The Council of Canadians Edmonton chapter held a ‘Plugging Into Our Energy Future’ forum this November 4-5.
The outreach for it highlights, “[This is a] unique event: a free, volunteer organized 2 day series of keynote speakers and facilitated workshops aimed at building the capacity of Edmontonians to address the crisis of climate change and join the quest for a Just Transition away from fossil fuels.”
The speakers on Friday night included Graham Thomson (Edmonton Journal), Dr. Joe Vipond (Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment), Lucien Royer (Canadian Labour Congress), and Andrew Nikiforuk (Investigative Journalist, Award-winning Author). The Saturday keynote speaker was Jim Andrais (the City of Edmonton’s Program Manager for Environmental Policy).
The six workshops today focused on: ‘The Rights of Climate Change’, ‘Eco-government – Responsible government’, ‘Traditional Knowledge in Climate Change Adaptation: Contexts of Knowing and Doubting’, ‘Transitioning to Zero Carbon’, and ‘Gaia Consciousness, Permaculture and Biochar’.
Council of Canadians organizer Diane Connors, who worked with the chapter to organize this conference, also did a workshop on ‘Building Community Power’.
Connors has also been tweeting updates throughout the conference, including:
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Incredible turnout tonight at @CouncilofCDNs #yeg #ClimateChange panel! Conference tomorrow at @UAlberta – feeling excited! -
“China used to make a new coal plant every week. Now it’s a new turbine every day. They’re way ahead of us, and getting rich.” @jvipondmd -
Great start to #yeg @CouncilofCDNs #ClimateAction conference this morning! Thanks to A Nikiforuk and @CBCNews for coming -
“We need to encourage our govt to participate in global solutions.” #COP22 @CouncilofCDNs #yeg -
“Traditional knowledge is not taken into account in these matters. We have a say in what you do on this land.” @tazbouchier #climatechange -
We need 1 Million Green Jobs! Unions are a civilizing force in society @CouncilofCDNs @UniforTheUnion @CanadianLabour #COP22 #yeg
The conference took place on the eve of the United Nations COP22 climate change conference in Morocco that runs from November 7-18.
The Council of Canadians is committed to climate justice and the 15 demands listed in the Leap Manifesto.
For more on our Energy & Climate Justice campaign, please click here.
