Category: Climate Action

Stories from Vancouver Unitarians at the front lines of climate action.

A Green New Deal for All – Cross Canada Tour in Vancouver

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At least ten Vancouver Unitarians were among the 350 person sell-out crowd on June 21 at the Canadian Memorial Church to participate in the Vancouver stop of the Green New Deal for All cross-Canada tour.

All the presenters were passionate, well informed, and inspiring. It was a great event, part of the grass roots movement that started with over 150 town hall meetings across Canada – including a full house event with about 100 people at UCV on May 24.

Support for the Green New Deal (GND) is rising up across this country with the intention to become a powerful voice in the coming federal election.

The entire Green New Deal for All event was video taped and posted online, or you can watch it below. The table shows the time for each presentation to help you navigate through this nearly 3 hour long video.

  00:00 -- 07:15      Intro Slides
  07:15 -- 09:00      MC Anjali Appadurai
  09:00 -- 18:40      Chief Reuben George, Tsleil-Waututh Nation
  18:40 -- 21:00      Green New Deal
  21:00 -- 26:40      Remarks by Anjali
  26:40 -- 41:20      Youth-led Chant
  41:20 -- 1:04:30    David Suzuki
1:04:30 -- 1:24:00    Kanahus Manuel, Indigenous Activist
1:24:00 -- 1:45:10    Harsha Walia, Activist and Writer
1:45:10 -- 1:47:30    Youth-led Chant
1:47:30 -- 2:10:10.   Kim Mortel, Poet and Singer
2:10:10 -- 2:42:35.   Avi Lewis, The LEAP
2:42:35 -- 2:44:00.   Presenters' Tributes

A look back at 2018-2019, It was a very busy year


Looking back on 2018/2019, it’s easy to see that the Environment Team has been very busy! We put on a series of highly successful events in addition to fundraiser lunches and monthly forums. If that wasn’t enough, members were busy throughout the year taking part in anti-pipeline and Climate Change rallies and attending film nights, workshops and fundraisers to protect the Environment and support Indigenous groups.

Check out what we did!

Interested in joining the Environment Team?

Contact environment@vancouverunitarians.ca

Green New Deal Town Hall a success!

Above: a full house at the Town Hall Meeting in Hewett Centre on the Green New Deal

On Friday, May 24th, the Vancouver Unitarians Environment Team hosted a Town Hall for the Pact for a Green New Deal in Canada. An enthusiastic group of about 100 participants generated a wealth of ideas for what the Pact should and shouldn’t include. We capped the evening singing “Make a Green New Deal”, a familiar tune with new words by Patrick Dubois. Our Town Hall was one of about 150-200 being held across the country, and the overall results will be collated for all to use in demanding urgent political action.

Make a Green New Deal Today
Lyrics by Patrick Dubois — May 2019
Sung to the tune of “We Shall Overcome”

(Verses 1 and 3)
Make a Green New Deal.
Make a Green New Deal.
Make a Green New Deal today.
oh, We take a stand.
We all demand:
Make a Green New Deal today!

(Verse 2)
True equality.
Bio-diversity.
We can build a better way.
oh, We take a stand.
We all demand:
Make a Green New Deal today!


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


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?


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

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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

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

Why I Love Transit


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Why do I love transit?
by Mary Lage

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It all goes back to my little red wagon and the joy of my body being powered by a force other than my own. With the wind in my hair I watched the world go by with a singular focus as my father pulled my weight with ease. When I board a bus or the skytrain I feel that wonder; the power of the wheel, the forward momentum, the ease of movement. I am a spectator of the world

Sometimes I read or listen to music while riding. I have even been known to wear a headlamp for long rides at night in order to read in the dim light of the bus. If I am with someone we have the freedom to talk without interruptions. Often the conversation turns to long-term plans and ideas, the discussion of the journey of our lives paralleling the journey of the bus.

Sometimes I meditate or stare out the window catching a glimpse of Hollyburn Peaks, a bank of blooming cherry trees or a red-tailed hawk on a telephone pole. Sometimes I watch and listen to fellow passengers as I relish the diversity of cultures represented or the amazing ease of entry for wheelchairs and strollers on our kneeling bus.

Little kids love transit. When my own kids were small it was a time for asking questions, playing games and singing songs. Talking with other passengers seems natural with small children

I have witnessed many small acts of kindness on transit like the Chinese grandma offering a banana to a hijab-clad mom to quiet her crying son, or an Asian man offering me his seat: “Not because you are old but because you are hot!” he joked. A friend tells me that once a bus driver got all the riders to sing happy birthday when he found out it was her birthday.

Some of the interactions are disturbing, of course, but I have a special transit radar that alerts me when things are brewing. I move to another section of the bus or another car on the skytrain when I sense something amiss. Or I sit and bear witness to a slice of life I would never encounter in a car.

What I am not doing on transit is:

  • Burning as many fossil fuels
  • Negotiating traffic jams
  • Enduring the persistent semi-conscious knowledge that at any moment I could kill someone or be killed by a hurling hunk of metal of which I am in control

I prefer the ease and sleek beauty of transit as I relinquish control and enjoy the ride in my enlarged red wagon which I share with a diverse community of people.

So if I say I am taking transit, please don’t offer me a ride. I have a car and could use it if needs be as I do when lack of time and energy dictate. Allow me my first choice: Transit.


Per Espen Stoknes on finding solutions to climate change

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

Vancouver Unitarians protest NEB approval of TMX


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.


Rise for Climate September 8, 2018

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The test for real climate leadership is simple: leave fossil fuels in the ground and commit to 100% renewable energy. With hundreds of creative actions on September 8, the climate movement showed the world that we will not accept anything less.

On September 8, 350.org organized over 900 events around the world to demonstrate our passion for stopping Climate Change. One reason for this world wide event was to pressure the Global Climate Action Summit meeting in San Francisco, Sept. 12-14 to co-ordinate climate action. California Gov. Jerry Brown invited professionals and volunteers to co-ordinate and build renewable energy infrastructure, and divest from fossil fuels.

In Metro Vancouver, religious and environmental groups put on three diverse events on Sept. 8th and UCV members were there at all of them!

Reconnect to Life: Reflect Renew Rejoice

The Multi-Faith Action Society, Be the Change Alliance, and InterSpiritual Centre joined forces at UCV and several UCV members took part. The keynote speakers were Chief Phil Lane (Four Winds International) and Rabbi Laura Kaplan (Vancouver School of Theology), participant-lead circle dialogues were facilitated by Maureen Jack-LaCroix (Be The Change Earth Alliance); and Aline Laflamme and the Daughters of the Drum closed the event with a powerful song for the Earth and all her children (including the foolish human ones).

Build Our Future not a Pipeline

Afterwards, participants headed downtown for the rally organized by Climate Convergence and UBCC 350 to celebrate the recent court ruling stopping the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion.

Suffering Salmon: Climate Change and Pipelines

At least 10 Vancouver Unitarians joined the global Rise for Climate events on Sept. 8 by participating in the Suffering Salmon event hosted by BROKE Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Expansion and Protect the Inlet at Kwekwecnewtxw (Watch House) at the Burnaby Mountain tank farm.

It was a very informative and educational event with speakers, videos, live music, and a visit to the local salmon streams that are threatened by the Trans Mountain tank farm. We all came away with renewed appreciation for the resilience of our salmon, for their critical roles in our forest ecosystem, and for the many ways they are threatened by climate change and the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. We celebrated the August 30 decision of the Federal Court of Appeal that quashed the Trudeau government’s approval of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Project and stopped all ongoing work on the project, while at the same time recognizing that there are many challenges ahead to protect our coast and the cherished salmon.