Tag: Environment

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.

Irreparable Harm?

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Irreparable Harm? A Tale of TMX Resistence

Documentary Theatre on the BC Supreme Court Trial
230 People Arrested for Protesting the Trans Mountain Pipeline

Wanted

mugshot

Mairy Beam — Incorrigible Author, Playwrite and Theatre Director found guilty of criminal contempt for protesting TMX

Above: Councillor Jean Swanson gets arrested. Jean represents COPE on Vancouver City Council. She is an anti-poverty activist and a recipient of the Order of Canada (Photo by Tzeporah Berman)

Update from Mairy Beam

Mairy was arrested at the Kinder Morgan Burnaby Tank Farm gates on August 24, 2018, found guilty by Judge Affleck on Dec 5, 2018 and sentenced to serve 28 days of house arrest and 125 hours of community service.

Did the protesters at the Trans Mountain facilities in Burnaby cause irreparable harm to Kinder Morgan, one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America, by delaying a few trucks for a few minutes on a few days in 2018? That’s what the BC Supreme Court believes. That’s why there’s an injunction barring anyone from coming within five metres of any site owned by Trans Mountain Pipeline. The 230 people who were arrested in 2018 for breaking that injunction have a different opinion as to who is causing irreparable harm to whom.

Most of those who were arrested and charged with criminal contempt of court for breaking the injunction have either pled guilty, or been found guilty by Judge Affleck – the same judge who created the injunction. These land and water protectors have made many impassioned speeches in court, trying to alert the judge to the harm that this pipeline expansion, if it proceeds, will cause to First Nations, and to the land and water that we all depend on for life. For that we have been labelled ‘sinister’, and told that by showing defiance of the law, we are inviting chaos and threatening civilization.

Several of the land and water protectors have formed the Sinister Sisters Collective to develop a documentary theatre piece about our journey through the BC Supreme Court. We are calling it “Irreparable Harm?” Using video footage from the arrests, excerpts from the court documents, and re-enactments, we will shine a spotlight on how our justice system treats those who are in opposition to the interests of large corporations.

We will be working over the summer months to compile the most dramatic moments of our encounters with the justice system. Our goal is to present a workshop in October, and then a full production of our theatre piece in the spring of 2020.

Stay tuned!

Canada Needs a Green New Deal

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The Enviro Team is hosting a Green New Deal Town Hall
Friday, May 24th 7:30pm, Hewett Hall
Unitarian Church of Vancouver
949 49 AVE W, Vancouver, BC

The climate crisis is here. Arctic permafrost is melting, forests, towns, and Indigenous territories are burning. States of emergency – declared for once-in-a-century floods – are becoming commonplace, and millions around the world already face dislocation and starvation.But that’s not the only thing keeping us up at night. Many of us are struggling to find an affordable place to live, or a decent job to support our families. Hate crimes and racism are on the rise. And promises to Indigenous peoples have yet to be implemented.

We need an ambitious plan to deal with multiple crises at the same time.

A bold and far reaching plan to cut emissions in half in 11 years in line with Indigenous knowledge and climate science, create more than a million good jobs you can support a family with, and build inclusive communities in the process.

We need a Green New Deal — for everyone.
We need everyone to be a part of building it.
Come join us for the first Green New Deal Town Hall in Vancouver!

This event is one of many Green New Deal town halls being held in communities across the country in May 2019. The conversation is being led from the ground up through town halls bringing together people from all walks of life to discuss our vision for a new economy — one that cuts global warming pollution, sees the full implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Right to Free Prior and Informed Consent, and the TRC recommendations, creates millions of green jobs, and makes sure no one gets left behind.

The input from these town halls will be used to inform a vision for a Green New Deal for all. Please RSVP

Deep Green Change

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The looming threats of climate change and biodiversity loss are caused by human behaviour. To modify behaviour, we can use incentives and discouragements. But they won’t stick without deeper change – a profound shift in our sense of ourselves and the world.

As Christ harrowed Hell to free lost souls, as Orpheus dove into Hades to save his Beloved, so we must visit the Underworld to find the Deep Green Change.

In this homily, Dr. George gives precise directions to the entrance to the Underworld. The rest is up to you.

Vancouver Unitarians protest NEB approval of TMX

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Vancouver Unitarians Carry the Flame
Rally to Protest NEB Approval of TMX
Feb 22, 2019

At least 10 Vancouver Unitarians rallied around our Vancouver Unitarians banner and joined hundreds of others on Friday, February 22, to raise our voices in protest to the National Energy Board report that recommended going ahead with the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project.

We marched down Burrard Street and then along Georgia Street to the final rally on Georgia Street between the CBC and the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

We were proud to be among the voices speaking out.

News from the Environment Team!

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The Environment Team, also known as the Environment Committee, met in September to plan activities for the new year. Topics discussed ranged from  pipelines to Sunday lunches, exciting new monthly Forums, another Intergenerational gathering of old and young activists, educational events on Alternative energy sources, a  small appliance repair table, Religious Education workshops on new ways of talking about Climate change and other controversial topics, and brainstorming ideas for Earth Day 2019! We tossed around a lot of ideas for one year  but the Enviro Team is a community with a range of different skills, connections, passions, and experience.

From left to right. Back row: Mary, Cindy, Dianne, Elizabeth, Karl, Hanno. Front row: Olga, Catherine, John, Rob, Tamiko

Keep an eye out for announcements in the Order of Service, on the UCV website, and on posters in Hewett Hall this fall as we put on some highly entertaining and educational events!

One more thing–We are high energy but we are also friendly and welcoming! If you want to join us or just learn about what we are up to, come to our monthly meeting in Biddle room every third Sunday at 12:30 pm.

Rise For Climate International Day of Action

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UCV Joins Rise for Climate
the International Day of Action
September 8th, 2018

Rise for Climate is organized world wide by 350.org

When: September 8, 2018

Where: Different events at different venues.

Go to the link above and type in your city for local events or check out the following events:

  1. At UCV, faith leaders and community from Metro Vancouver will gather for a meaningful, multicultural dialogue on the power of ‘spiritual activism’ to engender global peace, sustainability and harmony in the face of an uncertain future. Sat. Sept 8, 9:30am,-3:30pm.

    2. https://multifaithaction.jimdo.com/

  2. Burnaby, BROKE will have music, speakers, graphics on “Suffering Salmon” in streams on Burnaby Mountain at the Watch House , Sat. Sept 8, 11am-3pm

    3. https://www.facebook.com/events/328347781240170/

    https://actionnetwork.org/events/suffering-salmon-climate-change-and-trudeaus-pipelinetanker-project

  3. Downtown Vancouver, Climate Convergence and UBCC350  are organizing a rally and march at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Sat. Sept. 8, 4 pm

    http://www.ubcc350.org/

    https://www.facebook.com/events/328347781240170/

Why: We need people to step up and let leaders know what we are already doing to prevent climate catastrophe.  The Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, Sept. 12-14 needs to hear from the grass roots: us. We need to join forces to fight the Kinder Morgan / Trudeau Pipeline Expansion (TMX).

Who: Everyone who cares about the impacts of Global Warming.

How: RSVP and show up!

Re-Connecting to Life

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Our world is on the edge. The situation is urgent, and suddenly we have startling opportunities. Our responses as global citizens can regenerate a civilization with more joy, abundance, and life-affirming relationships than most people and other creatures experience now. Collaborative grassroots energies are “connecting to life” together for a fair and equitable future. This is rooted in shared awareness of the interdependence of all life, a universal ethic of dignity and respect, and the priority of love and care for the ecosystems of earth, including humans.

Louise is a current Board Member of the MultiFaith Action Society (MAS), the oldest interfaith organization in Canada. For over 40 years MAS has fostered public and comprehensive spiritual awareness of the capacity of world religions to help nurture global peace and harmony.