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Defending Climate and Communities in Sudbury

by Karen Bringleson

Participants in the "Defend Our Climate, Defend Our Communities" rally that happened in Sudbury this past Saturday outside the office of NDP MP Glenn Thibeault.
Participants in the "Defend Our Climate, Defend Our Communities" rally that happened in Sudbury this past Saturday outside the office of NDP MP Glenn Thibeault.
Dr. David Pearson addressed the crowd, emphasizing the importance of LCET (low carbon energy technology).
Dr. David Pearson addressed the crowd, emphasizing the importance of LCET (low carbon energy technology).
Richard Eberhardt, a representative of Glenn Thibeault’s office, expressed concern for his daughter Reese’s future.
Richard Eberhardt, a representative of Glenn Thibeault’s office, expressed concern for his daughter Reese’s future.
Bruce McComber discussed the importance of a moratorium on fracking.
Bruce McComber discussed the importance of a moratorium on fracking.
John Newlands sang one of his own songs, This Place and also Power To The People by John Lennon.
John Newlands sang one of his own songs, This Place and also Power To The People by John Lennon.

On Saturday, about two dozen folks from Greater Sudbury joined nearly 10,000 other Canadians in every corner of our country to say with a loud and rapidly growing voice, “Enough with the tar sands,” “We don’t want pipelines” and “We are holding government accountable for action on climate change”.

LeadNow organized the volunteer-led national day of action with a coalition of First Nations and a real variety of citizens groups including Forest Ethics, Greenpeace, the Council of Canadians and SumofUs.  This started as a pipelines and tar sands protest but morphed into rallies for all kinds of environmental reasons. 

The individuals who braced their signs against the wind at the rally in Sudbury reflected the same kind of diversity seen in the coalition of organizations involved nationally and in the variety of issues stressed in different communities. 

Rachael Charbonneau aptly quoted Dr. David Suzuki’s recent statement, “Environmentalism has failed” in her speech, lamenting the protection of our environment as a special interest, and the failure of capitalism to provide for people.

Dr. David Pearson encouraged a hopeful view of the future of environmentalism portrayed on a sign one protestor held.  The message read, “Healthy environment = healthy economy”.  Dr. Pearson suggested this is the future of environmentalism, saying we can’t continue to go to Ottawa with science and proof of the damage we are causing our environment because they’ve heard it all before and they just aren’t listening.  He suggests we need to instead convince government that a clean environment, including green energy and a low carbon future really is good for our economy and our future. 

The local event included the usual: people, signs and honking horns but there was also music and conversation among folks who don’t agree on all the issues or the way to tackle them. What these people do agree on is the need for a new approach and the cooperation of diverse voices on all of the issues plaguing our society if we are going to make a difference in the future of Canada and our planet.  Perhaps environmentalism hasn’t failed.  Maybe we are just in the initial stages of a new kind of cooperation.

Karen Bringleson was one of the organizers for this event.


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Topics: Environment

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About the Sudbury Working Group

The Sudbury working-group of The Media Co-op was formed to create independent media in the North, to speak to our issues and outlooks on our communities as well as the world around us. Independent media provides an avenue for people who are wishing to gain critical perspective on the issues that matter most to us, and to give a voice to those people and stories that you won't find in the mainstream media.

The Sudbury working-group site is no longer being updated and has been archived.