Trudeau should be embarassed
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 28 January 2021 09:24
- Written by editor
Paov,
Yesterday, US President Biden greenlit a sweeping push for bold climate action with a series of executive orders. Biden’s orders included freezing new oil and gas leases on public lands, doubling offshore wind-produced energy by 2030, and cutting fossil fuel subsidies.1
Most importantly, Biden is using the climate emergency mobilization as a way to spur job creation. He’s called for a Civilian Climate Corps Initiative that he says would "put a new generation of Americans to work conserving and restoring public lands and waters."2
This kind of action should embarrass Canadian politicians, including Trudeau, who spent their first day back in Parliament on Monday speaking up in support of pipelines at an emergency debate on Keystone XL.3 It’s about time Canada became a real climate leader and created millions of new, green jobs in the process.
Sign the petition now to call on Trudeau to deliver the Just Transition Act he promised in 2019.
These big moves from President Biden are all thanks to years of organizing by the climate movement and Indigenous land defenders. In particular, Biden is responding to the powerful youth-led movement for a Green New Deal that has... made seismic waves in the US political landscape over the last couple of years. It’s clear that the pressure from this mass movement pushed President Biden to make climate a cornerstone of his election campaign. And now, just days after taking office, he’s following through on the promises he made on his campaign trail.
Compare that to Prime Minister Trudeau. During the 2019 election, Trudeau marched with half a million young people in his hometown of Montreal during the global climate strike. Shortly afterwards, he promised to deliver a Just Transition Act that would support workers with the transition to a green energy economy.4 Now, over a year later, Trudeau has proven he has no intention of acting on climate science, listening to young people, or delivering on his promises. In fact, by pouring well over $20 billion into the fossil fuel industry, he’s aligned himself more closely with the likes of politicians such as Jason Kenney and Donald Trump.
It’s about time Trudeau learned a thing or two from Biden. Sign the petition calling on the Prime Minister to pass the Just Transition Act he promised in 2019.
Biden’s actions yesterday demonstrate that people power can change everything.
That’s why, together, we can win a just transition for workers and communities. Our pressure’s already working. Since we launched our petition, MPs from the Green Party, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois brought up the Just Transition Act in parliament during Monday night’s debate on Keystone XL.
Signing this petition is just the first step. We’ve got some big plans to ramp up pressure in support of a Just Transition Act. We’ll update you soon on the next action you can take to help.
Onwards,
Atiya
PS - We just released a new video on our plan to halt the climate crisis. It’s a powerful call to action worth sharing with friends and family. Check it out!
References:
- France 24: “Biden targets drilling, fossil fuel subsidies in sweeping climate push”
- BBC: “Biden signs ‘existential’ executive orders on climate and environment”
- Global News: “Keystone cancellation prompts emergency debate in parliament”
- Justin Trudeau: “The climate crisis is real and we have the best plan to fight it”
350.org is building a global climate movement. You can connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and r38
