Header image: Citizens participating in a Fridays for Future Climate Strike held at Charles Clark Square in 2019. (CTV Windsor, 2019)
by Niharika Bandaru
Sofie Waters is a Grade 12 student at École Secondaire E.J Lajeunesse. Tomorrow, she will be one among several concerned residents of Windsor-Essex County bringing attention to Canada’s climate crisis and demanding emergency-level climate action from Canada’s Federal Government, at Dieppe Gardens. The call for civic momentum and community mobilization can be attributed to forces ranging from one of the worst wildfire seasons on record in Canada, to a newly declared “Code Red” moment in the latest UN IPCC report, and most importantly - an upcoming snap Federal Election on September 20th, 2021 that will determine the urgency of climate action in this country.
Tomorrow’s rally is a part of a nationwide day of action organized by 350.org, to bring attention to climate issues ahead of the federal leaders debate on Thursday. Sofie Waters, being one of the founding members of the Windsor Essex Youth Climate Council, and leaders of Wednesday’s event, gives us more details:
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF “CANADA IS ON FIRE”?
“Forest fires and floods are raging across Canada, and it’s time our leaders acted like it.”
Wednesday’s rally is part of a nationwide day of action organized by 350.org, to put the climate crisis front and center ahead of the Federal Leaders debate on Thursday. The organization has named the event “Canada is still on fire”, alluding to the forest fires which have ravaged much of the country over the last couple of months. On Wednesday we will hear from multiple local climate activists and community organizers and make our voices heard by marching along the riverfront in Windsor.
What do you demand from federal leaders?
We are demanding better climate policy from federal politicians. As it stands right now, Canada is not on track to meet its Paris Agreement targets, which is needed to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels and prevent the worst effects of climate change. Forest fires and floods are raging across Canada, and it’s time our leaders acted like it. We are calling on politicians to ensure a green and just recovery from the pandemic, which means ending fossil fuel and animal agriculture subsidies, and transitioning workers from these industries to jobs in a low carbon economy where their same skill sets will be needed. Our leaders must work closely with Indigenous Communities who are some of the hardest hit by the consequences of climate change and who have been protecting our land and water for centuries.
“We are calling on politicians to ensure a green and just recovery from the pandemic, which means ending fossil fuel and animal agriculture subsidies, and transitioning workers from these industries to jobs in a low carbon economy where their same skill sets will be needed.”
How can the residents of Windsor-Essex County get involved? How can their voices be amplified?
There are many ways that Windsor-Essex residents can get involved, one of them being attending our rally and sharing the event on their networks!
It is also crucial that constituents reach out to their elected officials and candidates in their ridings to voice their concerns and put pressure on them to be stronger on climate. One huge thing that people in our region can do is to get out and vote, and encourage others to do the same. We need to elect people who understand the severity of the issues we’re facing and are committed to doing everything in their power to fight for our futures.
What is the ultimate message voters and leaders need to pay attention to?
The goal of this rally, and the parallel ones happening across the country, is to put climate on the ballot. Canadians have seen this summer what happens when we ignore the existential crisis facing us all. With the recent IPCC report that came out in August, it is clear that the situation is even more dire than previously thought, and we want our politicians to do something about it.
Readers can join the rally tomorrow by signing up for the event here and sharing the details on social media. Organizers request attendees to bring face masks, friends, and signs at 3:30 PM at Dieppe Gardens on the Riverfront in Downtown Windsor.
About The Interviewee:
Sofie Waters is a Grade 12 student at École Secondaire E.J Lajeunesse. She is a founding member of the Windsor Essex Youth Climate Council, where she is the treasurer and co-head of Research and Advocacy. The WEYCC is committed to advocacy and education on intersectional environmentalism and climate action, governmental climate action, and facilitating youth participation in political decision-making in Windsor and Essex County.