Ottawa – On October 24, thousands of Canadians will converge on Parliament Hill to effect legislative action on climate change prior to the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen this December. This rally is called C-Day: Fill the Hill, and is being organized by a Canadian citizens’ collective exemplifying new-age grassroots mobilization.
The C-Day rally is Canada’s largest among over 1700 worldwide on the International Day for Climate Action, coordinated by 350.org. C-Day: Fill the Hill has partnered with KYOTOplus, Avaaz, Oxfam Canada, Power Shift Canada, and the Canadian Federation of Students, to name a few, to assist with programming and recruitment.
“We hear of more people coming every day and we have been developing an efficient system of regional networking,” says C-Day Founder, Gracen Johnson. “On my own campus at the University of Guelph, our Fill the Hill sign-up and information session was the largest student-organized meeting I’ve ever attended.”
Highlight activities include Dance Party for the Planet; a 1000-person flash dance by Power Shift Canada; collective mobile messaging to Environment Minister, Jim Prentice; a GreenFinger Photo Shoot, where photos will be sent to world leaders when they meet in Copenhagen in December; a t-shirt banner; children’s activities; live music, entertainment and speakers; as well as a group photo to bring home the 350 message.
‘350’ refers to parts per million of C02, which leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Climatologists warn that runaway global warming will be catastrophic to humanity and involve widespread species extinction and the flooding of coastal communities.
C-Day: Fill the Hill began with University of Guelph student Gracen Johnson. After hearing David Suzuki quote a former prime minister that filling Parliament Hill with concerned citizens can cause legislative change, Johnson committed to doing just that.
Together with a network of volunteers and partners, C-Day: Fill the Hill is engaging Canadians of all ages, from all walks of life, to tell elected representatives to take meaningful, genuine and concrete action on climate change.
The timing is crucial. From December 7 to 18, world leaders will come together in Copenhagen to try to forge a historic agreement to address the challenges of climate change.
For more, visit www.climateday.ca.
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