Petition Asking Feds to Invest in Planetary Health NOT Fossil Fuel Expansion

[NDLR] : L’architecte Jennifer Cutbill de Vancouver, l’instigatrice derrière cette initative, fait appel à la communauté architecturale du Québec pour :

1. Signer la pétition et la partager
2. Si jamais vous désirez lui donner un coup de main dans la traduction de certains documents en français, n’hésitez pas à la contacter directement à l’adresse courriel : jcutbill@lateralagency.ca

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Announcement :

“Right now, the Federal government is considering a multi-billion $ bail out for the fossil fuel sector.

While we need to focus on the acute health crisis, we cannot let decisions be made that further threaten collective health.

As a sector, and as citizens, we need to speak up!

This announcement could come as early as tomorrow, so we need to move quickly.

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Today (March 31st) the Alberta government announced their decision to give $1.5B to support the development of the Keystone XL pipeline. As we speak, the federal government is considering a multi-billion dollar bail out for the oil and gas sector as part of COVID19 stimulus package.

While we need to be focused on health and equity for all Canadians at this critical time, we must also ensure that the stimulus decisions made to not further exacerbate our concurrent planetary health pandemic. 

• Earlier this month the Oil and Gas sector wrote a letter to the federal government asking for support, using their employment of 100,000 Canadians as justification.

• The green building sector employes almost 300,000 Canadians as of 2014 (per CaGBC’s 2015 report; and their new report, due out this summer, suggests this number has grown significantly).

• As allied professions in a significant sector – both re employment numbers and regenerative impact – and as professionals focused on creating healthy built environments it is important we add our collective voice to the calls already made by Canadian health care professionals, scientists, academics, indigenous land defenders, youth and eco-social justice NGOs to invest in planetary health NOT further expansion of fossil fuel production.

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Critical Path

NUMBERS

• The oil & gas sector’s letter was signed by 65 executives. An arbitrary minimum bar for us to clear.
• We currently have 206 members making (unofficial) quorum 104.
• Last week academics rallied 265 signatures in 24hrs. Gauntlet laid!
• Per parliamentary rules, official petitions require a 500+ signatures.
• With your help, we can crush 500 signatures in record speed!

*NOTE:
For some, signing on as a firm may require consensus leadership approval that may be hard to obtain quickly. In this case, please add your name and title as an individual now and then add full firm approval when obtained.

We need both grassroots numbers and corporate heft.

TIMELINE:

• As decision could come as early as tomorrow, we are fighting the clock.
• Once we hit 104 signatories I will send to recipients and media outlets, linked to a live-updating signatory list recognizing all supporters.
• Every signature counts, but as we are competing with economic drum-beating O&G execs, the more firms and individuals in key leadership positions we have the better, and the sooner you are able to join the more impact we can have!

STEPS:

1. Sign
2. Share
3. #DesignforFuture

In solidarity,

Jennifer”

For more information and to sign the petition…

To read the Canadian Architect magazine article about the initiative…

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For more information about Jennifer Cutbill…