DEMAND FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON AVIATION EMISSIONS Over thirty health, environment, faith and youth groups today released a letter urging the federal government to consult the public before releasing a new ten-year action plan to reduce climate pollution from air travel. Read the press release and the letters sent to the government. Support by signing this petition and retweeting! Read the op ed written by ClimateFast Co-chair Lyn Adamson and CAPE President Joe Vipond which was published in the Ottawa Citizen on Friday! FIRST NATION ESTABLISHES MARINE PROTECTED AREA A First Nation in B.C. celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day by taking action where the federal government has not by establishing a new marine protected area in the Great Bear Coast. Read the story in Canada;s National Observer. FOSSIL FUEL NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is aimed at tackling fossil fuel production, the root cause of climate change. The proposed Treaty is now supported by 54 municipal and sub-national governments around the world, including Paris, Sydney, Barcelona, Los Angeles and Toronto. Recent additions include: On July 21, 2022, the Vatican announced that it is joining dozens of governments, cities, academics and Nobel Prize laureates in a global effort to restrict fossil fuel development. On July 6th, Ottawa became the 12th Canadian municipality to support the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. On June 27th London endorsed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, becoming the largest city to join this initiative. VANCOUVER VOTES TO FUND LAWSUIT AGAINST BIG OIL From The Energy Mix: On July 20th, Vancouver City Council voted 6-5 late Wednesday afternoon to help fund a class action lawsuit to hold the world’s biggest fossil companies responsible for their local climate impacts. Read more NEW ZERO INTEREST LOAN PROGRAM FOR ENERGY RETROFITS The federal government has announced a new zero interest loan program to complement the $5,000 grants available through its Greener Homes program. Eligible applicants can get an up to $40,000 zero interest loan for up to 10 years to help pay for installing a heat pump, insulation, new windows or other qualifying home energy efficiency upgrades. IMPACT OF FOOD MILES GREATER THAN PREVIOUSLY BELIEVED A study published in Nature Food shows the climate impact of food miles is three times greater than previously believed, so that “in addition to shifting towards a plant-based diet, eating locally is ideal, especially in affluent countries.” Read the report in The Guardian. EU GOVERNMENTS TO END SALE OF POLLUTING CARS On June 29th European Union countries made a historic decision to ban the sale of fossil fuel cars in 2035 . Read more about the ban. UN CALLS ON GLOBAL GOVERNMENTS TO PUT OUT ‘5 ALARM FIRE’ In January 2022 Secretary-General António Guterres called on global governments to put out a “5 alarm fire”. As he briefed the UN General Assembly on his priorities for the upcoming year he stated: “At a time when “the only certainty is more uncertainty”, countries must unite to forge a new, more hopeful and equal path…“We face a five-alarm global fire that requires the full mobilization of all countries,” he said, referring to the raging COVID-19 pandemic, a morally bankrupt global financial system, the climate crisis, lawlessness in cyberspace, and diminished peace and security.” He stressed that countries “must go into emergency mode”, and now is the time to act as the response will determine global outcomes for decades ahead. Read more about the 5 alarms |
