Parents must stand up for climate action

Parents understand the need to invest in their kids. We devote time, energy and money to many things that may give them an advantage in life – breastfeeding, reading, sports, music, healthy meals, social interaction, and on and on. We can do everything right for them, but if we fail to protect the planet we all live on, they will not have a good future.

I’m a mother of a two year old. I can’t ignore climate change, or climate breakdown as The Guardian is now beginning to call it. My son will be 34 in the year 2050. All the work to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and adapt to the impacts of climate change will take place as he grows up.

We cannot solve this with individual actions. The latest report from the IPCC recommends reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by 2030

(when my son will be 14) and entirely by 2050 (when he’ll be a year older than I am now). We need to urge our governments at all levels to work towards these targets.

The first opportunity to do this with your vote is the municipal election coming up on October 22. A group called Vote for a Sustainable Peterborough has surveyed all the candidates on what policies they support to ensure a sustainable community – you can read their responses at v4sp.ca and cast your vote accordingly.

It is still possible to limit the damage from climate change. I urge all parents and anyone who cares about a child to stand up and demand action from our governments. Clara Blakelock, Sophia Street.

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