That time is now. We must act together for the health of our planet, our air, our water, our climate, and our children.
On September 26th we need you to come to Ottawa to join a
historic action to oppose the tar sands. In a large peaceful protest,
many will be risking arrest to tell the Harper governmentthat we don’t
support his reckless agenda; that we want to turn away from the toxic
tar sands industry; and that we oppose the direction he's taking this
country.
In the U.S., people by the thousands are taking a stand. From Aug
20th to Sept. 3rd, thousands are pledging to risk arrest in daily acts
of civil disobedience to convince President Obama to reject the Keystone
XL pipeline that would bring dirty tar sands oil to the U.S. On
September 26th, we will stand up to Prime Minister Harper to pressure him to stem the tar sands industry at its source.
There comes a time when you need to take a stand. When sending
letters and signing petitions isn't enough. When together we must say,
"enough is enough — not on our watch".
Tar sands mining and other extreme forms of energy extraction like
Arctic drilling, shale fracking, and nuclear power generation send us in
the exact opposite direction that we, as a civilization, must go to
ensure global survival. If we burn the tar sands, we blot our nation's
reputation; if we leave that carbon in the ground, we'll do the world an
enormous favour.
On September 26th we are asking you to come to Ottawa to
participate in one of the largest acts of civil disobedience on the
climate issue that Canada has ever seen.
Be a part of turning Canada away from the toxic tar sands industry. Help forge the future we all want to live in.
If you are interested and willing to take action email ottawaaction@gmail.com or go to www.ottawaaction.ca to sign-up today. It will be a powerful day, and more powerful if you're a part of it.
Sincerely,
The Council of Canadians
Greenpeace Canada
Indigenous Environmental Network
Organizational Endorsers:
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
Yinka Dene Alliance
Dene Nation
Citizens Climate Lobby (Toronto, Sudbury and Red Lake chapters)
EcoSanity
Post Carbon Toronto
The Tipping Point
Science for Peace
Voice of Women
Individual Endorsers:
Maude Barlow – Chair, Council of Canadians
Shirley Douglas - Canadian television, film and stage actress and activist
George Poitras – Mikisew Cree Indigenous First Nation
James Hansen – Internationally renown Climate Scientist.
Dr. Danny Harvey, University of Toronto Professor and Lead Author, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Graeme Gibson – Author and Member of the Order of Canada.
John O’Connor – Medical Doctor
Clayton Ruby – Member of the Order of Canada and Criminal Lawyer
Judy Rebick – Journalist, political activist and feminist.
Naomi Klein – Author and Journalist
Tom Goldtooth – Director, Indigenous Environmental Network
Bill McKibben – Writer and Environmentalist
Gordon Laxer – Professor of Political Economy
Tony Clarke - Author and director of the Polaris Institute
Bruce Cox - Executive Director Greenpeace Canada
Toghestiy Wet’suwet’en – Wet’suwet’en Nation
Kai Nagata – Ex-CTV Bureau Chief and journalist
James Biggar - Executive Director LeadNow.ca
Tzeporah Berman, Canadian author and activist
Joseph B. Uehlein – Labor organizer and environmentalist
Kevin Washbrook - Director, Voters Taking Action on Climate Change
James Kamau - Director, Youth Initiative Canada
Why now?
This summer, 11 veteran U.S. and Canadian scientists and
environmentalists — Maude Barlow, Wendell Berry, Tom Goldtooth, Danny
Glover, James Hansen, Wes Jackson, Naomi Klein, Bill McKibben, George
Poitras, David Suzuki, and Gus Speth — issued a continental call-out.
The call was for people right across the U.S. to come to Washington D.C.
and join in two weeks of non-violent civil disobedience actions to try
to stop the massive tar sands Keystone XL pipeline. The response has
been overwhelming.
Knowing the horrific impacts a mega-pipeline from the tar sands in
Alberta to refineries in the U.S. gulf coast would pose to communities,
waterways, ecosystems and the planet, people are signing up by the
thousands. They are pledging to risk arrest to draw a line in the sand
and say “no.” They'll deliver that message by daily risking arrest until
the project is stopped.
On September 26th, we have a chance to match their courage and do the same in Ottawa.
If you are interested and willing to take action email ottawaaction@gmail.com or go to www.ottawaaction.ca to sign-up today.
"There comes a time…"
