’s anniversary event in Oakville the day of Barack Obama’s speech to the UN.

Things move slowly in politics – even more so in global politics – but this climate change isn’t slowing at all. If we are to have any hope in making an impact we must:
• keep up the pressure
• be patient – but not too patient
• watch, host and discuss screenings of The Age of Stupid
• continue to act as we lead up to Climate Day, October 24
• brace ourselves: a final agreement may not come until next year
• say a private thanks to Ban Ki Moon and commit to moving Harper’s agenda to where it needs to be
• become a Moonie

The Age of Stupid is showing again in Toronto at the MUCK Film Festival on October 3rd. If you would like to organize a screening, contact Darcy.

Image from: www.facebook.com/Harper.Chooses.Donuts.Over.Planet

Do the right thing, no matter what China does

Stop Everything
Rebecca McNeil

Timing is a funny thing. Just as I am having these apocalyptic realizations that we have very little time to make some mind-bogglingly major changes to industry and how we live our lives, so too is Preston Manning. Yes, that Preston Manning, former leader of the Reform Party of Canada (read: uber conservative).
It seems there is a point that many powerful, or formerly powerful men reach in their careers when they soften, open up to ideas one would never have imagined they could get behind, and look with shining, idealistic eyes to the “younger generation.” Correlating milestones often include becoming a grandfather, having a humbling health scare and/or retiring officially from their political/business careers so these concepts don’t become are a liability as they simply revel in their newly-found sage status.

This may or may not be the case with Mr. Manning. As he said himself to a Bay Street crowd at the Empire Club on Thursday, “Conservation and conservative are very closely linked,” and it seems that in his heart of hearts he truly believes we need to act against climate change. Really, he makes a good point. I know several people from my parents’ generation who have only ever voted for the Conservatives or the Green Party in their entire lives.

While I have had the opportunity to hear many leading thinkers and activists share their position on climate issues, including Ray Anderson, David Suzuki, Bill McKibben, Robert Kennedy Jr. and Hunter Lovins, it is not every day I get to hear a bible-toting, fiscal conservative discuss how the corporate sector needs to step up to the plate to meet our climate change problem head on. So when invited to the Royal York where Mr. Manning was to speak to members of the Empire Club I was delighted. As he began his remarks he braced his audience for what would be a ground-breaking discovery: the market can’t survive without resources, which we are using up at a startling rate.

It’s a good thing I was sitting down.

As much as I take this perspective for granted, Manning brought up some good points. It was not so long ago that Canada drank to the Queen (in this particular case it was only 30 minutes prior, since apparently the Empire Club still does that) and went to war for England, and now we think of ourselves purely as a sovereign nation. A shift in perspective is critical for change to be made, in both the corporate and political sectors, since as Manning pointed out, many still view the market in four boxes: extract, refine, create, consume. Apparently this whole frontier-land notion is hard to shake.

He also pontificated how being revolutionary thinkers runs deep through our ancestry, taking a trip through time to recall how a ragtag group of settlements in the most Northern parts of the Americas would band together as a joint nation between the French and English, creating the second largest country in the world and building the world’s longest rail system to connect this patchwork of a nation.

It is both rare and wonderful to hear unbridled Canadiana from someone who actually means it. This man comes from an era of politics that defined us as a nation, and he maintains a relentless faith in Canadians as a people. When asked about whether or not Canada should wait to act on Climate Change until the bigger producers, like China, commit, Manning unabashedly waxed poetic. “You know I was asked that question before and I said – but isn’t it important to do the right thing? No Matter what the Chinese do, isn’t it important that Canada does the right thing?”

Now someone type it up and send it to Harper. The man’s already received enough correspondence from me.

Email: harpeS@parl.gc.ca


With three months left to define an international agreement in Copenhagan, young sustainability activists Rebecca McNeil and Darcy Higgins launch Stop Everything, a new column engaging in political strategies for change in tackling the climate crisis. They'll follow the youth climate movement in Canada and others as they work to cap greenhouse gas emissions and change society, and show you ways you can be involved at this most critical juncture.
Find, discuss and learn at: Sustainability is Step One

Photo taken from Red Tory v.3.0

This article shows some hope of US-China relations with regards to climate change. These two countries are key, on the fate of the future of people depends on the state of their relations in general, and how they affect climate negotiations, especially on the lead up to the Copenhagen climate conference in December.

Some thoughts on an Earth Day

Three years ago I wrote the first article in a sustainability column giving tribute to environmental heroes who have made an impact locally (Southern Ontario) and internationally. I was reminded last Friday in a talk by Jane Goodall that everything you do every day makes a difference - how you act towards people and treat animals and what you say, what you do to the environment. I think this is the basis of Earth Day and the ability of individual changes to make a combined difference.
It was also a political movement which brought Washington to a stand-still in 1970 and brought 20 million Americans out to participate. Yes, Earth Day is an American creation. It meant peace and ecology and that's still what we're working towards. Today in Ontario we celebrate the institution of a new pesticide act which bans the use and purchase of hundreds of chemicals which may be dangerous to the health of people and wildlife. This is a day for everyone involved in the environmental movement to be proud, all those who worked municipally and provincially on campaigns for legislation - and also to know that green jobs will come with new types of lawn care and naturalization, work that requires higher levels of labour and finance.
We now go beyond to the next challenges of our time including nuclear disarmament, widespread poverty and disease, agricultural transition and the climate crisis, and how we can solve these and others in a new economy and caring society. Luckily we already have the solutions being in things like micro-credit, renewable energy, public transportation, health and clean water solutions, local trade and sustainable agriculture. What we make of the world is up to us, and particularly the younger generations who need to stand up to force others to listen and to make political and personal changes themselves. What are you doing today? Tomorrow?


My colleague Rebecca McNeil and I are working on a new column which will discuss tools of change, providing practical ways that people have made change can how we can organize for a new progressive and sustainable agenda for Canada. Stay tuned.

from: http://darcyhiggins.blogspot.com

Yesterday Al Gore gave a major speech where he identified a goal that actually threw me back. If it is achievable, well perhaps that doesn't even matter.
See the video for the goal: speech
or just do a search and find the news articles for yourself.

To get to this goal in the U.S. or in Canada, we're going to need some work in not just energy but in people work, organizing.. we're going to need social justice work, raise tough questions, discussions, make decisions, and strive towards equality. This is the crux of sustainable development. Each of our paths will involve a discussion of the social within the realm of the earth. The Understory issue for this month has a number of articles with young people discussing these complex issues and providing ways forward. I've written a couple as well. Take a look and submit and article/letter of discuss it here or on the Young Greens' site: (click on the picture of me at green.ca..haha)
The Understory

Carbon Tax or Cap and Trade?

Also can be found at thegreenpages.ca

The Federal Conservatives are looking as poor as ever on the environment. By a quick scan of their website, they have no policy ideas for solving the climate crisis. What they do have is strange stories on their homepage criticizing the Liberals and Greens with awkward audio clips and photoshopped images.

So looking at the other parties that seem to care..

The Liberals promise to now launch a national debate in solutions regarding the environment and economy. About time. Jack Layton said he is ready for the debate. The Green Party has been offering solutions for years, and the Liberals are now adopting part of one of their policies (tax shifting) and will introduce some sort of carbon tax shortly. The NDP has a host of policy ideas unveiled in 2006, which as a package provide good solutions and possibly large cuts. But the NDP oddly has ruled out a carbon tax which other countries have used to get emissions down. Although thought to be potentially unpopular (maybe why Layton decided against it), it actually has 72% support by Canadians in a recent poll.

"There are some who argue it's a slow process [cap and trade]. Those are the people in government who didn't act.," Layton said on CTV,

But the reporter had remarked that environmentalists had made that comment, and indeed it was the director of the Sierra Club who made the comment to CTV.

In the Globe he was quoted, "The carbon tax has a huge advantage over cap-and-trade in that it can be put in place very quickly and deliver results very quickly, whereas cap-and-trade, it's taken Europe decades to get that one figured out," he said. "It's just regrettable that he's focusing on the negative."

Regulations are a sign of failure of a system designed very poorly. But since we have a poor system , they are oftentimes necessary to force businesses and others to design their own way of acting on something in a definite way. I have come to learn that a mix of regulatory and market mechanisms are necessary to move us as fast as we need to go.
There is a great social justice issue if we do not do all we can quickly, as the impact of climate change will lead to significant suffering and death globally due to issues with agricultural, sea levels, cyclones, heat, biodiversity changes, etc.

A good carbon tax would not put a burden on rural or low-income individuals who need to use the fuel until we can create more effective options. Carbon taxing should be geared to extraction of resources first, so the corporations doing that work will first need to pay the most, before the consumer. Tax shifting works best earliest in the life cycle (and should be used in other sectors like mining, land use, etc.) so the most efficient use of resources is done). Rather than make big corporations pay like a carbon tax would do, the NDP would give tax incentives do use better technology. Not a bad idea, but that's taking taxpayer revenues and basically giving it to big corporations. I don't think Imperial Oil or Shell need these kind of incentives or would even be that beneficial.

But a carbon tax also helps consumers make the best choices, which are not available right now. Perhaps organic food would be cheaper for me as it can be les carbon intensive because of the reduction of fuels in the fertilizers, etc. in conventionally-grown agriculture. If this gasoline price spike is temporary (though it will go up in the long-term). A carbon tax (which will concomitantly help to reduce smog) can set a base price so that consumers can start to make purchasing decisions for things like smaller cars, knowing the prices will remain higher for the next couple years.

High gas prices are now making a real difference! Public transit is at highest ridership in 50 years, and Americans drove an estimated 4.3% less.

B.C. may be offering credit cheques to make up for the increase in fuel pricing so individuals can spend that, for example on food. The Greens' platform chooses a tax shift that would be offset through reductions in income taxes, especially low and middle income, and payroll taxes.

Robert Paehlke - a retired Trent professor in politics and environmental studies who just released his book on Canadian climate politics Some Like It Cold last week - writes about the Green plan: "lower and middle-income earners pay a higher percentage of their incomes on these taxes than do upper-income earners. Reducing these taxes gives the less well off a bigger break. It should leave them no worse off even after they pay more for energy."

Regardless of how this goes, thankfully we're now having this debate - though we need to act. The public must push for a plan as well, and one that meets strict firm greenhouse gas cuts and those must be done in a just way throughout Canada and across the Globe. Hopefully the opposition parties can work to negotiate and pass a plan with real ideas, or topple the government to get action on climate.