IN HINDSIGHT

Fits and starts!

Spring is arriving in fits and starts. One day we are sweating, the next we are freezing. And so the temperature goes up and down: -20 degrees/+10 degrees, 5 degrees/+18 degrees, 2 degrees/-20 degrees, 10 degrees/ -5 degrees, sending us on a weather roller coaster! Nature makes raise our heads to see the birds’ nests, while we stumble over potholes. Apparently it is climate change…

We finally found something to blame for all these fluctuations: climate change! There is no denying that Earth is sounding the alarm, reminding us that she is still very much alive, despite the blows we have dealt her. She is telling us that we must take care of her as she has always taken care of us. The awakening of environmental awareness is occurring “in fits and starts,” but it is certainly progressing.

The global political situation is also in turmoil. Through certain media, we can follow closely what is making increasingly decimated populations tremble. We are terrified by the blind hostility of many leaders who are looking for targets on whom to unleash their hatred and quench their thirst for power. The friends/enemies circle makes us dizzy. Jean-François Lépine’s Radio Canada podcast is worth following, as his knowledge helps us to make connections between the many current geopolitical issues. Gone are the comfortable times of yesteryear as we enter a new era. In all this upheaval, we could have done without the chaotic jolts of the billionaire surrounded by other multi-billionaire friends. Elusive delirium that cannot last very long.

In chess, the bishops, or fools in French, are closest to the king. (Le Roux 1752) Let us choose our place – it may be on the periphery!

When our courage falters, let us think of all those who care, educate, console and love. Hope recreates the conviction that “another world is possible.” It is already gestating! Happy new era!

Happy spring!

Denise Brunelle, CND

---

 EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW

At their meeting on March 4, members of the Executive Committee discussed the text Réveiller la ferveur québécoise (2) . “Quelque chose comme un grand peuple” [Reawakening the Quebec fervour. Something like a great nation] written by historian and sociologist Gérard Bouchard and published in Le Devoir on February 8.

This was followed by a brainstorming session on the ecological transition. The discussions were based on the preamble to a document from the Front commun pour la transition énergétique [Common Front for Energy Transition], which sets out the criteria for an energy transition that promotes social justice.

The committee continued to prepare the program for the annual meeting on Saturday, April 26.

---

 A LOOK AT THE ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION

The reality of climate change is scientifically recognized and increasingly worrying. We have become aware of the impact of these disruptions on biodiversity, with climate change causing the destruction of ecosystems and, by the same token, major disruptive effects on living organisms of all kinds. What can be done to, if not counteract, at least mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis? One answer to this question is to set in motion a movement toward an ecological transition. This solution is already underway.

What is ecological transition? It is a global approach that reconciles the environment, the economy, society and governance. The ecological transition is defined as a fundamental transformation of production, consumption and social organization. It implies the transition from a so-called linear economic model to a circular economy. The first model involves a linear progression: resource extraction, goods production, consumption and then disposal. Consumer goods therefore have only one life. The second approach involves reducing the consumption of goods and services, reusing and recycling them in a process in which each resource can survive almost indefinitely.

The ecological transition pursues three major objectives: the radical reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; the preservation of raw materials and the reduction of waste; the preservation of ecosystems and the restoration of natural environments.

The ecological transition targets all economic sectors i.e. transport, agriculture, industry, construction and energy. It involves both active transport (walking, cycling) and collective transport, as well as transport that relies less and less on fossil fuels, especially electrified transport. Agro-ecological and organic farming, which can make an essential contribution to the preservation of soil, water resources and air quality, are healthier alternatives to unavoidable industrial agriculture that are also more respectful of the environment and people. In the world of industry and construction, experience in ecological transition suggests that renewable energies (solar, wind, hydraulic) should be developed.

Ecological transition and social justice

Social justice aims primarily at ensuring equal rights for all individuals and communities through a fair and equitable distribution of wealth among individuals in society. The connection between social justice and the environment is explained by the imperative of guaranteeing the right of all to access a healthy environment, which is a universal, inalienable human right, interdependent and indissociable from other human rights.

There is no denying that vulnerable populations are the hardest hit by the consequences of climate change. While the more fortunate have the means to protect their land or move to another area in the event of flooding, for example, the less well-off suffer from the consequences of weather events.

A collective approach is needed to move toward the most egalitarian possible well-being in the face of climatic hazards. It brings people together, mobilizes them and works on common problems to find a collective solution. Community intervention starts from people’s needs and builds solutions with them. Collective intervention reduces feelings of powerlessness and creates a sense of empowerment.

Citizen participation is one of the pillars of the right to a healthy environment. An example: a community garden project improves food security by providing access to quality food at low cost and promotes socialization and solidarity, while greening a neighbourhood.

An example in development: the Projet Québec ZéN (zero net emissions)

Since 2021, eight Net Zero Emission (ZéN) communities have been formed in Quebec to achieve an ecological transition that brings social justice. It is a project for a carbon-neutral, fairer and more resilient society. This project aims for a transition that promotes social justice, respects all human rights and provides access to community housing spaces and quality, affordable living environments.

Québec ZéN has drawn up a roadmap, the fruit of research, reflection and deliberation. For a year, representatives from over 80 organizations and some 20 departments, research chairs and faculties of 12 universities worked on the project.

ZéN communities are examples of new spaces for dialogue and collective work aimed at empowering citizens and the various local players concerned by future transformations.

---

In Short

As far as we are concerned, the energy transition approach calls on us to embark on a radical transformation of our consumption practices, individual and collective, that meets the major ecological challenges of our time while reducing social injustice. Sometimes we have to make choices about our priorities: do we prefer to pay less at the expense of our ecological footprint?

Some of the references used in writing this dossier:

• OXFAM France website
• A document from the Front commun pour la transition énergétique
• The article “La transition écologique, ça concerne tout le monde” from La ligue des droits et libertés du Québec

Céline Beaulieu, CND