In this edition:
* DrawdownTO Speaks at UofT Climate Symposium
* Drawdown Eco Challenge
* Green 13 Introduction to Project Drawdown
* What on Earth? CBC highlights climate trends & solutions
* One Stop Shop: climatechallenge.ca officially launches!
Upcoming events:
* Thursday, June 27 – DrawdownTO Summit on Gender and Climate
* Saturday, July 27 – Intro to Project Drawdown
DrawdownTO Speaks at UofT Climate Symposium
Drawdown Toronto presented on the ABC’s of Drawdown at the University of Toronto’s Designing 2050 Symposium: Accept reality, Believe in possibility, Choose & commit to change. On April 3 at the one-day event on “Building a Post-Carbon World,” Bjørnar Egede-Nissen presented Project Drawdown’s take on the pathway to a post-carbon world. In the small group networking session that followed he and several other DDTO team members shared the Drawdown vision and how Drawdown Toronto is educating, inspiring and energizing Toronto individuals and organizations to translate the Drawdown solutions into meaningful action. The day offered a great mix of facilitated small group conversations and talks by academics, politicians and government reps, and non-government activists, including Councillor Mike Layton and outgoing Environmental Commissioner of Ontario Dianne Saxe. 350.org’s Bill McKibben capped the day off with an inspirational evening lecture exhorting listeners to stand up to the wealth of the fossil fuel industry. ~~~
Drawdown Eco Challenge: Behaviour Change for Sustainability
This April, Project Drawdown partnered with the Northwest Earth Institute to offer a three week, on-line engagement program focused on carbon reduction and taking action on the 100 most substantive solutions to global warming. The NWEI offers resources and opportunities in a fun & social framework and their Eco Challenge was designed specifically to engage and create behaviour change for sustainability. “All of life is comprised of self-organizing systems and the Drawdown Eco Challenge is exactly that – people coming together to share, learn, support, imagine, and innovate for a better world. We are honoured to be part of this significant and brilliant initiative.” ~ Paul Hawken Team DrawdownTO joined over 14,000 participants on over 1,050 teams, collectively taking over 125,000 actions towards positive change. We helped show that together, even small actions can add up to big impact! (See some of April’s impact below – we love the pounds of CO2 saved!)
July’s Plastic-Free Eco Challenge
What’s next? This July, North American Zoos & Aquariums have teamed up to offer the on-line “Plastic-Free Eco Challenge.” Inspired by the Australian Plastic-Free July initiative, individuals and teams will track & share their progress, earn points and see the measured impact of their collective action. It’s a month-long effort to take a look at our convenience-based lifestyle and shift away from our dependency on single-use plastic. Join us on team DrawdownTO or create a team with family and friends! Go to https://plasticfree.ecochallenge.org/ & register today!
Behaviour Change > Climate Change
Green 13 Introduction to Project Drawdown
On May 15th, Green 13 hosted DrawdownTO at Swansea Town Hall for an introduction to Project Drawdown. A group of over 150 Ward 13 residents, concerned about the impact humans are having on the climate and our environment, came out to build community resilience and find out what they can do to help reverse global warming. The interactive program presented an inspiring, uplifting and empowering “solutions-exist” approach to this issue – highlighting what is key: Hope, awareness & action! At the event, DDTO sold tree saplings to show support for local nurseries affected by the provincial government cut to Forest Ontario’s “50 Million Trees Program” – a local afforestation and carbon sequestration program. Thankfully, the federal government has just stepped in to commit funding for the next four years, ensuring 7.5 million more sapling will be put in the ground! Do you have a backyard or know of a school, church or organization that want trees planted on their land? Contact Karina for saplings at [email protected]
What on Earth?
CBC highlights trends & solutions
Check out the latest issue of “What on Earth?” The CBC.ca weekly newsletter on all things environmental. “Every week, we highlight trends and solutions that are moving us to a more sustainable world.”
This week includes: “We can go on the Offence: A more positive way to look at climate action” – it’s an interview with Norwegian psychologist Per Espen Stoknes, who Paul Hawken gives a nod to in the Drawdown book. Stoknes speaks on how to change the climate conversation, from one of doom & uncertainty to one of opportunity & hope. He suggests that the answer for individuals lies in creating social disruption by actioning together.
Who does he suggest we look to for an overview of all the solutions? Why Drawdown of course! https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/what-on-earth-newsletter-climate-change-1.5183329
“… make it visible to let your neighbours, friends and colleagues see that you are taking action with solar panels on the roof, electric mobility and/or a more plant-based diet. The largest cuts in climate emissions – from solutions in agriculture to buildings to mobility – can be addressed when thousands of people start taking action together. The Drawdown.org project gives a wonderful and inspiring overview of all the solutions.”
In order to address growing public concerns, last week CBC launched their climate series “In Our Backyard”, which features “stories that examine the effects of climate change in Canada, and what we are doing about it.”
Go to https://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/inourbackyard/ & learn more.
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One Stop Shop:
Officially launches!
Awareness. Applicability. Action.
Drawdown Toronto is excited to see this month’s launch of the Canadian Climate Challenge! A non-partisan, non-profit organization, which sees the importance of fighting our global climate crisis with local solutions and endeavours to bring more awareness to what is happening all around us. “We aspire to connect you with the events in your community, through one accessible porthole…to facilitate support for initiatives through a One Stop Climate Action Shop!”
We at DDTO are thankful to be a supporting partner of such a creative tool for connection, collaboration and commitment to positive change.
Check out https://climatechallenge.ca/ today!
Drawdown Toronto Summit:
Climate Action & Gender Equality
Thursday, June 27 2019, 6:30-9:00pm (Doors open at 6:00pm)
Friends House, 60 Lowther Ave. By donation.
Register at: https://climategendersummit.eventbrite.ca/
Tickets available at the door.
Introduction to Project Drawdown
Saturday, July 27 2019, 1:00-3:00pm
Martin Grove United Church, 75 Pergola Rd. Everyone welcome.
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/drawdown-intro-tickets-63129309464?utm_term=eventurl_text