Rick Closs gives a presentation to those in attendance at the climate march in Prince Albert. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

By Ian Gustafson

P.A. residents raise awareness and call for action against climate change

Nov 12, 2021 | 5:45 PM

Citizens of Prince Albert joined into the “Be Bold” Climate March Friday afternoon to join in solidarity with the 26^th annual United Nations Conference of Parties.

Around 10 to 13 people marched from the EA Rawlinson Centre for the Arts to Prince Albert City Hall with picket signs calling on the provincial and federal government to take further action in the fight against climate change.

Nancy Carswell, with the Prince Albert chapter of The Council of Canadians told paNOW they’re passionate about the topic because of future generations.

“Will my children have a habitable climate? We’re blessed here in Saskatchewan but as Rick (Closs, organizer of the event) said carbon dioxide and the other emissions don’t know any boundaries and so I have adopted family in Namibia and they’re seeing the effects of climate change there and where do they go,” she said.

Nancy Carswell speaks to residents about climate change in front of city hall in Prince Albert. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW staff)

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The carbon tax she said is largely symbolic, which is a good thing as it makes people aware of climate change, but “there is no market solution to this market problem.”

Carswell added corporations have enough money to scam any carbon tax the government implements.

“I used to think that we could all just all do our own little individual actions, but I moved far beyond that,” she said. “We do have to sacrifice things, give up things for more important things and so the longer we let the politicians and the corporations delay climate mitigation policies the more sacrifices we are going to have to make or possibly our children or are grandchildren.”

Closs said what they’re trying to achieve is to raise awareness among the public because they don’t think the government is listening. They hope to influence people to take action.

“We get a lot of talk but we’re not getting any really significant and immediate action as we move towards 2030 and 2050,” Closs said.

They’re asking the federal and provincial government to put a cap on methane, which the provincial government has already implemented that, but Closs would like to see them be more vigorous and start planning for 2030.

“It’s not really about the climate per se, or for the planet per se, the planet will survive it’s for future generations,” he said. “I have children in their late 20s and they will no doubt have children and I’ll be gone before 2050 but we have to for once in our lives think about other people and not just my kids, all kids globally.”

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Ian.Gustafson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @IanGustafson12