This is a guest blog by Lyba Spring and Nick De Carlo, co-chairs of Seniors for Climate Action Now! (SCAN!), one of the six groups that organized the October 1st Seniors for Climate day of action

Every October 1 is Senior’s Day. But this year, 2024, was different – Canadian seniors in 76 locations mobilized 6000 people to call for a better world, free from the destruction caused by burning fossil fuels.  Under the name Seniors for Climate, the project, organized by six seniors climate groups, demonstrated that we care; and declared that we want emergency climate action.

In less than 6 months, we went from a call by 20 people, to the big day on Oct 1 with events across the country! Seniors made efforts to link with youth, seniors, Indigenous people and labour.  The organizers of these local coalitions exhibited inventiveness, variety and a high degree of organization. We received videos and photos of people rallying, dancing − and speaking −with tremendous passion.  The messages were powerful.

One example is retired union leader Marie Clarke Walker, who made the links at a Toronto rally:

“Ending of fossil fuels must come with a Just transition, one that ensures workers in fossil fuel industries are not left behind as we move towards a renewable energy future…. Across Canada and around the world, Youth and Indigenous communities are leading the charge for climate justice, taking governments to courts, demanding they uphold their responsibility to protect our future.” 

October 1, 2024 was just a beginning.  Plans are underway for another mobilization next spring. Seniors’ climate organizations are an integral part of the climate justice movement.  But we know that victory depends on building the broadest possible unified movement across the country.

Our group, Seniors for Climate Action Now!, has been reflecting on our contribution.

We have begun a discussion about Seth Klein’s recent article that challenges us all to up our game, to “shift gears”.  He encourages us to spend less time on policy discussions and move beyond incremental solutions; and to excite people with big ideas.  He also challenges us to identify and organize around a grand project, to step up the fight with the fossil fuel companies and financial institutions, and more specifically, to re-examine our tactics.

We agree.

We also have to:

• integrate our support for, and build stronger alliances with, the Indigenous peoples who are leading the resistance to fossil fuel expansion.
• establish an active link with the broader social justice movement.
• learn how to engage people who are not yet part of climate activism.

This requires a reframing of issues currently exploited by fossil fuel companies and the politicians who protect them: the economic crisis (affordability, housing, health care and education), migration and immigration; and the military build-up and preparation for war.

It also requires on-the-ground work in neighbourhoods, schools, places of worship, workplaces, and more.

These are big challenges. Together we can meet them.

Senior climate activists have a role to play.  We want to join with others to figure out how” . We want to learn from each other, clarify our strategy and move forward toward a more effective movement. This is especially important following the recent US election.

Because Later is too Late!

Lyba Spring worked as a sexual health educator for Toronto Public Health for 30 years after working in France for over seven years.  She came late to the environmental movement, but brings to it her earlier work with progressive organizations from the women’s movement in the ‘60s to community organizing today.  Lyba has played with a percussion group for the past 25 years, has two grandchildren and is a wicked dancer.

Nick De Carlo was active in the union movement from 1973 to retirement in 2012. He was the national representative for the environment and workers’ compensation for the CAW(Canadian Auto Workers) in the Health and Safety Department for 17 ½ years (1994 – 2012). Before that was active in CAW Local 1967 at McDonnell Douglas in many positions from shop steward to bargaining committee from 1981 to 1987 and President of the local from 1987 to 1994.