Queen’s Climate Strike
When: Friday September 27th, 2019
Time: 12pm - TBA (timeline at bottom)
Where: Intersection of Union and University
On Friday, September 27th, join the call for climate action at Queen’s University and Kingston. The science is clear. We know what’s needed to mitigate the climate crisis – but our greatest challenge now is corporate interests lobbying to water down or quash climate action policies. So it’s time for us to get louder and pressure the University to listen to the science, ignore the lobbyists and take action.
Together, we can amplify our voices towards a common goal: a greener, more equitable world, where profit is not prioritized over people and our planet. As we speak, communities are getting stronger and fighting back against this broken system. It’s on our shoulders now to speak truth to power.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
RALLY DEMANDS
1. Divest Queens University of Fossil Fuels
This rally will push for fossil fuel divestment at Queen's University. More than 1,000 institutions have already divested, including Stanford, the London School of Economics, the Republic of Ireland, the public pension of New York City, and Yale, for both ethical and financial reasons. We can no longer accept the University's decision to profit off of the drivers of climate change. Fossil fuel companies are among the worst polluters in Canada and collectively represent the largest lobbying power in the world, having spent billions on spreading misinformation and stalling any meaningful action. The science is clear, to keep below a 2* world we need to keep it in the ground.
2. Make a clear timeline for the retrofitting of buildings
Queen’s University's aging buildings are a significant waste of heat and energy. The University needs to create a clear timeline and allocate an appropriate amount of funding to fixing these buildings.
3. Queen's implement mandatory Indigenous awareness and sensitivity training for all staff and faculty.
4. Take serious action to reduce waste
In 2016 Queen’s University produced 5,342.05 kilograms (kg)(5.34 metric tonnes (t)) during a 24-hour period or 1,949,847.52 kg during the year. This is an embarrassment. Queen’s needs to create real and significant programs to cut down on waste produced, encourage the adoption of sustainable technology (compostable cups) by hospitality services and provide diversion education to compost the rest.
Additionally, the University needs to stand up to corporate brands (Tim Hortons, Starbucks) to take action to be at the same level as the on campus organizations (Cogro, Tea Room) It is not fair for these student run organizations to be making such an effort to reduce waste while these corporate restaurants do nothing.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In the face of rising inequality, depleting resources, and degrading social cohesion – all exacerbated by climate change, and by the hands of powerful corporations only interested in profit– we must pressure our institutions to take decisive action. Otherwise, we are passively letting this planet, and the life it holds, be obliterated.
On that note - let's have fun! This rally will have musicians, speakers, snacks, chants, poets, banners, conversation, marching...Come one, come all!.Together we can achieve anything, this rally is to celebrate our collective action and show that the silent majority is tired of being silent.
TIMELINE
12pm: Meet outside the John Deutsch University Centre (Union & University) - eat, chant, listen to music and speeches, wave posters around wildly
~1:15pm: March through Campus.
~1:45pm on: Concluding speakers