This evening, along with (and sweetly encouraged to go by) my youngest teen Clara, I had the great pleasure of attending the lecture supported by Trade Justice PEI featuring Clayton Thomas Muller, Indigenous climate activist extraordinaire, known to many for his work with 350.org.
Our three teens all think and speak often about what the future holds for young people living in an age of climate change and massive social, political, economic and cultural upheaval. How does living under the IPCC’s Oct 2018 eleven year timeline feel for those with an acute awareness of the climate crisis?
Terrifying could be my short answer but that sounds too hopeless and trite so instead we are opting for a community- based, solutions oriented approach to creative change making and hence our outing this chilly, late summer evening to hear Clayton Thomas Muller speak.
And Thomas Muller delivered in both the hope and warmth department:
“There are pathways out of this!”
“Young people are organizing and we must support them!” https://our-time.ca/get-involved/
were but two of the hopeful statements Muller offered the well attended lecture at the Farm Centre Wed evening.
Our youngest daughter was so pleased to have the opportunity to attend the lecture that she wanted to personally thank Clayton himself for traveling to PEI to share his message. He received her with the warmth and humbleness of a very genuine and concerned human meeting another; with deep care and a profound sense of ego-less presence.
Throughout the course of his lecture, C Thomas Muller spoke to his audience of the environmental apartheid he sees as plaguing Canada—“so many of the most toxic environmental developments—whether it be in oil and gas, mining, clear cutting and so on are located adjacent to indigenous lands.”
He sees what is happening environmentally in Canada as a form of “environmental racism”.
The people and lands being the most affected by the negatives of development too often are not invited to the decision making table.
And because “we can’t talk about climate change without talking about colonialism we must (therefore) level the playing field through reparations.”
When we got home my daughter asked me what reparations means—a heavy but important conversation for a young teen and parent to have. How do you explain the importance and complexity of making amends when colonialism is still the background and foreground of so much of white and indigenous conversations?
RECONCILIATION is how! https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/what-reconciliation-is-and-what-it-is-not
“Until indigenous peoples have control over their lands the challenges will continue.” CTM
And how are climate, trade, indigenous rights and migration all related?—By the manner in which all are oppressed through the current global economic system.
We live under an “economic system predicated upon an idea of infinite growth—and—this global economic system is at the root of all climate problems. “
“Ecology is the glass ceiling of infinite growth.”
“Look at the WTO—they vote largely in favour of the rights of huge corporations…”
“Look at the proportionality clause of NAFTA—even if we run out of energy in Canada we still have to export it…” https://canadians.org/nafta-energy-proportionality
Wow—there is a lot of content in each of those statements by CTM but sadly this knowledge is nothing new. Why are the tar sands still expanding? it has me wondering yet again?
“If one of the tar sands tailings ponds were to fail it would pollute 1/3 of Canada’s fresh water.” https://environmentaldefence.ca/report/albertas-tailings-ponds/
Staggering to think about—and terrifying. Can the word terrifying be considered trite in this context? Likely not!
“Yet the tar sands are a huge employer and therefore this becomes a divisive topic.” CTM
Muller’s own father works in the tar sands as do many other indigenous peoples, much like many Maritimers--families like yours and mine just trying to keep food on the table and their children clothed and fed.
“What if Justin Trudeau hadn’t invested millions of tax payers’ dollars into buying a pipeline? It could have paid two year wages for many of the oil field workers while they retrained.” https://globalnews.ca/news/4371887/trudeau-defends-government-buying-trans-mountain/?utm_expid=.kz0UD5JkQOCo6yMqxGqECg.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ca%2F
In a federal election season in which many will want to prey upon opportunities for furthering divisiveness, we must stand together for our collective future. We must believe that it is possible to earn fair wages while employed in just and meaningful work and all the while working towards a sustainable future for each and every citizen.
We are encouraged by Muller and many other climate activists such as Naomi Klein to consider how a Green New Deal might benefit all Canadians as we count down the weeks and months which make up eleven years and our time remaining to mitigate the most grievous effects of climate change.
“We must start talking about capitalism!”
“We need a post WW2 level intervention!”
“We need a climate emergency act!”
CTM did a wonderful job opening up the lines of communication in the lead up to the federal election in which many hope climate change will feature as the urgent issue it is. After all, how old will you and the people you love be in eleven years?
In his closing statement CTM encourages us all to “think of localizing power to globalize justice.”
Our solutions must “be bioregional in design.”
This last quote of CTM made me think of the Farm Centre's own Phil Ferraro, my summer 1993, UPEI Social Ecology professor who taught me how to properly pronounce the word paradigm...as in paradigm shift. Hint--the "g" is silent.
If there ever were a time we need a paradigm shift, it is now. How about the shift that Muller and Clark, gracious and humble Indignenous presenters this evening, each encouraged--away from cultural connections rooted in capitalism and towards a renewal of a sense of the sacredness of the natural world?
We must reconnect with nature like indigenous peoples recognizing “the sacredness of place.”
Like Mi’kmaq elder Judy Clark spoke of in her welcoming speech and song—we must remember that “ the sacredness of water is where we came from in our mother’s womb. Creator’s spirit is present as we leave our mother’s waters. Water is life!“
Helping each other remember that Creator is present in the sacredness of all life on this little Island; in its air, waters and soil, is in my mind an act of loving reconciliation and one which honours the lost and deepest connection between all peoples and creatures of this blessed Earth—that of love and honouring the very land from which we have all come and which supports our each and every breath.
And in closing, there is nothing that warms the heart on a chilly night as much as seeing old and new friends gather together in the name of peace, justice and equality for all.
Thanks for reading!
In warmth,
Jill
ps--a warm nod to the three passionate responders representing organic farming, UPEI/public education and young workers! Bravo and thank you for sharing!
*All quotes are indirect and taken from my own handwritten notes from the lecture Wed evening and therefore any errors are my own.
It was great to see you and Clara last night at this insightful and challenging sharing by Clayton Thomas Müller and the other young activists.Your writing captures many of the highlights of those sharings and it is wonderful to have your commentary which underline these precarious yet hope filled times.Thank you.Jill for your gift and warmth.