Climate Justice Committee – Call for Climate Campaign Wednesday, February 18th marks the beginning of the Season of Lent, a time of preparation and fasting, and an opportunity to deepen our faith while we await Christ’s victory over sin and death during Easter. To mark this season, your Climate Justice Committee needs your help to encourage a different sort of fasting: the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies in Canada. It is fair to say that the one industry Canada feels it cannot give up is our fossil fuel industry. Despite the environmental impacts here and abroad, despite the public debt we accrue to support this industry (nearly $30B CDN spent on fossil fuel subsidies in 2024 alone!), and despite our government’s own commitments to phase out fossil fuel subsidies and transition towards a sustainable and green economy, Canada remains addicted to fossil fuels. With talks of building new pipelines and moving away from supporting proven methods of emission reductions in favour of unproven and ineffective alternatives, such as carbon capture and storage, we need to find our collective voice both as Christians and concerned citizens to course correct for the sake of our planet and all life that lives and will live. That is why the Climate Justice Committee has organized the Call for Climate campaign. For the Season of Lent, we ask that you register to call the office of the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, to express your concern over the government’s current direction and your support for the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies in Canada. Our goal is for the minister to receive a call every day during the Season of Lent until they are forced to consider our collective demands. To assist in this effort, the Climate Justice Committee has prepared:
- A sermon for the first week of Lent
- Bulletin inserts for congregations
- Intergenerational activities and resources related to climate justice
- A phone script and calling guide
- Instructions and a letter template for those who cannot or prefer not to call
- A webinar focusing on the state of climate change, fossil fuel subsidies, and how to be a part of this campaign
To register for the campaign or the webinar, please use the following links below:
Campaign Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdE_pLfS83jDETBo4fvGvPdNekxP09swlgWM5anvq_6OAi4Aw/viewform?usp=header
Webinar Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6dagIg3NuX6AAhkyiOamBr-iLE4C8UZs6wqCZmLFTAHFRJg/viewform?usp=header
For the full list of resources and more information on this initiative, please visit the Climate Justice page of the Eastern Synod website.