By Tyler Marr

Group takes to street to march for climate

Apr 23, 2017 | 12:00 PM

A handful of dedicated activists grabbed bunches of signs and took to the streets Saturday to protest what they see as neglect for the environment.

Coinciding with Earth Day, the Climate, Jobs and Justice Solidarity March weaved through the streets, with chants urging government to begin incorporating the economy with the environment. It moved from the library to city hall, where upon arrival, tiles scattered around the fountain that were inscribed with ways people could reduce their carbon footprint were read aloud.

Nancy Carswell, organizor and contact person with the Council of Canadians Prince Albert Chapter, was calling on the government to be smart with investment, hone in and speed up the move to renewable energy as a way to reinvigorate the economy and provide jobs while respecting the earth.

“I question the billion dollars or more that went into the carbon capture system. I would have preferred that was an opportunity to leave an amazing legacy…imagine what a billion dollars in prototype renewable energy [would look like],” she said, making note of the leaps in innovation that have taken place over the past number of years concerning solar and wind energy.

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The march was also taking direct aim at President Donald Trump and his administration’s action — or lack thereof — on climate change and was held in solidarity with a sister event scheduled in Washington, D.C. next weekend to coincide with the one hundreth day of his presidency.

Carswell said Trumps neglectful approch to climate was worrisome, tagging it as a threat to the planet and our safety. She also said his means to create jobs was misguided and needed to be reevaluated.

“His [call to] bring back the coal industry….there are no jobs in the coal industry. There are a magnificent amount of jobs in the solar industry,” she said.

“If he would invest that money into solar energy we would be much better ahead job wise, economy wise and earth wise,” she added.

Taking this further, Carswell said she and her group were keen subscribers to the Leap Manifesto, a document that calls for radical restructuring of the economy, fast tracking Canada to end its reliance on fossil fuels, moving to 100 per cent renewable energy usage by 2050.

Some have called the move misguided and short-sighted, saying it was not rational to grind the energy industry to a halt.

Carswell refuted this.

“It is just a great plan that lets us care for each other by caring for the earth. Although it has been described as misguided by people, it really isn’t. It is a rational way to renewables.”

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr