Now's the time to make your voice heard as Toronto City Council finalizes the budget for 2021 in the context of COVID recovery. Let them know we must #BuildBackBetter! Call or email your city councillor. You can find their contact information here. You could also weigh in in support of the motion brought forward by Jennifer McKelvie and Mike Layton to call for the swift phase-out of gas-fired electricity in Ontario. For Toronto to meet net-zero by 2050 goals, we need this phase out!

TO350 member Natasha Bartels and her father, Dennis Bartels, were among the first to start talking about and researching the concept of a war level effort applied to climate change, including taxing the ultra-rich. They were quoted in an article by Sarah Berman in Vice, a way back now, in November 2019 called "We Need to Tax the Super-Rich to Save the World." It is just as pertinent, if not more so now, to consider tackling climate change as a war-level threat, as we enter 2021 with the knowledge that 2020 tied for the hottest year on record. To quote the article....

Three simple steps can make all the difference. 

While the federal government’s Climate Accountability Act, Bill C-12, is a step forward, it leaves much to be desired. There are critical gaps in this proposed legislation(1) that must be addressed if Canada has any hope of fulfilling its climate commitments and doing its part to avoid climate catastrophe.

On January 29th, Climate Pledge Collective is running an event called Fossil Banks No Thanks along with For Our Kids to bring their demands to as many branches as possible. 

TO350 encourages everyone to participate! We are planning to join in on January 29th with some of our own socially distanced actions. Stay tuned for more details, signs & shareables.

Dear Premier Ford,

Hoping to avoid any misunderstanding between us, I will use your vernacular and COVID terminology to discuss the climate crisis with you. I am hoping that by using a communication style you have created, my message will be clear to you.

WE ARE IN THE RED ZONE!!!! 

Photo by Karsten Würth on Unsplash

Both the provincial and federal levels of government are failing to truly address the emergencies we face. While we have heard relatively progressive words at the federal level, in the Throne Speech and the recent Fall Economic Statement, actions do not support these words. They do not go far enough fast enough. They leave a gaping, industry-sized hole apparent across different legislation and in all current plans.

In fact, Canada is still supporting fossil fuel in a major way. The country ranks worst of the OECD countries in the G20 Scorecard for ending funding for fossil fuels, and the Production Gap Report cites Canada as one of the leading providers of fossil fuel producer subsidies. A loan guarantee was even given to Keystone XL as part of the COVID recovery package!

Toronto350 supports the BankSwitch initiative that is ongoing now! Read on to see how it works and how to sign up.

People all across the world have been waking up to alarms, health warnings and evacuation alerts because of wildfires, storms, flooding and dangerous air quality. They couldn't ignore the climate crisis and neither should our politicians. 

That’s why, the morning of the Trans Mountain crown corporation annual meeting, we’re sounding the alarm.

To all Canadians,

Our government in Ottawa proposes to order 88 fighter jets at a cost of over $19 billion. This comes at a time when we are investing in a recovery from CoVID-19 and aiming to slow down the effects of climate breakdown. Therefore, only projects which sustain the health, safety, and well-being of people and the planet can be justified in these difficult times.