On November 29, many Lowertown residents joined citizens from across Ontario and Quebec to march and celebrate, reminding our new government before the Paris climate change talks that 100% clean energy is 100% Possible in Canada. “It was great to be among the 25,000 in Ottawa for the largest climate change march on Parliament Hill to demonstrate that we want to be part of the solution and show that transition to 100% renewable energy is not only necessary, but possible,” said from the march Liz Bernstein, Lowertown Community Association president.
Organized by a growing alliance of environmental groups, community organizations, unions, First Nations and faith groups, the march was one of 1,700 marches held across the world before the Paris summit. Ecology Ottawa – one of the organizers – details on their website the policies they marched for.
1. Start building and supporting clean energy infrastructure. To provide more clean energy to consumers, we need polices that allow solar, wind, and other clean energy industries to flourish.
2. Stop building infrastructure that perpetuates Canada’s dependency on fossil fuels. Energy infrastructure is big, expensive and it lasts a long time. Getting to 100% clean energy by 2050 means weaning ourselves off fossil fuels and one of the first steps is saying no to more fossil fuel infrastructure.
3. Implement the International Declaration on Indigenous Rights. Indigenous peoples have been leading the challenge in protecting our shared natural environment from damaging resource extraction projects. Implementation and adhesion to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is critical.
4. Invest in clean, low-carbon jobs. Investing in a clean economy means supporting jobs in sectors that build a stronger, more livable country and providing retraining services for those in carbon-intensive industries. For more information, see ecologyottawa.ca.