With the federal election fast approaching, climate organizations will be hosting 100 Debates on the Environment, a national initiative to kickstart the conversation on climate action between political candidates and their constituents.
With 117 debates taking place from coast-to-coast, four of them will be held in Ottawa, in the Ottawa-Centre, Ottawa-Vanier, Orleans, and Kanata-Carleton ridings.
The debates will provide an avenue to talk about plans on climate action, while also holding candidates accountable to the promises they make, said Emma Bugg, communications and engagement coordinator for Evidence for Democracy.
“We’re hoping to hear from candidates and what their plans are, what their party’s promises are, and then following the election, whoever’s elected, we can take a look at what was said and we can make sure we hold them to account for those actions,” she said.
Bugg also pointed out the debates are a way to make it clear to candidates that the climate crisis is “top of the line” for many Canadians.
Angela Herzog-Keller, Green Party candidate for Ottawa-Centre, said she is looking forward to the debate and the conversations that will ensue.
“I think that having a constructive discussion with the other candidates in front of potential voters on important topics that the voters are engaged on is part of the democratic process,” she said.
The current federal election has become more environmentally focused than many past elections, said Sabrina Bowman, executive director of GreenPac.
“Canadians are increasingly worried about climate change, and increasingly interested in the environment,” she said.
“We’re in a watershed moment right now in our history as human beings, where we’re facing record species losses, and impacts to water and air,” Bowman added. “But we’re also at a time where we know what these impacts are.”
Climate action was a huge deciding factor for Joanna Sivasankaran, a fourth-year journalism and political science student and president of the Carleton Liberals, who chose to support the Liberals in past and current elections.
“I think that if you look at the proportionality of young people versus the people that politicians actually talk to, it’s really hard for young people to get our voices heard,” she said. “We are here, we do care and we’re going to have to show our support for caring about the climate.”
When it comes to taking action on climate change, Bugg said that immediate action is what’s most integral.
“We have a very small window of time remaining to take bold action,” she said. “The next government we elect will set the agenda for the next four years and we need them to prioritize climate because we really don’t have time to spare.”
Herzog-Keller echoed the urgency of the current climate crisis, and the need to take action as soon as possible.
“I don’t think we were aware of the urgency and how little time we really have to course-correct, to change the fossil-fueled basis of our economy,” she said. “It’s really a matter of people having to come together, and agree to work together for a livable and a stable climate that will support life as we know it.”
Bowman said that it’s imperative to elect politicians who will make sure to make addressing climate change a priority.
“People know that we’re negatively impacting the earth. We have knowledge now about how to stop these impacts, but we don’t have a lot of time. This is a seminal moment to have this conversation, ” she said.
Sivasankaran also pointed out that younger generations will play a huge role in the outcome of the election. According to a 2015 report by Elections Canada, the participation of voters aged 18 to 24 increased by 18.3 per cent to 57.1 per cent, compared to 38.8 per cent in 2011.
“We have the potential to swing this election to our favour, and to the favour of the climate and the environment, and I think that’s important,” she said.
Bugg said she hopes the debates will not be the end of a conversation, but rather, only the beginning.
“I feel confident the conversation will not end after these debates. If we want our representatives to take action on issues we care about, the first thing we have to do is tell them what matters to us, and then head to the polls and vote,” she said. “For our democracy to function the way it’s meant to, we need people to get to the polls.”
The 100 Debates on the Environment will be taking place on Oct. 3 across Canada, with the Ottawa-Centre debate being held at Bronson Centre at 6 p.m.
Feature Image by Tim Austen.
