Dozens of young people from across southern Ontario trudged through the early morning rain on Friday, Oct. 9, for a full day of environmental activism training at University College. As things gear up for the UN climate change conference in Denmark, the Countdown to Copenhagen Climate Action and Lobbying Training Day aims to teach university and high school students everything they need to know about how to make an impact.
“Youth are very creative, have a lot of energy, and are very flexible to move with the demands of the movement,” said Carly Joynt, regional coordinator for Sustainable Campuses of Ontario. “Especially with Copenhagen, action needs to be taken swiftly, and they can do that,” she said, in reference to the panel to be held from Dec. 7 to 18, which representatives from 190 countries are planning to attend.
Participants learned how to lobby the government, get favourable media attention, develop a campaign plan, and organize direct actions. Representatives from Greenpeace, the Sierra Youth Coalition, Climate Action Network Canada, 350.org, and the Rainforest Action Network of Toronto led workshops.
Fourth-year U of T student Lauryn Drainie, an organizer for the Climate Action Network, kicked things off by speaking about the urgent need for a new international climate change agreement. To avoid irreversible climate change, global emissions have to peak by 2015 and then drop off from there, according to the International Panel on Climate Change.
By refusing to sign on to significant emission reduction targets, the Harper government has been holding back progress on negotiations, said Drainie, who emphasized that youth can bring change. “Politicians are particularly afraid of youth,” she said. “We’re going to be voting for a really long time.”
“I’m from Kitchener-Waterloo, which is a swing riding. Lobbying MPs could really make a difference, depending on whose ear you get,” said Griffin Carpenter, the president of Wilfrid Laurier’s Green Party campus group, who wanted to learn more about how to lobby elected officials.
Several participants, like U of T botany student John Velazquez, are new to environmental activism. “My experience began a few hours ago,” said Velazquez.
U of T will send a delegation of students to Copenhagen to participate in the negations. The registration is now closed, but those interested can stay informed through the Climate Action News website at www.climateactionnetwork.ca
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Please consider as a letter to the editor or an op ed. I have been working on the climate change issue for seven years.
Thank you,
Jessica Bell
Copenhagen Failure Reveals Need For Citizen-led Leadership
By failing to reach a fair, ambitious, and binding treaty in Copenhagen this December the leaders of rich nations have let down humanity.
The failure of the talks in Copenhagen is a devastating outcome. Countless work-hours, resources, and precious time went into organizing these talks, as well as building the political momentum necessary to coerce world leaders into collectively developing a renewed global response to climate change.
We are wasting time, and every day of inaction worsens the impacts of climate change. More people will be forced to flee their homes and become climate refugees. More people will die. And young people and future generations will suffer more from the impacts of climate change, and we will have to work harder to solve our environmental crisis.
But with crisis comes opportunity. In the wake of our elected officials' leadership failure the people of Canada have risen. Just this past year we have witnessed a new and unprecedented groundswell of grassroots citizen action demanding real solutions to climate change. Local groups have organized eight occupations of conservative elected officials’ offices. Canada’s climate change movement has expanded beyond its traditional core of environmental activists, to include faith, public health, and labor unions. Over a hundred thousand people in Canada signed the Kyoto Plus petition demanding real government action on climate change. And concern about climate change has reached new highs with recent polls showing 75% of Canadians think the Canadian Government should do more on climate change.
Canada’s growing climate movement will be emboldened not disnheartened by the Copenhagen negotiations. Over the past two weeks we have been inspired by the millions from around the world, as leaders from the Global South, like President Nasheed of the small island the Maldives which is threatened by rising sea levels. “We will not die quietly”, said President Nasheed, and millions agreed with him. We have experienced the unequal and undemocratic nature of these international negotiations and the force police inflict when attempts to democratize global negotiations are made. Most importantly, we have been disappointed time and time and time again by the Canadian Government's utter failure to resolve the most critical issue of our time.
But this is not a time for disillusionment. It is a time to regroup and step up our political involvement. Shame on you Harper for tarnishing Canada's image on the international stage and failing to act as a leader. But be warned. Just like George Bush provided the peace movement with the ambition and momentum to drive the Republicans out of office in the U.S, you Harper, have provided the climate movement with the inspiration to organize you out of power if you do not change course.
Jessica Bell University of Toronto Masters in Adult Education student ‘10 Climate Action Network 619 Lansdowne Ave Toronto, ON, M6B 2H4 jessicambell@gmail.com 416 937 0076
Dec 18, 2009 at 05:20 PM
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