Do you remember Earth Day 2007? The fourth Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change (IPCC) report had just been released. The language was clear. If humanity kept on increasing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the Earth will be a very difficult place to live by 2050.
At that time Canada and many Canadian cities had formally made commitments to work toward reducing our climate impact as a nation.
Seven years on, humanity is not out of the danger zone. In fact, Canada is no longer part of the global climate treaty and we are not doing our part to reduce GHG emissions.
The IPCC has just released its fifth report on the science, impacts and mitigation of the climate crisis. The conclusions are even clearer: we face a poorer and more violent world if we do not act decisively now. No one is safe.
As a proud citizen of Greater Sudbury, I want to see my city take a lead on discussing pricing carbon in a rational manner. By election 2015, our city needs to create the political will for an effective price on carbon pollution so that we are sure to send climate-friendly politicians back to Ottawa.
Although I am only 16 years old, I know all this because my grandparents and parents are quite concerned about the climate crisis. But, they are informed, thus hopeful, and so am I.
So, here’s my shout-out to Greater Sudbury. This Earth Day, and as often as we can muster until the federal election in 2015, which will be the first time I will be able to vote, let’s create the political will for climate action locally, so that we are sure to send climate champions back to Ottawa in 2015 for our ridings of Nickel Belt and Sudbury.
This simple action will continue to make our city of Greater Sudbury a climate leader.
Salina Mathur
Grade 11 student,
Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School