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Article

6 Jul 2015

Author:
John Cartwright, Toronto & York Region Labour Council, on rabble.ca

Commentary: "We don't have to choose between jobs and climate action"

There is no doubt that climate change threatens the future of all humankind...People are losing their livelihood, their homes, their jobs -- and even their lives...Fossil fuel corporations are using their wealth and power to embrace an "extreme energy" agenda...[with] serious implications for communities and the environment because these corporations are also using their wealth and power to oppose or delay all serious efforts to address climate change...We don't have to choose between the economy and the environment. Real climate action means investing in clean energy infrastructure, mass public transit, energy-efficient buildings and affordable housing. It means expanding low-carbon sectors like healthcare, education and sustainable agriculture. It includes just transition for workers and communities facing changes to more sustainable industries...By taking real climate action, we can create an economy that is more fair and equal and offers hundreds of thousands of good new jobs. We need an economy where workers win, communities have more democratic control, and those most impacted and impoverished are the first in line to benefit... It is morally indefensible for corporations and governments to continue to pursue an economic growth strategy that brings our climate closer to an irreversible tipping point...