The world is fast approaching a point of no return for the climate. In order to “preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed” we need to have no more than 350 PPM of carbon in the atmosphere. The latest data shows that the world will likely hit 410 PPM this month. There are no two ways about it: Canada must stop expanding the fossil fuel industry. Yet even though the Canadian government is stumbling down a path of repeated failures, hope is blossoming in the people’s movement for climate action which has seen many triumphant moments since the start of this year.

This February, the University of Laval became the first Canadian university to commit to full fossil fuel divestment. This big win signifies that major institutions across the country recognize that the age of fossil fuels is over — and it adds to the pool of over $5 trillion divested from fossil fuels globally.

Thanks to people-power, the Energy East pipeline faces significant delays. Photo Credit: Robert van Waarden

On the infrastructure front, the largest pipeline ever proposed in Canada, the Energy East tar sands pipeline, ran into a massive delay when the government announced that its review would have to start again from the very beginning. This is in no small part, thanks to the Indigenous-led, people-powered opposition to this pipeline which continues to grow as the project faces new obstacles. Just last week, a coalition of grassroots organizations struck an unexpected partnership with local microbreweries in Quebec to launch an “anti-Energy East” beer which raises awareness about the repercussions of the pipeline for the provincial economy and waterways.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip from the Union of BC Chiefs speaks at a fundraising event for First Nations taking the Kinder Morgan approval to court.

As for the pipelines already approved by the government, legal challenges have been picking up steam. First Nations taking the Kinder Morgan approval to courts have received a tremendous amount of support from across the country — raising close to $100,000 in just a few months. And last month, the City of Vancouver committed to taking the Kinder Morgan approval to court as well.

At this point, there’s no debate in Canada about whether or not climate change is real. 88% of Canadians agree that the government should commit to ambitious climate action. Trudeau and his cabinet ministers never miss an opportunity to tweet about new data on climate impacts. The fight ahead lies in overcoming the false notion that serious action on climate change can happen simultaneously with the expansion of the fossil fuel industry.

The Environment and Climate Change Minister frequently tweets about climate change impacts — but refuses to acknowledge climate scientists calling on world leaders to keep fossil fuels in the ground.

Approving new fossil fuel infrastructure is a new form of climate denial at a time when climate scientists tell us we need to keep the majority of oil, coal, and gas reserves in the ground. And it’s a type of denial that Prime Minister Trudeau has cozied up to — to the point that Big Oil front groups are quoting his feeble attempts to refute climate science.

Moving forward, there’s work to be done to move masses of people in this county from voicing support for climate action to actually participating in the broad-based political movement to stop new infrastructure projects and take action to keep fossil fuels in the ground. We need to show Prime Minister Trudeau that people in Canada expect him to actually deliver on his promises for real change.

How do we get there? Let’s talk to our friends and family members about the seriousness of climate change and what’s necessary to move ahead. Let’s think about ways that we can work within our communities to effect high-level political change. And let’s build bridges across our communities to protect the places we all love and stand to lose because of climate change.