Defend Our Climate Day 2014 in Ottawa

Written by Denise Deby.

On May 10, 2014, people across Canada will gather in dozens of cities to call for a shift from unsustainable to renewable energy.

Ecology Ottawa, the Council of Canadians, Idle No More, 350.org Ottawa and Greenpeace-Ottawa are organizing an event for people locally. It’s on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at 1 p.m. at Rideau Falls.

The Rideau River, the Falls, local aquifers and ecologically-sensitive lands are among the areas at risk of oil spills if energy company TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline goes ahead, say Ecology Ottawa and many others. The Energy East pipeline would carry bitumen from the Alberta tar sands through Ottawa to New Brunswick.

While some other countries are shifting to renewable energy sources, the Canadian government is promoting tar sands expansion, subsidizing oil companies and weakening or eliminating environmental reviews of major projects as well as laws that protect the environment.

That’s why Ecology Ottawa and others are inviting people to join them on Saturday, May 10. For details and to RSVP, see http://www.ecologyottawa.org/defend_our_climate_may_10th_national_day_of_action.

Here’s some of what Defend Our Climate, a partnership that includes LeadNow, Equiterre, Greenpeace, Environmental Defence, Sierra Club B.C. and other organizations, has to say:

Everyone from the International Energy Agency, the World Bank, and the UN climate scientists agree we need a global carbon budget. Estimates from 350.org show Canada’s tar sands contain nearly one sixth of the planet’s entire carbon budget. This is why the whole world is watching what Canada does next.”

Around the world, more money is being invested in creating electricity with renewable energy than all fossil fuels combined.

We’re at the beginning of a great transition to replace dirty fossil fuels with clean energy, and ensure a safe climate for all generations.

From roof-top solar panels to advanced labs, and from local cooperatives to national governments, there are people building the next economy all over the world.

…We can do it – we just need to overcome the opposition of big oil companies, and come together to be climate leaders in our time.”

For more information on these efforts and on National Defend Our Climate Day, see http://www.defendourclimate.ca/.