Some exciting news! The West Kootenay Climate Hub officially launched a few days ago, corresponding to the start of the COP26 UN Climate Summit. The accelerating climate crisis means we need to work more effectively at all levels, from local to global. The climate hub’s mission is to facilitate communication and collaboration among organizations and individuals in the West Kootenay to amplify climate action. Individuals are welcome to join and connect with others wanting to take action on climate in the region. Our local CCL chapter is a founding member and an active partner, joining a dozen other partner organizations from across the West Kootenay. See westkootenayclimatehub.ca for more information and a full list of partners to date. CCL is combining forces with the West Kootenay Climate Hub to update you on events in our region from our partner organizations. As always, you can be removed from this list by clicking the link at the end of this email. Please scroll down to see what's happening, listed in chronological order:
Join Healthcare Workers Nov. 4 (tomorrow!) calling for a Healthy Planet
Thursday, November 4 at around noon at Nelson City Hall. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers from the Nelson area will join counterparts from Victoria Thursday in a provincial rally calling on the government to act in the face of the growing ecological threat to health. The Nelson event is organized by the new local Doctors and Nurses for Planetary Health group. This event will be the first doctor and nurse climate rally of its kind in Canada. Community members are welcome to come out to show support. Please wear a mask and follow covid protocols, and dress for rain. Read more here
Get updates from COP26 from our amazing local youth!
Our amazing young friends Linn Murray and Jamie Hunter are in Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26 UN Climate Conference! These accomplished young men have been aligning their values with actions to create a better world for years. Follow what they are up to at StopEcocide Canada’s Instagram page.
Creating a liveable climate future: an interactive workshop
Wednesday Nov. 10, 4-5:30 pm PT on Zoom Join us for an interactive workshop to explore strategies to address climate change using grounded conversations and the cutting-edge climate simulator En-ROADS. The resulting experience is hopeful, scientifically-grounded, action-oriented, and eye-opening. The event is timed to occur during COP26, so we can sort true solutions from distractions. Laura Sacks and Anni Holtby are facilitating, and look forward to making it engaging and fun. We’re offering this to celebrate the launch of the West Kootenay Climate Hub. All are welcome! Register here: https://bit.ly/En-ROADS-workshop A similar workshop specifically for educators will be on November 29 at 3:30 pm PT, hosted by the Columbia Basin Environmental Educators Network (CBEEN) with a focus on bringing this tool into area classrooms. Click here for more.
Learn to effectively lobby elected leaders
Sunday November 14, 3-4:30 pm PT on Zoom Have you considered speaking to elected officials about climate action but weren't sure how to go about it? This 90-minute lobby training workshop, hosted by BC Climate Alliance (BCCA) members, covers all aspects of meeting your elected representative, either in person or online, to encourage and support them in being ambitious on climate policy. Lobbying – articulating one’s views to elected representatives - is one of the key tools BCCA uses to create political will for climate action. FYI, we are founding members and partners of BCCA. Register here: https://bit.ly/BCCA-training
What are locals doing to inspire a sense of the possibility and accelerate climate action?
Sunday, November 21, 3-5 pm PT Our local CCL chapter, the new West Kootenay Climate Hub, and Sustainable Selkirk are teaming up to bring this second annual TEDx Countdown event to our community. This year’s event will feature over 10 local speakers working on various aspects of climate change, including activism, health and wellness, community collaboration, and energy. The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers during a facilitated panel. The local event is organized in partnership with the global TED Countdown initiative, and is one of hundreds of TEDx events happening around the world during and just after COP26. You won’t want to miss this! So mark your calendar and register today at selkirk.ca/climate-countdown-2021. Feel free to also share our Facebook event.
Check in with Nelson City Council
Monday, November 29 at 7 pm on Zoom Nelson at its Best and Nelson Public Library are hosting a public conversation with members of Nelson City Council. Hear from Council members about their work, priorities and challenges --such as climate action, poverty, economic recovery, housing; meet with them in small groups to discuss various issues and concerns; and hear their responses during a Q&A.
Register on Nelson Public Library website: www.Nelsonlibrary.ca
Rossland-based Kootenay Outdoor and Environmental Learning Society news
Heads up for the new year! The Kootenay Outdoor and Environmental Learning (KOEL) Society is hosting a transportation forum in February 2022. It will be in the evening so all can attend. This forum will explore the changing world of transportation from active transportation to conversion to electric vehicles. Leading experts will provide the latest statistics and trends, identify current gaps in policy and practice, and provide insight into the changes required to meet stated goals. Join us and find out how you can help create a more sustainable transportation future. Watch for updates at https://koelsociety.com/forums/
The Rossland Refactory, which is a project of the KOEL Society, is producing house numbers and ski scrapers from recycled plastic collected and manufactured in Rossland. If you would like to support what we are doing you can arrange purchase or make a donation by contacting Craig at koelsociety@gmail.com.
We dedicate this issue to our friend and inspiration Michael Jessen, who recently passed away. He committed his life in service to a sustainable world. Let’s honour his memory by keeping that vision alive. Our hearts go out to his family, as we grieve his loss. We are fortunate that Michael’s gift with words will remain with us. We leave you with these wise words from his last Letter to the Editor dated October 7: “I believe that we humans are beings created for ethical action, beings meant to step into the stream of human life and create causes, create effects, to be, to know, to love, and to do right in the human world.” Let's prove him right.
Please reach out to us with questions or ways to get involved with CCL and the West Kootenay Climate Hub: CCL.westkootenay@gmail.com and WKClimateHub@gmail.com
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