Safe, accessible public transit is the backbone that keeps a big city like Toronto moving. It’s an essential part of our lives — enabling people who live and visit here to efficiently commute from home to work, to a doctor's appointment, or to pick up food at the grocery store Thousands of people rely on public transit every day in Toronto, especially those who are struggling the most to make ends meet and don’t have access to a car or taxi. But right now, the TTC is planning to slash services as soon as this month. [1] Imagine you’re a frontline worker. You rely on transit every day to get to work. Your daily commute usually takes you 30 minutes but lately it’s been taking you up to an hour to get to work. You have to wait in the freezing cold at a bus stop every day, because TTC services are being cut. This could be the reality for many of us if TTC service cuts go ahead. [2] A huge wave of public pressure could force the city, provincial and federal government to save the TTC — but only if we all speak out. Sign the petition now to stop the cuts and save the TTC. Sources [1] https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/10/27/ttc-plans-service-cuts-starting-in-november-because-of-workers-who-havent-complied-with-vaccine-mandate.html [2] https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/10/06/its-too-much-of-a-risk-riders-left-the-ttc-in-droves-over-covid-19-could-that-trigger-a-public-transit-death-spiral.html

This is big. As part of COP26, the global climate change conference, 19 countries are announcing a commitment to end all public financing for international fossil fuel projects by 2022. [1] Canada is one of the world’s biggest public financiers of fossil fuel projects at home and abroad. [2] But right now, the Canadian government is dragging their feet on joining this commitment. This isn’t climate leadership. Our sources have told us that fellow countries are pushing the Canadian government hard to join the commitment—and they’re wavering. This decision is going down to the wire. A big flood of public pressure as the government is deciding could show them that the world’s eyes are on them and that we need them to deliver. [1] https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/19-countries-plan-cop26-deal-end-financing-fossil-fuels-abroad-sources-2021-11-03/ [2] https://environmentaldefence.ca/2021/02/04/us-uk-eu-leadership-pressures-canada-end-fossil-finance/

Not all disabled people can operate a car, or afford to own one. And sidewalks are often too narrow, and/or uneven for mobility aids. The climate emergency requires that we give everyone the opportunity to travel using low-carbon modes of transportation. Bike lanes host many types of users, who move at different speeds - including some with disabilities. Many cycling advocates and other organizations support access to cycling facilities by people using electric mobility aids.

The Vancity Board are our friends. Vancity has committed to leadership in the financial services sector on climate. https://rethink.vancity.com/ The Board cares about what we have to say. We need to let them know this is important to us.

During last summer’s heat wave, I was luckily able to spend $700 on an AC unit just in time to find some relief. While those 600 people were in an actual fatal emergency, my partner and their two cats were feeling very stressed and desperate in their hot 1950s building in south Vancouver. In the 1950s the buildings were made to store and hold heat because they had little clue the opposite was a more vital need. They didn’t expect the changes in the climate we’ve seen now. Luckily I could house my partner and their cats for a couple weeks, and we made it through with the AC. Not everyone was as lucky — but the most vulnerable in our communities shouldn’t have had to spend hundreds to survive. As British Columbians, we are currently living in fear of unnecessary deaths and climate hardship this summer and into the future. We need government action right now. Sources [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-heat-dome-coroners-report-1.6480026?utm_medium=email&utm_source=actionkit
 [2] see [1] 
 [3] https://council.vancouver.ca/20210720/documents/b5.pdf [4] https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/10/05/canada-disastrous-impact-extreme-heat

Bees are critical to life on earth. They maintain the wellbeing of our ecosystems and pollinate a third of the crops we consume, providing pollination services valued at $2 billion to Canadian farmers every year. [1] Without them, Canada’s food system would collapse. Neonicotinoids were banned by the European Union two years ago because of their devastating impact on bee populations. [2] Neonicotinoids can kill insects on contact, interrupt their ability to navigate and reproduce [3] and threaten to poison our fish, our water, and the foods we eat. In 2018, the Ministry of Health promised to ban the use of neonicotinoids in Canada. But last year, they quietly walked back on their commitment — trading out a decisive neonicotinoid ban with half-measures that come nowhere close to meeting the scale of the problem. [4] It’s time for our government to follow the example of the European Union and ban the use of neonicotinoids. We need to stop the use of this chemical to preserve our environment and stop poisoning ourselves! Sources [1] https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/documents/AgCanadaNativePollinators.pdf [2] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/neonics-neonicotinoids-banned-european-union-protect-bees-pollinators-environment-science-spd [3] https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/05/31/news/bees-dying-toxic-chemicals-feds-wont-save-them [4] https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/canada-rejects-outright-ban-on-bee-killing-pesticides-1.5370556

"Observed increases in well-mixed greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations since around 1750 are unequivocally caused by human activities...Each of the last four decades has been successively warmer than any decade that preceded it since 1850." -IPCC Assessment report 6, working group 1 https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report.pdf The climate crisis does not end here. We know what we need to do to lower emissions. It is essential and only fair for students to have required and updated climate curriculum to spread the awareness we need as fast as we need it.

Stop greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel (natural gas and coal) power stations in Alberta and BC which would generate up to 10,000,000 Megawatt-hours per year of electricity exported to the USA for a period of 10 years. This would produce up to 40 million metric tons of carbon dioxide addition to Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. The intention of the petition is to ensure that the Canada Energy Regulator refuses to authorize the application by Heartland Generation Ltd. dated 13 August 2021 to export this energy. The recent IPCC report has stated in no uncertain terms that fossil fuel emissions are driving climate change and that these emissions must be reduced as soon as possible to avoid future climate catastrophe. This application to export electricity which would increase Canada's emissions is unconscionable.

This is a matter of public health. We need to protect the most vulnerable including children who can't be vaccinated yet, people who are sick, people with disabilities and the elderly. The delta variant is more contagious and more dangerous. We can't afford to sit and watch another wave take over. It's time to act.

This year alone, we have seen an unprecedented amount of disasters all over the world, such as deadly heat waves, wildfires, tornadoes, over one billion sea creatures possibly boiling to death in the oceans, melting icecaps causing northern parts of the world to become inhospitable, to countless floods and other major disasters. All of these issues and much more serve as a grim reminder that the Earth is a fragile place that requires immediate action. Climate science has shown us time and time again that our way of living is unsustainable, but those in power refuse to acknowledge these facts for monetary gain. The worst is yet to come, and we will be the ones to inherit a desolate planet if we do not do our part. Not our children, or our children's children, but those of us here now. We at Green Tomorrow Niagara refuse this fate, and so we are calling on you to stand with us and demand more from your leaders, and prove to all that sustainable is attainable.

Join us - Because now we are older, wiser, angrier. Because we know that action builds hope.

Greyhound is pulling its services out of Canada, leaving many rural and low-income communities stranded. [1] It’s a massive loss to all of us who rely on Greyhound to get to work, visit our families, and access critical services. Private companies are clamouring to fill the gap Greyhound left behind — but they’re fully prepared to abandon remote and Indigenous communities in favour of more lucrative routes. [2] This move could mean social and economic isolation for thousands. And for many Indigenous women, the difference between a bus ride and a hitchhike could be life and death. [3] With entire communities deserted for the bottom line, it’s never been more clear that we need a publicly funded, national bus service that is safe, reliable, and affordable. The federal government is in crisis talks to replace Greyhound — and companies like Megabus are fighting hard to get in on the new market. [4] Time is short — but a massive injection of public pressure could be enough to force a publicly-funded national bus service into the federal conversation. Will you add your name to stand up for accessible, affordable, and green transportation for all? [1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/greyhound-canada-1.6025276 [2] https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/greyhound-bus-column-don-pittis-1.6026564 [3] https://globalnews.ca/news/7860104/greyhound-closure-disaster-communities/ [4] https://globalnews.ca/news/7863365/megabus-ottawa-toronto-kingston-greyhound-canada/