What You Can Do

Are you concerned about climate change impacts in a particular country, and want to become part of the solution?

Organize on a Climate Impacts Day

Organize an event in your own community to commemorate “Climate Impacts Day” for the country of your choice. Your event can take the form of a discussion over dinner, street theatre, or it could be geared towards climate change solutions within your own community. Get creative! Make sure your elected officials (including city councillors, and provincial and federal parliamentarians, as well as your mayor, premier and prime minister) know that you are organizing because you want Canada to do its fair share! If you are planning to organize an event, contact us so that we can help you promote it.

Simple Actions

You can also take simple actions in your own life to reduce your energy consumption. Simple actions to conserve energy and become more energy efficient, like switching to energy efficient light bulbs, hanging your clothes out to dry, and choosing to bike or take public transportation, are important first steps. But to truly shift our path towards a clean energy economy, we each must begin to make the changes that require a little bit of work.

Doing things like ensuring our homes are properly insulated, investing in energy efficient windows, and considering renewable energy options within our own communities are actions that will bring us much closer to achieving the “climate friendly” society we need.

Get Active Politically

Every level of government - federal, provincial, and municipal – has a role to play. It is important to take the time to get to know who your elected representative is at each level, and to make sure they know your expectations. We need: investments in renewable energy; higher energy efficiency standards for appliances, homes, and vehicles; real public transportation options; a phase out of fossil fuel subsidies; regulations on industry that make polluters pay; and protection for our forests and ecosystems. Invest in the future now!

Achieving the necessary reductions in greenhouse gas emissions is also going to require a fair, ambitious, and binding international climate change agreement. Make sure your Member of Parliament understands your expectations that Canada play a constructive role in the creation of such a deal at the upcoming United Nations climate change negotiations in Cancun, and support developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change.