The Climate Emergency is terrifying. Last year I wrote this story about my little niece, Georgia, who was 2 years old and lives in Surrey, BC. Twice, since she was born, massive fires in BC have deteriorated air quality so badly that it was too dangerous to take her outside of the house. Air conditioned, filtered air was the safest option and windows could not be opened. Georgia is 4 years old now, and the Climate Fires along the Pacific have meant the smoke has returned. The state of the climate is terrifying.
Every spring, we wonder how long the Toronto Island beaches will be flooded before we can go over on the ferry. Every Victoria Day we wonder whether we can watch fireworks on the beach at Woodbine Beach or if it’s under inches of water. Only a few years ago, we never had to worry about these things. How many more emergencies and disasters will become common place for Georgia? She's actually become used to unsafe smoke days where she can't play outside. It hurts me deeply that she thinks this is normal.
When forests burn, our futures burn along with them. We deserve so much better than $20 million corporate handouts for fridges at Loblaw, $16 billion (and growing) for the TransMountain pipeline, trade deals that lead to deregulation, and "one-policy-solution" ideas. The NDP has a transformational plan that will build and sustain our communities, across Canada, for years to come.
NDP Leadership looks like:
- Tackling Environmental Racism. Where UNDRIP, Truth and Reconciliation, Racial Justice, response to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and making racial justice are key to our work on environmental justice.
- Climate Accountability. The NDP is committed to create a Climate Accountability Officer who will be an arms-length body tasked with researching, reporting on, and advising Parliament on national climate action.
- Fare-Free Public Transit. Imagine a Toronto where you board a fully electric train without having to worry about finicky fare gates and zealous fare guards. People will be able to get around fast while reducing the number of vehicles on the roads, all of which are now electric.
- A national green jobs plan for workers. The NDP policy would enhance education in specialized jobs that provide living wages, employment, and a more affordable life in every community.
- Indigenous solidarity as equal partners in the emergency. Indigenous peoples are disproportionately affected by the climate emergency. They are the front lines of the disasters and must be part of any solution to the emergency, so let’s ensure they have a seat at the table.
- Ending $18 billion in fossil fuel subsidies. Liberals and Conservatives love providing subsidies for their wealthy friends. $18 billion in fossil fuel subsidies does nothing to help everyday people. We’ll redirect those subsidies towards helping everyday people.
- Ban on single-use plastics. By 2022, we can drastically reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans and landfills by eliminating plastic that is meant to be disposed of after only one use.
- Home Retrofits program. With 1/3rd of all emissions in Canada coming from buildings, we have to upgrade homes built before 2020 across Canada to be efficient and reduce their carbon footprint while respecting architectural heritage.
- Net-Zero Homes. Ensuring homes are net-zero emissions by 2025.
- Net-Zero Recovery. Providing Federal subsidies to large corporations only if they demonstrate commitments to plans to achieve net-zero emissions.
- And there’s so much more. Read the full plan