The Amazon Rainforest stands to make "a significant contribution to pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Coe [Earth Systems Scientist] likens it not to a pair of lungs, but to a giant air conditioner that cools the planet—one of our most powerful in mitigating climate change, alongside other tropical forests in central Africa and Asia—some of which are also currently burning" (for a more accurate look at the role of the Amazon: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/why-amazon-doesnt-produce-20-percent-worlds-oxygen/). Its loss, together with our lack of political will to stop carbon emissions and the absence of means to capture carbon effectively are posing a severe threat to people worldwide. Importantly, about one million Indigenous people live in the Amazon. It is also home to three million species of plants and animals (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49433437). These fires are material and deadly. And their frequency is spurred by Bolsonaro's policies, which have accelerated deforestation, up 88% (https://globalnews.ca/news/5794191/amazon-rainforest-fire-explained/), due to farming, logging, and drilling. "The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) has recorded more than 74,000 fires so far this year [in the Amazon] – an 84 per cent increase on the same period in 2018. It’s the highest number since records began in 2013." (https://globalnews.ca/news/5794191/amazon-rainforest-fire-explained/). Take a deep breath and imagine smoke filling your lungs on a darkened afternoon, just as residents of São Paulo did at 3 p.m. Monday, August 19.

According to an article I found on the internet, Weird Al has never played "Hardware Store" live because of how intensely fast and complicated the song is. But Toronto loves Weird Al, and we can't imagine a better place for him to debut the song live. We'll be very forgiving of any mistakes - we just want to support him and sing along as best we can! Weird Al, please make history by playing Hardware Store in Toronto at your next show!

It's important!

Why is this important? The Project Promotes The Following Benefits to Our Society: + Green Technology. + Jobs. + Clean Environment and ecologically clean world. + Fair Economy. + Strong Democracy.

The Government of Ontario has cut funding for Legal Aid Ontario by almost 1/3, including a complete cut of ALL funding for the immigration and refugee law program at Legal Aid Ontario. Access to Legal Aid is essential for low-income Ontarians who are facing legal proceedings, not just immigration but also criminal, family, mental health, poverty law and child protection cases. Without legal aid, vulnerable people will be left to represent themselves in a complex and already overburdened legal system, facing jail or deportation if they lose their case. It's unjust and unfair to expect people to navigate the complex legal system without support, and these cuts will only add further to delays and chaos throughout the justice system.

On April 11, with the release of the Budget, the Government of Ontario made a significant cut of approximately one third of all legal aid funding, which will jeopardize the rights of those who need legal representation the most. Many refugee claimants arrive in Canada with almost nothing. Many are dealing with the aftermath of extreme personal trauma and struggle with PTSD, depression or other mental health issues as a result of the events that caused them to leave their homes and countries of origin. Often with little to no English, and even less legal knowledge, they are required to file legal forms, collect evidence, and appear in a hearing to test their claim. They are not equipped to represent themselves in Canada’s refugee determination system, a highly specialized legal field. This is why Legal Aid funding is so essential to protect the rights of such a vulnerable population and to ensure that their full story is heard by a refugee decision-maker through providing access to legal representation. Access to Legal Aid is also essential to low-income Ontarians who are facing legal proceedings such as in criminal, family, mental health, poverty law and child protection cases. These Ontarians will struggle to navigate these legally complex, high-stakes proceedings without legal assistance or resources. The impact of these cuts is huge. Vulnerable populations like refugees are left to represent themselves in a complex and already overburdened legal system, where a negative decision leads to deportation to countries where lives may be at risk. The cuts will lead to backlogs and delays throughout the justice system, causing chaos in the courts and costing taxpayers more, not less. URGENT! Sign your name to the petition now – let the Government of Ontario know that you care about funding to Legal Aid and are concerned about how it will impact the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in our society, including refugees and immigrants in Ontario.

Climate change has been a crisis for decades. From the minute that oil companies discovered the impact their industry was having on the climate - and chose to bury the evidence and hide the results - the planet has been facing a major threat. Now, after decades of lies, pollution, and despair, we know that the clock is ticking and the point of no return is looming large. Recent reports from the UN tell us that we have just twelve years to make massive changes to our entire economy or we face critical climate chaos. What we are facing is not in the distant future. Climate change is here - and it is an urgent emergency. It's time we treat it as such. Cities across Canada have declared a climate emergency, factoring climate change into city planning at every level and in some cases unlocking funding for climate mitigation efforts. In just the last week, Ottawa and London joined cities like Vancouver, Kingston, and Halifax that had already declared. It's time that Canada's largest city, the cornerstone of our economy, join those efforts. Toronto is home to millions of people and almost a fifth of Canada's entire economy. If Toronto declares a climate emergency, it mobilizes an incredible base of support for climate action in Canada and takes its in global climate leadership. The clock is ticking. Tell the Mayor and Toronto City Council to declare a climate emergency today.

Self evident. These are legal documents that must be displayed when asked by police.

This is extremely important because workers would have no choice but to work the 48+ hours or fear risking their jobs. It is an extremely unfair bill that throws away the rights of the workers. It would cause mental health issues from overworking and create a toxic environment that limits our ability to have a work week that allows us to live our lives. It seems as if Doug Ford is limiting the knowledge of our rights by preventing them from being seen at the workplace. It seems as if hes actively trying to make things intentionally worse for the worling class.

Ford just made slashing cuts to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). This will put higher education out of reach for tens of thousands of Ontarians. Ford's legislation will also end the six month grace period for repaying student loans, which means students could graduate in April and receive a bill for hundreds of dollars in May - before they’ve even secured a job interview. Doug Ford is balancing his budget on the backs of students - mere months after handing billions in tax breaks to his well-connected buddies. We have to stand up for students, and put a halt to this short-sighted, fiscally irresponsible and cruel cut to students' futures. Students have been organizing rallies, and there's another one this Friday. If we get this petition as big as we can before that, we can show Ford that students won't allow this. Tell Doug Ford and the Education Minister - immediately save and fully reinstate OSAP.

URGENT: Tomorrow Toronto City Council will be debating whether or not to declare a state of emergency to trigger immediate action on the homeless crisis affecting our city. Declaring a state of emergency will take people off the streets and help save lives. We’re partnering with Progress Toronto to deliver the petition to councillors tomorrow, but to convince them to support it, we have to collect as many signatures as possible right now. Sign before it’s too late. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recently, the City of Toronto began issuing eviction notices to homeless people who seek shelter from fierce winter weather in tents under the Gardiner. These notices are delivered under the guise of “no camping” by-laws and force people to either hide from authorities or attempt to navigate a shelter system that lacks the resources to accommodate them. [1] With severe winter weather predicted this weekend, forcing these people out of their tents into unsafe and over-capacity shelter system that may or may not even be able to take them in is cruel, inhumane, and dangerous. The city of Toronto must take immediate action to expand shelter capacity, and halt tent evictions until capacity is more than adequate to provide safe, secure shelter for those in need. All too often, these are the people who are left behind. A flood of public pressure from a massive petition will let Mayor Tory and City Council know that this issue isn’t going to fade away, and could force a change in policy. Source: [1] https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/city-giving-homeless-living-in-tent-cities-2-weeks-to-vacate-structures-1.4254610

"There is no such thing as a model or ideal Canadian... A society which emphasizes uniformity is one which creates intolerance and hate... What the world should be seeking, and what in Canada we must continue to cherish, are not concepts of uniformity but human values: compassion, love and understanding" - Pierre Trudeau