It was quite a treat to celebrate with an estimated 3,000 other folks at the Earth Day Parade this past Friday. Organized by Youth for Climate Justice Now, the celebration was the first citywide Earth Day event organized by and for youth. We were very impressed with the young speakers’ eloquence and sincerity, and we especially liked how the event saw the recycling of the peace sign from banality into a call for climate justice.
If you’d like to take action on climate change locally (besides supporting a vibrant regional food system, of course!) here are two simple ways to do so:
- Take action against the South Fraser Perimeter Road. You can learn more about this freeway, which would destroy salmon habitat and encourage pavement creep onto farmland, here and write letters using this form. At present, there also happens to be a protest camp on the South Fraser Perimeter Road. To learn more about the camp and ways to support or join it, please visit Stop the Pave.
- Support a ban on crude oil tankers off of BC’s coast. Enbridge Inc has designs on bringing the first-ever crude oil tankers to BC’s coast. The coastal waters near the Great Bear Rainforest are fairly treacherous, and the supertankers would introduce the risk of an oil spill à la BP Deepwater Horizon or Exxon Valdez. We strongly encourage you to check out which federal parties support a tanker ban and to sign the Dogwood Initiative’s petition here.
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- Recycling the peace symbol. Esha sewed and felted this awesome eggplant costume himself.
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- Bumblebee solanaceae sonication!
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- Youth for Climate Justice Now leaders and event co-organizer Ben West initiating a moment of silence for people who are being affected by climate change right now.
