Good question: can we REALLY change?

Posted on 07. Oct, 2010 by joannadafoe in Canada

I had a great interview last night with the folks at One Climate. They asked some heavy questions about Canadian climate policy. How can Canada lead on climate with a growing tar sands industry? What are the hopes for policy change in Cancun? And the question that struck me most, to what extent can Canadians really influence international climate policy - if at all?

Against my first instinct, I decided to answer this question in total truth. The truth is partly bleak.

Currently, Canada is in violation of international law for breaching the Kyoto Protocol (under the Copenhagen Accord, Canada actually regressed from it’s 1997 goal). Or in Alberta, for example, a profit-driven ethos is misguiding the Legislature from the interests of community health, a green economy, and climate leadership. These examples seem to indicate a low likelihood for change on the provincial, let alone federal, level.

But then there is another side to this story, one that shows great potential for change in Canada’s climate policy.

Everyday citizens are taking action for climate leadership. We are, in other words, forming a social movement around climate change. A social movement is defined as a sustained challenge to power holders by a group’s repeated display of numbers, worthiness, and commitment. The role that social movements have on national policy are complex and hard to measure, but recent history confirms that social movements can, and do, shape politics. Across the country, communities are showcasing all kinds of climate solutions to inspire politics, from the bottom-up.

From Coast to Coast, Canadians at Work

There are almost 200 actions registered in Canada for this Sunday’s 350.org Global Work Party. Here is a sample of just three of the events.

• In Vancouver, resident’s are doing a Dig for Climate Justice by transforming a “climate crime” into a climate solution - sand from the construction site of a major roadway will be used to create flood control dikes in a surrounding neighbourhood.
• In Saskatoon, a family home is going 100% off the grid with solar energy.
• In Montreal, 18 churches across the city are holding a prayer vigil for 350 ppm. The hundreds of registered climate actions on Sunday reveal an undeniable willingness and enthusiasm for change.

This Sunday is an example of the coalescing movement for community health, climate leadership, and environmental justice. When I add up all the facts, I think we are seeing the start of a political tipping point. We are seeing the decline of a fossil-fuel politics and the rise of a more creative, smart, and caring alternative.

With hope and solidarity.

Tags: 350.org, Canada, climate change, Tar Sands