Video of presentation by Angela Bischoff, Jaime Gonzalez and Roger Annis, in Toronto on May 21, 2016
Roger Annis was one of three panelists to speak at a session titled ‘Climate justice after COP 21’ at the annual education conference of the Socialist Action group in Toronto on May 21. His co-panelists were Angela Bischoff of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance and Jaime Gonzales of the Socialist Unity League in Mexico.
Angela Bischoff’s presentation focused on the environmental, safety and financial folly of the plans of the Ontario government to invest in renewing its nuclear energy-producing industry. Nuclear generation is the source of nearly 60 per cent of electricity generation in Ontario, one of the highest proportions in the world. Angela’s presentation is the first of the three in the video.
Jaime Gonzalez reviewed the alarming evidence which science is providing to us about out-of-control global warming and its social consequences. His talk begins at the 23 minute mark.
Roger Annis spoke of the political outlook and strategy which, in his view, is needed to help guide and lead the broad movement opposing the causes of global warming. “We have to increasingly turn our attention to the radical social and economic measures that are needed in the face of the global warming threat, because the status quo is not an option. The ‘COP 21’ goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees or two degrees is not acceptable.” His talk begins at the 47 minute mark.
View the presentations at the weblink above or by clicking on the screen below.
Three recent news articles underline the gravity of the global warming subject under discussion:
Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration has passed the point of no return, by Dahr Jamail, climate change reporter, Truthout.org, May 23, 2016
Antarctic CO2 hits 400ppm for first time in four million years, The Guardian, June 15, 2016
‘The last monitoring station in the world without a 400 parts per million reading has now reached it, NOAA confirms’
Global Warming Adds to Mideast Hot Zone, by Jonathan Marshall, Consortium News, June 18, 2016
Two new books by Canadian authors make important contributions to the discussions in Canada and globally about fighting global warming:
‘After The Sands: Energy and Ecological Security for Canadians’, by Gordon Laxer, Douglas & McIntyre, 2015. Gordon Laxer is a retired political economist and writer in Ontario. He was the founding director of the Parkland Institute based in Edmonton, Alberta.
‘Facing the Anthropocene: Fossil capitalism and the crisis of the Earth system’, by Ian Angus, Monthly Review Press, June 2016. Ian Angus is editor of the Monthly Review-affiliated Climate and Capitalism website.
Additional recommended readings are books and essays by John Bellamy Foster, editor of Monthly Review, including his essays re-posted to ‘A Socialist In Canada’ website.
