RESIDENTS OF KITCHENER WATERLOO URGED TO USE UNIQUE VOTING POSITION TO ASK FOR STRONGER FEDERAL LAWS
New climate change initiative launched in regions with high-priority for federal political parties
September 9, 2009,
Kitchener Waterloo, ON – A new public outreach campaign starting
today is asking residents of Kitchener Waterloo to use their unique voting
position to ask for stronger climate change laws in the next federal election,
whenever it will be called.
ForestEthics, a
North American wide non-profit environmental organization, today launched in
Kitchener Yourvotetheirfuture.ca, a non-partisan initiative to encourage Canada
to catch up to other countries in the creation of the green energy economy of
the future. A similar climate outreach initiative was launched yesterday in
London, Ontario by another environmental group and about a dozen regions across
Canada will be added to the campaign over the next few days.
“If we don’t
change direction, my kids and grandkids will face the worst impacts of global
warming,” said JM Torreil, who will head the Kitchener Waterloo effort on
behalf of ForestEthics. “I have a special role
because I live in Kitchener so I’m using my voice to send a message to Ottawa
that I want a clean energy future for my kids.”
The federal
electoral ridings of Kitchener Centre and Kitchener Waterloo are two of a
handful of ridings across the country that are a high-priority for the federal
political parties because of voting patterns. MP Stephen Woodworth (Kitchener
Centre) won by 339 votes in the last election, and Peter Braid (Kitchener
Waterloo) won by just 17 votes.
Without stronger laws that enforce a cap
on global warming pollution, the Kitchener area could see 25 per cent more air
pollution, water shortages and twice as many days over 30 degrees, among other
impacts, which are forecasts from the federal government’s own analysis from
2007.
Over the next
three months, the climate initiative will involve door-to-door outreach in key
neighbourhoods, public events and online outreach to deliver the message that
the people of Kitchener want their Members of Parliament to lead on climate
change. A door
hanger with a child’s rendition of a wind turbine will be delivered door to
door with a tear-off postcard addressed to the local Member of Parliament.
To learn more
go to www.yourvotetheirfuture.ca.
