Unlike the massive bailout of banks and car companies during the financial crisis of 2008, the goals of the coronavirus recovery should be to care for the most vulnerable people, safeguard human health and nurture our collective relationship with nature. To make this happen, we need to shift the idea that an economic recovery means returning to normal. We can’t go back to growth-at-all-costs and to letting polluting industries dominate the political agenda. Now is the time to increase the power and influence of people like you.
In mid-march, when the COVID-19 crisis hit Canada, you asked the government to bailout people and not oil companies, over 30,000 people raised their voices. You had an impact! While some funding has been announced for the oil sector, they’ve gotten much less than what they asked for, and the government has committed to attaching some significant environmental and social conditions on companies receiving funds.
Over the last month, we have invited you to share your vision of what the recovery should look like. And now it’s time to make sure MPs are listening to you. We believe that YOU can influence politicians to make the right decision.
We know that right now the government is working on a longer-term recovery plan. This is the perfect opportunity to remind them to listen to their constituents and put people and nature ahead of corporate profits.
We are inviting you to challenge these federal MPs to make sure we build back better. They have each shown in the past that they care about the environment and think climate action is a top priority. Let’s challenge them to speak up for a #JustRecovery.
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith
He has a reputation as a climate advocate and has a history of pushing his own party to do more on climate change. Let’s challenge him to speak up now for a #JustRecovery!
Sample tweet
Copy and paste this text as a comment under their last post on Facebook or Instagram:
M.Erskine-Smith, I am asking you to publicly support a green and just recovery. Last year, you spoke out for a climate emergency debate. Earlier this year, you rejected the tar sands mine Teck Frontier. Today, I ask you to take a clear position in favour of a green and #JustRecovery that puts people and nature first. https://act.gp/2ZDW4LG @GreenpeaceCanada
Call script: (constituency office phone number 416-467-0860)
“Hello M.Erskine-Smith, I am calling to ask that you publicly support a green and just recovery. Last year, you spoke out for a climate emergency debate. Earlier this year, you rejected the tar sands mine Teck Frontier. Today, I am asking you to take a clear position in favour of a green and just recovery that puts people and nature first.Thank you”
Sample email ([email protected])
“Hi Mr. Erksine-Smith, I want to thank you for your work in these difficult times. I want to tell you that I don’t want us to go back to a ‘normal’ defined by a system which creates rampant inequalities based and on a model of infinite exploitation and destruction of nature.
Now that the time has come to rebuild our future, I hope you can keep being a leader. The recovery from COVID-19 must make our society more resilient, fair and sustainable. I urge you to speak out in favour of a green and just recovery with your fellow Parliamentarians and the media.
I look forward to working with you and our community to build this better world.
Sincerely,
Your name.”
Jennifer O’Connell
She spoke out publicly on the importance of factoring climate change into every policy government makers. Now we need her to speak out in favour of a green and just recovery. Let’s challenge her now to speak up for a #JustRecovery!
Sample tweet
Copy and paste this text as a comment under their last post on Facebook or Instagram:
Ms.O’Connell, I am asking you to publicly support a green and just recovery. You said that the environment was one of the biggest issues in your riding. You mentioned that if we are going to be serious about climate change and hitting our emission goals, then we need to factor it into all projects and policies we consider as a government. Today, this is more urgent than ever. I ask you to take a clear position in favour of a green and just recovery that puts people and nature first. https://act.gp/2ZCcrsd @GreenpeaceCanada
Call script: (constituency office phone number: 905-839-2878)
“Hello Ms.O’Connell, I am calling to ask you to publicly support a green and just recovery. You said that the environment was one of the biggest issues in your riding. You mentioned that if we are going to be serious about climate change and hitting our emissions, then we need to factor it into all projects and policies we consider as a government. Today, I ask you to take a clear position in favour of a green and just recovery that puts people and nature first. Thank you.”
Sample email ([email protected])
“Hi Ms. O’Connell, I want to thank you for your work in these difficult times. I also want to tell you that I don’t want us to go back to a ‘normal’ based on a system which creates rampant inequalities and promotes a model of infinite exploitation and destruction of nature.
Now that the time has come to rebuild our future. The recovery from COVID-19 must make our society more resilient, fair and sustainable. I urge you to speak out in favour of a green and just recovery with your fellow Parliamentarians and the media.
I look forward to working with you and our community to build this better world.
Sincerely,
Your name”
Adam Vaughan
He has a keen interest in housing, transit and urban issues which will be key elements of any green and just recovery strategy. He recently said “We’ve made commitments on climate change. We’ve got commitments to our children on climate change. We have action to take on climate change. It’s been too slow coming and so on that front … I think I’ve become, if anything, even a stronger environmentalist.” Now we need him to speak out publicly on the need to integrate climate change and social justice into the federal government’s post-COVID recovery strategy. Let’s challenge him to speak up now for a #JustRecovery
Sample tweet
Copy and paste this text as a comment under their last post on Facebook or Instagram:
Mr.Vaughan, you said we’ve got commitments to our children on climate change and we need to take action. You are also very interested in housing, transit and urban issues. Now we need to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, I am asking you to speak out publicly on the need to integrate climate change and social justice into the federal government’s recovery strategy. #JustRecovery https://act.gp/2XuPeWm @GreenpeaceCanada
Call script: (constituency office phone number 416-533-2710)
“Hello Mr.Vaughan, I am calling to demand you to publicly speak out on the need to integrate climate change and social justice into the federal government’s post COVID-19 recovery strategy. You said we’ve got commitments to our children on climate change and we need to take action. You are also very interested in housing, transit and urban issues. The time for action is now. Thank you!”
Sample email ([email protected])
“Hi Mr. Vaughn, I want to thank you for your work in these difficult times. I also want to tell you that I don’t want us to go back to a ‘normal’ based on a system which creates rampant inequalities, while promoting a model of infinite exploitation and destruction of nature.
Now that the time has come to rebuild our future. The recovery from COVID-19 must make our society more resilient, fair and sustainable. I urge you to speak out in favour of a green and just recovery with your fellow Parliamentarians and the media.
I look forward to working with you and our community to build this better world.
Sincerely,
Your name”
MPs and the government have to step up with real support for communities to recover from the pandemic in a way that builds resilience and sustainability. It’s NOT a time for handouts to the oil companies causing the climate crisis or increasing our vulnerability to threats like climate change.
Let’s speak out together and make sure the recovery plan puts people and nature first.
Thank you and keep the pressure up!
Discussion
MPs and our government need to come up with real support for our communities to recover from the pandemic in a way that will build resilience and sustainability.
We humans need to wake up to the fact we are destroying our planet. Look at what recovery there was for animals alone during the pandemic when humans were absent. We have an island of plastic near Hawaii, we cut down old wood forest and kill off species, and we are devastating the rain forest. When will we learn. Little wonder so many of our children are angry. We need to learn and change. Our politicians need to putting their power where it counts. Be ethical, do what is right and good for humankind, animals and the world.
Yes. I fervently believe that recovery has to bring us back better. Yay Canada. Yay Greenpeace. Thank you for all you do and try to do.
TAX THE RICH$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I agree that the federal government should carefully think about when and how it should provide support for big business. One thing I do agree with is the federal government's decision to provide support for workers who are working on orphan wells in Alberta. This is an opportunity not only to help unemployed workers but do take environmentally responsible action to clean these wells. It's unlikely that oil companies would take action on this given the very low price of oil at this time.
We must have a new normal, one that has justice for everyone, no public tax dollars to PRIVITIZATION health care and education, a new policy for LTC homes, payed for by the wealthiest Canadians
Starting with the TransMoutain Pipeline expansion, instead of destroying our environment and further depleting our natural resources to justify jobs, many of which provide short-term employment, how about using recent events to kickstart our economy with renewable and sustainable investments in our future. This government has provided enough band-aids for recent events, so maybe it is time for it to put on its big-boy pants and work on long-term solutions.
If you lead (by not granting bailouts to big business) they (small business) will follow.
A universal basic income would solve many problems and would lead us to a more stable, equitable and just social system. It would replace the myriad of government grant programs, would provide necessary financial assistance to those who need it most, and would end the administrative duplication of existing programs.
Germany has shown the way in many areas of recovery including caveats to funding the auto and airline industries that require compliance with more energy efficient vehicles and aircraft. We need to do the same.
Hi Greenpeace, I received a phone message from you asking me to call my MP, Mark Gerretsen, to encourage him to stand up for a green and just recovery. I did that this morning. Because everyone in his office is working from home, I had to leave a message. I sincerely believe that this is an opportune time in history not to return to 'business as usual', and I fully support Greenpeace in its efforts for a just and green recovery. Thanks for all the work that you do to make ours a better world.