Upcoming events

Faith and the Climate Crisis

​In October, 2024, Ontario's top court ordered a new hearing for a youth-led constitutional challenge of the Ford government's weakening of emissions targets, saying the case raised important issues that should be considered afresh. The Court of Appeal agreed that governments' approach to climate change has the potential to violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

On Sunday, February 23, we were pleased to host Mennonite environmental activist, Alex Neufeldt (See the article in the December Spire)
to speak at our Worship Service. If you were unable to attend the Sunday service,  and did not hear Alex's very engaging talk you can find it here.

For upcoming community environment and climate events
check the CAFES* Ottawa Events Calendar.

* Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) is a network of local environmental and climate leaders in the city of Ottawa.


DEMANDING A JUST, THRIVING, FOSSIL FREE FUTURE 

2024 Ottawa-Gatineau Climate March Organizers were pleased with last week's successful turnout to EXPOSE THE CLIMATE CULPRITS!
The weather was fabulous and some 800 marchers participated.  A number of representative organizations were singled out by the group for their greenwashing and/or lack of action on the climate crisis. These included political institutions, Ottawa City Hall and the Province of Ontario's Regional Office;
​financial institutions, the Royal Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada; and petroleum lobby groups, the Canadian Gas Association and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.  The crowd was motivated by participating groups Just Voices Choir, World Changing Kids, Horizon Ottawa, Climate Justice Climatique, U Ottawa, Last Generation Canada, CAPE and Environmental Defence. Radio-Canada Coverage en francais ici.

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Climate Strike 2024 In Photos

 

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ENVIRO-ADVOCACY  BE HEARD!
More on the Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF) at Chalk River
The Kebaowek First Nation are elated. They are celebrating a second win in court against the planned building of the nuclear waste dump at Chalk River. The first win determined the indigenous group was not adequately consulted (see below); the second ruled that the building of the facility would put the lives of the endangered Blanding's Turtle and two bat species in jeopardy, thus causing significant adverse environmental effects. While these decisions may yet be appealed, it is considered "a landmark moment" for environmental law in Canada!

Chalk River NSDF vs Kebaowek First Nation
Kebaowek First Nation has recently won a court victory, which will slow NSDF completion (approved, despite intervention, in January 2024), not over the risk of the project, but over lack of proper consultation with an indigenous group affected by this decision. This is good news in that it strengthens the Kebaowek First Nation's right to be heard, and sets a precedent that appropriate consultation with indigenous communities must be included in decisions about projects on their traditional territories.
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Update on Bill C-372
With the prorogation of the House, it seems unlikely Bill C-372, The Fossil Fuel Advertising Act, will reach second reading. The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment estimates that, each year, 34,000 premature deaths in Canada can be directly linked to fossil-fuel pollution. If you have not yet sent in your petition, you can still make our Canadian Members of Parliament aware that you support the substance of Bill C-372 and sign this petition.

Update on Bill 212
Despite much backlash, Ontario's Bill 212 has passed, giving the government new powers to move ahead with Highway 413 and remove bike lanes in Ontario towns and cities, including Ottawa. Highway 413 is in; bike lanes are out!
Click HERE to read FirstU's letter against Bill 212.

ENVIRO-BITS
Update from Horizon Ottawa on Fossil Fuel Advertising on City of Ottawa Property
Earlier we reported that a number of Ottawa environmental groups were encouraging the city of Ottawa to ban fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship of fossil fuel companies in City of Ottawa facilities.  After some months, it would seem that the City of Ottawa's advertising policy review will likely occur on March 4. Nearly 1400 residents have signed the petition calling on Ottawa City Council to support this ban.  Limits on advertising already exist when it comes to other harms like the tobacco industry. In light of the city having declared a climate emergency in 2019, similar rules should be in place for fossil fuel ads. There is still time to sign the petition.

A Response to RESCON's Challenge
​On November 19, 2024, the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) launched a legal challenge against the City of Toronto for its Toronto Green Standard. It would be a truly retrogressive move to disband Green Development Standards. Learn more here.

Is the legal personhood of rivers becoming a global movement? 
The first river to be granted legal personhood and rights based environmental protections was established with Māori advocacy in New Zealand in 2014. Former Kitigan Zibi Anishinābeg chief Gilbert Whiteduck believes Tenàgàdino Zibi (the Gatineau River) - a culturally and historically significant waterway for his people - would be afforded much improved environmental protection with such a legal designation, theoretically giving the river guardians the right to sue to government.

ENVIRO-ACTIONS
Stay Tuned!
New opportunities to donate items for reuse or recycle coming soon.

New Recycling Initiative at FirstU
Do you have a surplus of dead pens, markers, highlighters and caps? Terra Cycle in partnership with Staples will recycle all the used writing instruments we can collect, including all brands of:

• pens and pen caps
• mechanical pencils
• markers and marker caps
• highlighters and highlighter caps
• permanent markers and permanent marker caps

The container is in the office foyer.

Ontario Election: Did You Vote for the Environment?
While much of the election focused on tariffs, the climate crisis remains an existential issue in our lives. Familiarize yourself with some of the environmental issues facing us, choose one or two, and follow up with your newly elected MPP to discuss how they might be handled in Ontario.​

Check out our Personal Enrichment Page and nourish yourself with some suggested reading!

 

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good news!

The Environmental Action Group welcomes our new Good News Hunter: Jen B will be rounding up morsels of hope and victory ​to keep you in the loop on where we're succeeding, locally and globally, in protecting and preserving our home. Read on, below, for the latest good news!

Big Win in Youth Climate Case
Ontario's top court has ordered a new hearing for a youth-led constitutional challenge of the Ford government's weakening of emissions targets, saying the case raised important issues that should be considered afresh. The Court of Appeal agreed that governments' approach to climate change has the potential to violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Read more in the Winter edition of the Parkway Spire!

Electric Wallpaper to Heat Your Home
In a country where 36% of GHG emissions come from heating buildings, a solution is emerging straight out of science fiction. Electric wallpaper is being trialed in Scotland as a way to heat homes without fossil fuels. The wallpaper is easy to install, and uses strips of copper, graphene or carbon to emit enough heat to provide warmth within one to three minutes.

A Circular Economy for EV Batteries
Electric vehicle (EV) batteries eventually need to be replaced, but that's not the end of the road. Used EV batteries still have about 80% of their capacity and can be repurposed for use by power grids, EV charging stations, and commercial customers. Canada-based Moment Energy is building a huge battery repurposing factory in Texas that will produce up to 1 gigawatt hours (GWh) of battery storage systems a year, enough for 750,000 homes.

Solar shows up everywhere
​We need a lot of clean electricity to transition away from fossil fuels, and people are finding ways to put solar panels just about anywhere. For example, it is now mandatory for large parking lots in France to install solar panels over the parking spaces. This design provides good energy yields because the panels can be positioned optimally, and also shades cars from the hot sun. And in Switzerland, a company is about to test a system of removable solar panels between train tracks.

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We would like to express our thanks to Jennifer B who has been responsible for searching out and writing up the Good News Items in this section
for the past year and a half. We certainly appreciated her ability to seek out positive environmental happenings in a sometimes discouraging news world.
We'll miss your contribution Jen!