Tag: climate action

Vancouver Unitarians Hear Ministry of Just Transition Report from 2025

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Fifty communities from across Canada participated in the March 12, 2022 Canada-wide Day of Action. The Ministry of Just Transition’s Press Conference was Vancouver’s event, held on the Vancouver Public Library plaza on West Georgia Street. Vancouver Unitarians were there.

The 2025 update from the ‘Ministry of Just Transition’  provided a ‘three-year update’ on the accomplishments that their ‘Climate Emergency Coalition’ government had delivered since taking power in 2022.

Tsleil-Waututh First Nation representative Rueben George welcomed the Climate Emergency Coalition’ government to their traditional territory.

Filmmaker Avi Lewis was the Minister of Just Transition.

Doreen Manuel, Indigenous film director and professor at Capilano University, spoke as the Land Back Secretariat’.

Christine Boyle, Vancouver city councillor, spoke as head of the Department of Universal Housing.

Alison Gu, Burnaby city councillor, spoke as the commissioner of the Clean Transit Without Delay Commission.

Khalid Boudreau, Climate Youth activist, spoke on the work of the Police Retasking Task Force.

Kukpi7 Judy Wilson, Secretary-treasurer for the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, spoke as chair of the Trans Mountain Reparations and Healing Secretariat.

Anjali Appadurai, Climate justice advocate, spoke as the CEO of the Public Goods Corporation of Canada.

Seth Klein, climate analyst and author of A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency,  explained how the Just Transition was paid for – in part by the Bank of Canada enacting quantitative easing policies similar to what was seen in the first year of the pandemic, and also by creating Climate Bonds – which proved to be ‘wildly popular’ – similar to Victory Bonds that were sold to fund the Second World War effort.

Ultimately, the press conference was an exercise in getting people to imagine what the future can look like. ‘Minister’ Lewis implored the crowd to turn the ideas into a reality.

“Do you want to live in this future? Are we ready to fight for this future? Because this future we described here today is the work of all of us — the fruits of our imagination and struggle — and that’s what we came here today to commune around: the future we can build together.”

Vancouver Unitarians at this press conference: John Boyle, Rosemary Cornell, Rob Dainow, Elizabeth Dunn, Hans Elfert, Margo Elfert, Leslie Kemp.

 

LINKS: Canada-wide Day of Action

 

Youth Taking Action with Rallies for CBC Leaders’ Debate on Climate

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Above: Vancouver Unitarians standing with youths leading the July 17 rally calling for a CBC federal leaders’ debate on climate and the Green New Deal

Vancouver Unitarians rallied once again in support of climate justice. This time it was on July 17 at CBC Vancouver.

The rally was organized by Our Time, a national campaign of young people, in order to push the CBC to broadcast a federal leaders’ debate focused on climate change and a Green New Deal for Canada.

What would a Green New Deal for Canada look like?

A cohort of over 30 young persons led the rally with speeches, songs, and cheers. We were several hundred in Vancouver and we were joined by many hundreds more in over 20 cities across Canada. We were proud to stand with these committed and inspiring young people.

Join Climate Action Day at U-Hill Elementary School – May 24th, 2019

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From Hanno Pinder, Unitarian Church of Vancouver member

Dear friends,

As you know, I live fairly close to U-Hill Elementary School (located on Chancellor Boulevard), and was invited a couple of weeks ago to walk with the Children of their Nature Club in Pacific Spirit Park.

The club was very well organized, the children were very knowledgeable (ranging from grade 1 to grade 5), and the leader Jen Capell McCutcheon was delightful. I am invited to attend all their future Nature walks, which I will do whenever possible.

Now Jen, who is the president of the parent association of the school, has asked me for support with their plans for May 24th which is Climate Action Day world wide, inspired by Greta Thunberg. All the children from U-Hill Elementary School will walk with posters, noisemakers or instruments in a protest demonstration. They will walk from the school up to the Village on University Boulevard then on past the Book Store to Main Mall and walk down Main Mall. Jen has asked me to help her find as many adults as possible to join and walk with the children to show their support.

The children will stop their classes at noon and are expected to start marching at 12.15.

I am now asking you to come and support U-Hill Elementary School and their children.

We all know the catastrophic situation we are in by now, and I personally am happy that with this event I can demonstrate my willingness to accept the drastic changes that are required if we want to prevent the worst. As always: The people have to convince their governments, so they will finally do the right thing.

I hope to see many of you on the 24th at noon at the School on Chancellor Boulevard.

Also, if you can, spread the word and bring more friends or neighbours, and let me know that you are coming.

Jen is suggesting that if possible we should wear black, to symbolize the pollution which is ubiquitous.

Until then, Hanno (UCV member)

P.S. Jen is working to involve Norma Rose Point School and U-HillSecondary School as well.

Per Espen Stoknes on finding solutions to climate change

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diagram to illustrate talk by Per Espen Stoknes on Climate Action

Are you looking for ways to make climate-friendly behaviours easy and convenient, designed to add meaning and connection to your life?

A forum was presented on March 3, 2019 by Catherine Hembling and Enviro Team members to examine the uplifting, brilliant and paradigm shifting approach taken by Per Espen Stoknes, a psychologist with a PhD in Economics, Ted Talk global speaker, Parliamentarian, clean-tech entrepeneur, award winning author and the director of Centre for Green Growth at the Norwegian Business School.

Videos and study questions presented at the forum are found below.

Summary of arguments by Per Espen Stoknes:

  1. Rational facts are insufficient to create lasting engagement. They trigger defences in many people.
  2. Humans will act for the long term when conducive conditions are in place: they are SOCIAL NORMS, SUPPORTIVE FRAMES, SIMPLE ACTIONS, STORIES AND SIGNALS.
  3. Individual actions do not solve climate problems but they do build bottom up support for structural change.

Study questions

  • What prompts your interest in this subject?
  • What is your first (gut) reaction to the video(s)? And after that?
  • What are your hopes about climate-changing behaviours?
  • What other information would you need to move forward?

References for moving forward:

Four lifestyle choices that most reduce your carbon footprint
Project Drawdown