Champion the Climate

In December, the Climate Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, will finalize a new global climate deal that will replace the Kyoto Protocol in 2012. The outcome of the summit will determine whether or not the world cooperates to start reducing greenhouse gas emissions in time to prevent global arming from exceeding a catastrophic tipping point.

To be part of the solution, Canada must make a commitment to reduce emissions by at least 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, and join other developed nations in providing financing for clean energy, efficiency and adaptation initiatives in developing countries - the cornerstones of an equitable and science-based deal.

Take action today! Write to the Prime Minister asking that Canada take the lead and endorse carbon emission targets that ensure the two degree Celsius warming threshold is not crossed.

Sign the Sierra Club-supported KyotoPlus Pledge.

Stop the Trophy Hunt!

Imagine the Great Bear Rainforest without bears. It's time for Environment Minister Barry Penner to cancel the trophy hunt and dedicate resources to understanding why there are so few grizzlies on our coast this year.

First Nations, environmental organizations and ecotourism operators report that they are seeing far fewer bears and hardly any bears with cubs in large parts of the Great Bear Rainforest. Last fall, numbers of salmon declined dramatically in the same areas just when bears needed the fish most in order to fatten up for their winter hiberation and nursing newborn cubs. Yet the fall trophy hunt continues, even in protected areas of the Great Bear Rainforest.

More than 11,000 grizzlies have been killed across the province of British Columbia since 1975 - 87 per cent by trophy hunters.

Stop the madness. Send a letter to BC Environment Minister Barry Penner today demanding the bear hunt be stopped.

Protect BC’s Flathead Valley

BC’s Flathead Valley is sometimes compared with Africa’s Serengeti for its richness of species, and should be BC’s top priority for protection. Instead, the Flathead’s rare convergence of wildlife and stunning vistas are threatened by a land use plan that favours industrial activity of the most environmentally destructive kind. One plan the BC government is considering is for mountain-top removal coal mining that would see pollutants and slag--from the removal of 40 million tonnes of coal—dumped in a headwaters stream of the pure and free-flowing Flathead River. Take Action Today!

Keep Oil Tankers away from B.C.'s Coast.

The pristine inland waters of BC’s North Coast have been protected since 1972 by a ban on oil tanker traffic. Today, the ban is under threat. Hundreds of oil tankers a year could soon be navigating the treacherous and often stormy waters of the inland BC coast.  Eight Canadian prime ministers and nine BC premiers have upheld the moratorium, but it is now in jeopardy. Take action today!

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Want to take action on other issues? Here are some ideas:

1. Host a Sierra Club Small Party or join a CERCle (Carbon Emissions Reduction Club). The relaxed, fun atmosphere at these gatherings will spark new ideas and provide support for making climate-friendly changes to your lifestyle.

2. Write a letter to your elected representative
One of the easiest and most effective ways you can take action on environmental issues is by writing to your political representatives. Every letter an elected official receives is taken to represent many others!

How do you write an effective letter to your political representative? Take a look at our easy-to-follow guide.

Who should you write? Check out our contact lists for provincial [link to provincial contact list] and federal [list to federal contact list] elected representatives.

2. Write a Letter to the Editor
Writing a letter to the editor of your local paper is another effective way to make your voice heard. Remember to keep your letter short and to the point, and to include your contact information at the bottom of your letter so the Editor can contact you with questions.

Here are some ideas about where you can send your Letters to the Editor

3. Form a local group
Forming your own environmental organization is an excellent way to take action on a local environmental issue. By joining forces with other like-minded individuals, you can pool your ideas and really make a difference. If you have enough interest, you can even form a Sierra Club BC Local Group.

4. Become an activist (or become a better one)
Want to learn how you can become an activist? Or, if you already consider yourself one, want to sharpen your savvy? Take a minute to download and read How to Be An Activist by former Sierra Club of Canada Executive Director,Elizabeth May.