Hungry For Climate Leadership

Are You Hungry For Climate Leadership?  Are you hungry for climate justice?  Do you wish that people in power—whether leaders in the energy field or leaders in government—would start taking climate change seriously?   Do you want them to help us plan for a transition to a different kind of economy and perhaps a different kind of life that is more sustainable with natural systems in the long term?

People in my circles are becoming more and more serious about stepping up and speaking out.  I am hearing people who have never demonstrated in the streets talking about putting their bodies on the line against the Gateway Pipeline.  We feel like we are running out of time and it is time to escalate the effort to get our leader’s attention.

From September 21, 2012 to October 2^nd, people who are hungry for real climate leadership will be fasting on parliament hill.  People across the country who are hungry for climate justice will be supporting them.  Canadian Unitarians For Social Justice has endorsed this fast.  Will you join us?

Learn all about it at  http://www.climatefast.ca/

The invitation does not mean you have to give up all food and drink for 12 days.  There is a very good page explaining how to use the fast to make meaning for yourself as we reflect together on the changes we have to make as a world society.  There is a very good page explaining the different kinds of fasts and how to fast safely.  You may choose a full fast or a partial fast.  No one should fast if they have health challenges that prevent it.  Consult your doctor before you fast.  If you cannot fast, perhaps you will choose to give up alcohol or cigarettes or gasoline.  If you fast with your friends, you can use the opportunity to create a good discussion about ways to educate others and create change.

Personally, I have health challenges that prevent a full fast.  My pledge is for that 12-day period I will not drive a car or drink alcohol, and I will limit myself to two small meals a day.  I will also send a letter to my MP, to my MPP, and to my local city councilor, and a letter to the editor.  I will also send a letter to Suncor and to Enbridge.  Even if you can’t fast at all, you can choose this time to put pressure on our leaders.  Let them know what you want for our future.  Let them know what you expect of them. 

Here is my letter;

Dear leaders of the world;

We live in a time of great risk.  Climate change is already causing more and more catastrophic weather events.  Conventional sources of energy like oil and coal and nuclear power are becoming more and more expensive and more and more damaging to world ecosystems.  World economic distress is a symptom of these problems.  Unless we seriously address the fact that we cannot grow our economies forever, this distress will become worse.  If our children and grandchildren are to have a chance at a quality of life we need real leadership from you and we need it now.

Instead of desperately searching for more oil and coal and uranium at any cost, we need to direct our attention and our resources toward building an economy on renewable energy.  We must slow the use of oil and coal and preserve reserves in the ground for future generations.  We can do this by:

• Putting a price on carbon
• Supporting all initiatives that develop and promote renewable energy
• Supporting all initiatives that promote energy conservation

We must set up social systems that will cushion the blow as our economies slow down.  We already see peaceful protests and violence and chaos in the streets around the world including our own country.  This trend will only get worse unless we do a better job of addressing the realities in front of us. 

We need your best, most creative leadership now to address these issues.  Help the people of the world accept that we must learn to use less energy, not more.  We must learn to live with less stuff, not more.  We must find our happiness through good family life and healthy communities where we respect and care for one another in a setting of relative equality.  Learn to build an economy on health care, education, and care for environment, instead of putting your faith in greed and war.

Respectfully,

Rev. Frances Deverell