Part Four: Pipelines, False Solutions, Indigenous Rights

(Finale to the story about the November 12th COP 27 Global Climate Justice rally in Toronto.)

Next the marchers stopped at the offices of CDEV, the crown corporation that bought the sinking Titanic of a pipeline, TMX. In fact, in a report from Climate Change Performance Index that came out during COP, Canada ranked #58 lowest of 63. One of the main reasons cited is the high level of oil and gas production. All the while Canada poses as a climate leader! 

A just transition does not include continued Indigenous rights violations and false solutions like blue hydrogen (fossil fuel production with methane and massive storage of carbon). It means reducing emissions now, directly, and putting those investment dollars into renewables and public programs that protect communities as we transition.

Part 3: Fossil Fuels, Just Transition

(The story of the November 12th COP 27 Global Day of Climate Justice action in Toronto continued.)

Marching on, with supportive honks from passing traffic propelling us, we came to a stop at Avenue and Bloor. As How-Sen, the narrator of the event livestream put it, “we’re actually going east and west across Bloor Street, stopping at various symbolic places, linking issues that have historically been thought of as separate…and bringing together people from multiple communities….building up this diverse community, building up power.”

Part One: Introduction, Impacts & Fair Shares

On Saturday November 12th, a few of us gathered early at Matt Cohen Park, Spadina and Bloor, on Dish with one Spoon and Treaty 13 territory, to prepare for the "At COP 27: The
World Calls out for Climate Justice” event. Folks worked on setting up a live video feed, unfurled and admired the beautiful hand painted banner, wheeled in the sound system, handed out megaphones and checked in with presenters. One by one and in small groups, others arrived until we had a sizable crowd and the first speaker breezed in, right on cue! 

At the same time, on the ground in Egypt at COP 27, where governments from across the world met to decide what steps to take in response to our disintegrating climate, severe human rights violations made it dangerous for civil society to monitor and protest the actions of a corrupt government.

In October, TO350 wrote a letter to Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau and Hon. Sean Fraser, in support of Migrant Rights Network's demands - permanent residence status for all. 

Subsequently, there were #Status for All! Without Delay actions at MP's offices.

You can keep up-to-date and find out how to support ongoing at https://migrantrights.ca/. 

See the letter below.

Youth lead on climate justice. Literally. This summer, Fridays for Future Toronto members (FFFTO) forgo outings with friends, days at the beach and countless other things, to coordinate the adults they’ve called to the organizing table. They are anxious about the climate crisis and determined to do something about it!

The votes are in … except they’re not. But Ontario’s party platforms are here, and we’ve funnelled them through a climate justice filter to make it easier for you to assess them. 

With the provincial election coming up on June 2, we’re posing one question: What does the ideal climate action candidate look like for Toronto?

Forget partisanship. Forget smear campaigns. Forget voting for a candidate because their climate platform is marginally better than another. 

And forget needless bureaucratic gatekeeping — climate justice advocacy is simple when it’s specific, direct, and actionable.

Chiara Padovani is a social worker with North York Harvest Food Bank. In that role, she works on issues of food security and the right to food. Since late 2020, she has also been instrumental in the initiative, York South-Weston Neighbours for Flooding Action.  

Madagascar is in the midst of a famine. While this may come as news to most people around the world, the UN has cited this as the first famine caused due to climate change [1]. Madagascar has historically produced negligible amounts of carbon. However, they are the first to feel the disastrous effects of climate change.

The lands impoverished by colonialism are in line to face the consequence of the excesses of the colonizers once more. As the effects of climate change are being felt around the world, the mistruths perpetuated by self-interested parties to slow down climate action come into sharper relief every day. Politicians around the world claim that climate action has to be balanced with economic interests. This is a false dichotomy since any delayed action will result in much higher adaptation costs in the future.  It also exposes the amorality of the drive to extract value from the system regardless of the costs to the environment or human and animal life. 

Toronto Acorn (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is a "multi-issue, membership-based community of low- and moderate-income people" (quote from https://acorncanada.org/about) that fights and wins change by doings things like doorknocking, petitioning and non-violent direct actions.

The first organized group was founded in Weston-Mt. Dennis. They now have groups all over the city. Some of the fights and wins they've had over time include strengthening enforcement of standards in apartment buildings and regulation of the payday loan industry. Current campaigns include fighting for a new Residential Tenancy Act and for licensing all landlords in Toronto. Join an open, local meeting or learn more about how to get involved here! 

We touched base with a local organizer who highlighted the fact that retrofits and ageing high rises are a climate justice issue.

Read Acorn's full Healthy Homes Demands here. Or read on for highlights related to Retrofits and ageing High Rises and more ways to amplify and take action.