The Climate Crisis Requires Policy Persistence, Canada stands up for the climate at the G7, and more.

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  CCL Canada Newsletter
   
 
   
Table of Contents:
Climate Crisis Requires Policy 
Canada stands up for climate
What creating political will looks like
Political will in a conservative riding
Building Bridges at Nat'l Conference 
Parachutes for the Planet
Publication of the month
MEDIA RELEASE: The Climate Crisis Requires Policy Persistence
 

On Friday, June 29, 2018 the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party will be sworn in as the government of Ontario. The PCs ran on a platform making Ontario open for business and cutting taxes.

There is no clearer way to do that than by putting a transparent and predictably rising price on carbon pollution and giving the money back to the people.

The policy is called carbon fee and dividend.

It is that simple.

Almost all economists believe that putting a price a price on carbon pollution is the most economically efficient way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without harming the economy.

Momentum is building for a carbon fee and dividend-like policy in the USA that includes border carbon adjustments. In fact, there is now a political action committee led by some Republican heavy-weights, and backed by energy companies to create the political will for this carbon dividends policy in the USA.

 

READ MEDIA RELEASE

 

 

 
Canada Stands Up For the Climate at G7
 

On June 6th, the G7 – the seven countries who represent half the world’s economic output met in Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada at the G7 meetings. In February we sent them a strong message to phase out fossil fuel subsidies - something they promised to do by 2025 at the 2016 G7 meeting.

Thank you to our volunteers who in February sent over 700 letters and postcards to parliamentarians across Canada as part of our February monthly action. We did this alongside other groups in Canada including KAIROS and Citizens for Public Justice who also supported the “End Fossil Fuel Subsidies” action by writing letters to the Minister of Finance, contacting their MPs, distributing postcards, and sharing information.

These are crazy times and despite there being a circus full of elephants at the G7, we have great news to share. Argentina (G20 President) and Canada (G7 President) have agreed to a peer-review of their fossil fuel subsidies. As well, carbon pricing, a "just-transition" and re-affirming the Paris goals were signed by the G6+1 in Charlevoix.

 

We were part of this success! 

 
What does creating political will look like in practice?
 

Every CCL chapter works hard to build a relationship with their MPs. The reward is having friends in Parliament who speak confidently about addressing climate change and the need for carbon pricing.

This spring in the House of Commons, while the Official Opposition was criticizing carbon taxes, MPs – Richard Cannings and Wayne Stetski – were speaking passionately and articulately for climate action and carbon pricing. Both are area MPs for CCL’s Nelson-West Kootenay chapter.

Read more about what they’ve been speaking about, and for reflections on creating political will from their CCL constituents:
 

READ JUDY & LAURA'S BLOG
 
Creating political will in a conservative riding too

 

In 2011 CCL Canada members lobbied the Honourable Michael Chong, Member of Parliament for Wellington-Halton Hills. At that time it was obvious to us that he was a kindred spirit when it came to our mutual shared appreciation for revenue-neutral carbon pricing. 

In November 2013, Liz Armstrong attended our first national conference and CCL Wellington-Halton Hills was born. The CCL Wellington-Halton Hills group is now co-led by Ron Moore and Gord Cumming.

In 2017, MP Chong ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada with revenue-neutral carbon pricing as a central policy on his leadership platform. When PM Trudeau bailed out the Kinder Morgan pipeline in late May 2018, CCL Wellington-Halton Hills members went to their MP Chong’s office to show their disapproval of the purchase of the pipeline. Lo and behold his Constituency Assistant (left) Jim Smith, joined them outside the office and they had cordial discussions and found plenty of common ground.

This relationship building in CCL Wellington-Halton Hills is another great example of the power of constituent lobbying - our specialty at Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

 

 
CCL Canada National Conference Update
 

Climate change is a serious and non-partisan issue. Thus, climate change must be treated as a bridge issue and not a wedge issue. This truthful logic is the inspiration for our conference name.

We are happy to announce the first two guest speakers at our conference:

Dr. David Maenz, author of The Price of Carbon will present “Climate Change Mitigation – The Costs of Action vs Inaction.” He was our guest on our CCL Canada Education call in May 2018 when he brilliantly walked us through Shell’s Sky Scenario to bring the planet to net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.

Mollie Anderson, National Director of Put A Price On It Canada (PAPOI) will also be a guest speaker at our conference. PAPOI is a movement of students and young people combating catastrophic climate change by ensuring that polluters pay a meaningful price for their emissions.

Register by September 1 and save money. We will teach you how to be constituent lobbyist. It is so much fun.

REGISTER
 
Parachutes for the Planet: Transformation Through Art
 

We are excited to bring Parachutes for the Planet to Parliament Hill on October 15 as part of our National Conference and Lobbying Days. Inspired by 14-year old Kallan Benson to raise awareness of climate change, this art project is important because it engages people by touching the heart.

Each “parachute” is a unique creation, expressing the makers’ local concerns. A group display is very powerful, transforming the parachutes into powerful messages of strength, hope, and communal determination.

Please consider making a parachute and/or engaging your local community to make parachutes. All you need to get started is a bedsheet, some basic art supplies, and space to get creative and have some fun with others concerned about the climate. We are receiving positive responses from schools, art galleries, and summer camps to participate in this project.

For more information and to view a gallery of parachutes, please go here:

 

PARACHUTES FOR THE PLANET

 

 
Publication of the month: Climate change and our kids
 

During the Ontario election, Sudbury pediatrician Elaine Blacklock had an excellent opinion piece published in Now Magazine.

It starts out like this: I was startled recently by this statement in a medical journal: “Dramatic changes to the climate are expected to occur within the lifespan of current pediatric patients.”

And concludes with the following: The most critical action we can take is to put a price on carbon in Canada and around the world. China, Europe, Mexico and many other places have carbon pricing in place or planned, as do B.C., Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and California. We can argue about better ways to price carbon and how to use the money, but we cannot go backwards and start axing the tax. We need to build the political will to implement a truly revenue neutral price on carbon with all proceeds going back to citizens, for the sake of all children everywhere.

 

READ FULL PIECE HERE

 

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