What’s On Our Radar
The Appellate Decision in Mathur et al. v. Ontario, Part 3/Nice Talk But No Action
The Charter of Rights case Mathur v. Ontario is about the very inadequate greenhouse gas reduction target adopted by the government in 2018. Part 3 focuses on the recent decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal to send the entire case back for a rehearing. In some...
“Stormy Weather”/A Presentation on Adaptation by Dr. Jennifer Penney
Click HERE to view the recording of the presentation made by Dr. Jennifer Penney at Environment Haliburton!’s Virtual Enviro-Café event on November 19. The event was co-sponsored by Seniors for Climate Action Now!.
Ontario Court of Appeal Sides with Youth Applicants
An article by ecojustice about the landmark decision on October 17, 2024, in Mathur et al. v. His Majesty in Right of Ontario makes the stakes very clear: "Young people are especially at risk when it comes to climate threats because these risks will increase in the...
“Nuclear Energy – Why Ontario Doesn’t Need It” by Martin Bush
SCAN! opposition to SMRs is clearly stated in our platform. Click the button to read/download a brief explanation of why we do not consider them to be a contributor to green energy.
“Fossil Propaganda Watch”/A Presentation by Terry Moore
Be sure to click the button below to view Terry Moore's very informative slide presentation on 'greenwashing,' delivered at the SCAN! General Membership Meeting on July 31, 2024.
Webinar/Nuclear Waste: Out of Sight, Out of Mind?
Tuesday, August 6, 2024, 7pm (EDT) Join us for a virtual presentation by Dr. Gordon Edwards of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility (CCNR) on the flaws built into Canada’s deep geological strategy for storing high-level nuclear waste ... forever. Q and A...
“Swiss Seniors Take Their Government to Court–and Win!” by Priscilla Platt
On April 9, 2024, in the case of Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) held that Switzerland failed to adequately mitigate the effects of climate change on its senior citizens under the European Convention...
Rallying for The Ontario Change Adaptation and Resilience Act, 2024
On May 16, about 30 SCAN! members rallied at Queen’s Park in support of a bill drafted by Jennifer Penney and MPP Peter Tabuns. The Ontario Change Adaptation and Resilience Act, 2024 has 50 adaptation recommendations. In addition to the Strategic Action Plan that lays...
Hands off the Greenbelt Rally 2024
SCAN! Toronto members showed their support for efforts to stop the construction of Highway 413 by taking part in the "Hands off the Greenbelt Rally 2024" on April 28.Photos: Silvia Smith
“Environmental Assessment Under Siege – Again!” by Alan Levy
*This situation is evolving. Stay tuned for updates. It has been more than six months since the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) rendered its opinion that significant parts of the federal Impact Assessment Act(IAA) are unconstitutional, and the reverberations are still...
“Harnessing Climate Litigation with the Legal Right to a Healthy Environment” by Alan Levy
Can the establishment of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment in Canadian law improve the chance of success with climate action court claims?First, a very quick chronology. For more than a decade law professor David R. Boyd has advocated for...
“The Critically Important Race to Reduce”/An OpEd by SCAN! Member Robert Hicks
The OpEd by Robert Hicks appeared in The Standard (St. Catharines) on April 19. It was also printed in The Niagara Falls Review and The Welland Tribune.
SCAN! Member Jamie Swift on Choosing the Planet over Profits
On April 11, SCAN! member Jamie Swift’s opinion piece on Bill 165 appeared in The Hamilton Spectator. He relates his concern for the environment to his hopes and fears for his granddaughter.
A Call for the End to Public Financing of Fossil Fuels/A Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau Et Al
On Thursday, March 28, a very important letter from 86 organizations was sent to Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers Freeland and Guildbeaut calling for the end of all public financing of the fossil fuel industry. Click the button below to learn how this letter was...
War, Climate and Militarism/Two SCAN! Motions
SCAN! began a discussion on war, climate and militarism in November 2023, continuing with a discussion at a General Membership meeting in January 2024, and a special meeting in February to specifically discuss the pros and cons of SCAN!’s calling for a ceasefire in...
Fostering Principles of Peaceful Coexistence/Marion Endicott’s Letter to the Editor of The Globe and Mail
On February 19, 2024, The Globe and Mail published a letter from SCAN! member Marion Endicott. That letter answers a very important question: "Why should we want an international reputation based on being Washington’s defender?" Click the button below to read her...
Renewables and Fossils/Top Mitigation Issues Again in 2024
On January 31, 2024, SCAN!'s Education Committee made a compelling presentation at the General Membership Meeting. The slideshow was prepared by Gail Greer and can be viewed by clicking the button below.
“Juliana v. United States – a New Court Order in a War of Attrition” by Alan Levy
The high-profile, youth climate litigation titled Juliana v. United States has been referred to in the media as the “case of the century” and the “biggest case on the planet.” U.S. Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden tried hard for eight years to end it – perhaps one...
SCAN!’s Recommendation to the Independent Electricity System Operator
SCAN!’s letter to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) recommends that the renewables procurement by the IESO be increased to three times the current renewable capacity of Ontario’s electricity system by 2035.
The Controversy Continues/The Canadian International Air Show
SCAN! member Mark Leith was recently interviewed about the Canadian International Air Show by rabble.ca. Click the button below to read the article, (To read his post on the air show on The SCAN! Blog, click HERE.)
COP28/A Presentation by Gail Greer
This presentation was given at our General Membership Meeting on November 29. Read Gail Greer’s take on COP28.
Cancel the Toronto Air Show/A SCAN! Initiative
SCAN! Toronto members, take note of local initiatives addressed to City Council.If you want to help get the Toronto Air Show cancelled, click the button below..
Climate Migrants/An Information Session
On, November 19, SCAN!'s Climate Justice Committee (CJC) presented an information session on "Climate Migrants" with the following speakers: Steve Shallhorn, Labour Education Centre, Sarah Shartal, CJC and Chris Ramsaroop, Justice for Migrant Workers.
Cancel the Toronto Air Show/A SCAN! Initiative
SCAN! Toronto members, take note of local initiatives addressed to City Council.If you want to help get the Toronto Air Show cancelled, click the button below..
Consultation on Clean Electricity Regulations/The SCAN! Brief
The submission to the federal government of comments and recommendations concerning the draft Clean Electricity Regulations was prepared and finalized by several members of SCAN!'s Education Committee. Martin Bush prepared the first draft of the analysis and...
The Federal Government’s Emissions Reduction Cap for the Oil and Gas Industry
A policy for a hard and declining emissions cap for the oil and gas industry is coming soon. Here is the background information you need.
Help Protect Ontario Farmland–Join the Harvest Walk
Join a 30-minute walk to protect Ontario farmland. HWY 413 threatens 400 acres of the Greenbelt and 2000 acres of farmland. SCAN! members will take the Bolton Walk North, meeting at 9:45 am at the Caledon Centre for Recreation and Wellness. For more details, visit the...
The Ontario Climate Change Reports/An Update
SCAN! tells the CBC about campaigning for the release of the climate change impact reports, and SCAN!'s Jennifer Penney talks with CBC's Alan Neal. (See our MEDIA RELEASE.)
“A Landmark Case/Held v. Montana” by Alan Levy
There is much to celebrate about the exciting, landmark decision from the Montana District Court in the youth case of Held v. Montana. (To read the full text of the decision, issued on August 14, 2023, click HERE.) Shortly after the trial ended in June, a summary of...
Webinar/”Powering Ontario’s Growth”–Ford’s Energy Disaster
Along with the Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign (OCEC), SCAN! organized a webinar with Ralph Torrie, an expert in the field of energy and environment. Ford’s government released “Powering Ontario’s Growth,” which locks Ontario into a costly - and climate wrecking -...
“Mobilizing Older Adults to Fight the Climate Crisis”/A Report
Read University of Toronto professor’s sociology students’ major research project on seniors and the climate justice movement. The work is based on interviews with both SCAN! and non-SCAN! seniors. The project includes a summary of some of the latest research on...
Global Climate Litigation Report
A hefty new report (109 pages) has arrived from the United Nations Environment Program (July 27, 2023) in conjunction with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Climate School (Columbia Law School). It is entitled "Global Climate Litigation: 2023 Status...
Ontario Youth Take the Government to Task in Court/Part 2
Part 2 of this series, “The Story of Mathur v. Ontario,” focuses on the landmark court decision handed down in April 2023 dismissing all of the claims by the young applicants. “Climate litigation is complex, time-consuming, expensive, slow, frustrating and usually...
“Release the Ontario Climate Reports!”/Join the Open Letter
Help get the Ford government to release two climate change reports they have been sitting on. They analyze the impacts climate change is likely to have on Ontario and include some strategies for reducing those impacts. Please sign and share this letter. Click the...
Industrial Logging: Biodiversity and the Climate Emergency
Watch Part 2 of our Extraction Series featuring Nature Canada's Michael Polanyi on how industrial logging is putting the climate and biodiversity at serious risk (recorded on June 27, 2023).
Climate Change and Global Security/A Conversation with Kenneth Epps
Ploughshares' Wendy Stocker recently spoke with SCAN! member Kenneth Epps about the alarming links between climate change and increased threats to global security: "It is no exaggeration," says Epps, "to state that climate breakdown is a global existential threat, and...
Municipal Climate Action Checklist
SCAN! has endorsed this excellent tool, an inventory of suggestions prepared by a group of concerned residents in Ontario to help promote climate action by municipalities and residents. They encourage people to help themselves to any/all of these ideas and promote...
Toronto Mayoral Campaign/Asking the Right Questions
The stakes are high in the Toronto mayoral race. This is an opportunity for SCAN! members to raise the climate crisis with candidates. Teams of people with signs and leaflets will pop up at events where candidates are campaigning. Our leaflet, which you can view HERE,...
Ontario Youth Take the Government to Task in Court/Part 1
SCAN! member Alan Levy has written a perceptive summary of the progress of the legal challenge initiated by a very impressive group of young people concerned about the impact of the climate crisis: "Mathur v. Ontario is a Charter case that was launched in 2019 by...
Doug Ford’s Outlandish Claim to a Great Environmental Record
In a recent article in The Hamilton Spectator, SCAN! member Jamie Swift pillories Doug Ford's claim.
The Saga of OTPP
Two SCAN! members who are active with Shift Action, an organization that helps Canadians put pressure on their pension funds to divest from fossil fuels and invest in climate change solutions, along with fellow retired teachers as well as active teachers, were finally...
Saving the Greenbelt
We all know that the Ford government poses a dire threat to the Greenbelt. Greenbelt Promise has compiled a list of ways to meet that threat. Whether you'd like to participate from home or 'take it to the streets,' you'll want to take a look at the many ways you can...
A Just Transition from Fossil Fuels
Read SCAN! member Gail Greer’s Letter to the Editor, published in The Globe and Mail on January 12, 2023. Re Federal Liberals’ Just-transition Pledge Is Performative For Party’s Base Far Off Prairies (Jan. 7): It is sad to see Danielle Smith and her defenders attack...
Climate Catastrophe in South Asia–Taking Action
Real climate action in the global North means making common cause with the global South. We’re responsible for making Canada finally move beyond lip service. The greatest cost of climate breakdown is borne, not by the industrialized world which is most responsible,...
Passing on Our Family Legacy through Books
In this Globe and Mail article, SCAN!'s Jamie Swift writes about leaving a lasting legacy: " I worry that if today's elders--people of a certain age, like me--don't take action on climate breakdown while we still can, future generations will judge us harshly for it."
An Overview of COP 15
On November 30, 2022, SCAN! member Ron Corkum provided a succinct and timely overview of COP 15 at the general membership meeting.
The European Parliament Takes Action on Fossil Fuels
On the heels of cities around the world adopting the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty comes great news: the European Parliament formally called on countries to develop a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty in a resolution outlining its demands for COP27. Help...
David Suzuki Condemns Government Inaction
David Suzuki passionately and eloquently condemns federal and provincial inaction on the climate crisis *Scroll down the linked page to the video of Mr. Suzuki that sparked the media response
SCAN! Member Moya Beall’s Guest Editorial for OCEC
Moya Beall's guest editorial on healthcare on behalf of SCAN! appeared in the very first OCEC Connections newsletter. Scroll down the newsletter to see the editorial.
An Interview with Nick Decarlo
SCAN! co-chair Nick De Carlo talks about his organizing background, how his interest in climate issues developed, how climate issues affect seniors, and what role seniors can play. It's well worth watching/listening to.