Climate

The wrapping of ecological disaster with fears of rampant immigration is a narrative that has flourished in far-right fringe movements in Europe and the U.S.

"It's been pretty nice this time around," said Kootenay Co-op general manager Ari Derfel. "We've been living in a year of emergencies and this time — seeing people just come in and get what they need and not freaking out — it's been kinda calming."

When Penticton, B.C., resident Katya Irwin opened her computer Tuesday afternoon to place an order at her neighbourhood grocery store, the floods and landslides wreaking havoc in other parts of the province were far from her mind. Then she noticed that dozens of commonplace items like milk and vegetables were no longer in stock. 

Plastic production is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and is growing rapidly as demand soars worldwide. If nothing is done, analysts predict it will account for about 13 per cent of the world's remaining carbon budget by 2050. 

Speaking at a "people's plenary" meeting Friday, youth, farmers, trade unionists, environmental groups, and disability and gender rights advocates criticized the UN climate change conference in Glasgow for being among the most exclusive negotiations so far.

Every day around noon, the smell of grilled beef and roasted venison wafts through the lines of delegates attending the COP26 climate conference as they queue for lunch. Yet even as hundreds flock to the burgers and venison pasties on offer, some attendees wonder if meat — a big emitter worldwide — should be on the menu. 

Food activist Rayan Kassem says action on climate change shouldn't be separated from issues like hunger which will only get worse in a warming world.

On Wednesday morning, a draft version of the final agreement to come out of the two-week United Nations climate conference was released. Now, the world waits to see what the final text will hold.

With previous climate conferences coming under fire for serving unsustainable meals, the organizers of this year's United Nations meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, have highlighted efforts to serve climate-friendly meals. But critics say those measures — and the food itself — aren't enough to emphasize the urgent role food plays in saving the planet. 

Over 100 cities, towns, and other regional governments worldwide informally launched a pledge Wednesday to put food at the heart of their climate plans — even as their national counterparts have failed to do the same. 

Protesters briefly disrupted traffic outside the main gates to the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on Monday to highlight the refusal of Canada and the U.S. to block new oil and gas projects. 

Twenty-three-year-old Inuk activist Ashley Cummings was the keynote speaker at the World Forum on Climate Justice at Glasgow Caledonian University last month.

City and town leaders from across the country are in discussions about what role they can play in reducing emissions at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Sustainable Cities Conference, which runs Oct. 19 to 21.

COP26 is being called our “last hope” for meeting the world’s Paris Agreement goal, and the role of youth is more important than ever.