DEN Enews

How wonderful to be Canadian. All winter we complain about the cold and damp and wait anxiously for summer. Then it comes with a vengeance. This editor was lucky enough to be at a lake last week and cooling off was as easy as 1,2,3 jump! Hope you are faring better now with the cooler weather and Thank you God for the rain. The whole of nature is soaking it up with gladness. May the rest of the country experience refreshing rain on all the forest fires.

Summer fun outside means celebrating Creation and here are some great tips to do just that from the David Suzuki Foundation:

Lazing in a hammock or your favorite chair under a tree? May we suggest a browse through these Season of Creation resources plus liturgy for the Feast of the Creator:

The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s 5th annual Big Backyard BioBlitz is happening soon! From July 28 to August 4, venture out into nature with friends, family, or by yourself, and record your observations. This can be anything from photographing flowers in parks to beetles on your balcony to wildlife while camping. As long as it’s in Canada, every contribution counts. Audio recordings are also welcome. To date, participants have recorded over 193,000 observations and documented more than 8,600 species! Enjoy a fun reason to spend more time outdoors, to become a bit more aware of the wildlife, plants, and fungi around you, and to help countless research projects that use the data collected.

Methane is a major greenhouse gas pollutant. In a span of 20 years, methane traps beyond 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide. It not only fuels the climate crisis, it comes along with volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and smog-forming gases that can lead to premature death, breathing and heart problems, and cancer. The good news is reducing methane is one of the fastest and cheapest ways to protect the climate, while creating jobs. Fixing leaks, plugging abandoned wells, and cleaning up equipment can save money, reduce waste, and cut pollution. In Canada, the largest source of methane pollution is the oil and gas sector. With a new government in office, a list of policy priorities for the term is being drawn up. We can tell the federal government to protect our climate, health, and future by passing strong methane regulations.

When President Lulu of Brazil took office, he promised zero deforestation in the Amazon and zero greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, he is opening up the Amazon basin for drilling and allowing the construction of a mega-highway that will cut through miles of precious rainforest. In about 100 days, Brazil will host the global climate talks. Please add your voice to this petition to tell President Lulu to respect Indigenous rights over corporate profit, to halt fossil fuel expansion and industrial exploitation, to reach a Federal Law of Zero Deforestation by 2030, and to prioritise a just and equitable climate transition.

Governments everywhere are rolling back environmental protections and approving new fossil fuel projects. The 2025 UN climate conference, COP30, is happening in Brazil this November. They have just named climate negotiator André Aranha Corrêa do Lago as President of COP30, and with this he has the power to lead the world in climate action. This is a change to supercharge the switch to renewable energy, and help end reliance on coal, oil, and gas. Please add your name to tell the COP30 President that the switch to renewable energy must ensure a rapid end to fossil fuels globally, involve Indigenous Peoples, and be properly funded so poorer countries can make the transition too. Let’s make COP30 about leading real international cooperation for the climate and for our world.

Canada’s largest city is considering how to take a stand against fossil fuel advertising! While Canadians are facing wildfire smoke and heat waves that make our summers dangerous, the fossil fuel industry continues to delay the transition to cleaner, low-carbon alternatives, and through tactics like advertising. There is an opportunity to change this. The first draft of Toronto’s fossil fuel advertising policy is not strong enough and only addresses greenwashing. However, we can push for more and this start could lead to other Canadian cities following suit. The Toronto city council is meeting on July 24th, and this petition is a way to show there is nation-wide support in taking a clear and strong stand against fossil fuel advertising. Use this petition to email Toronto’s mayor to tell them the industry driving the climate crisis should no longer be permitted to promote its polluting products.