Kootenay paddlers take to water at Nelson 'kayaktivism'
By Contributor
A flotilla of more than 50 paddlers in 30 boats took to Kootenay Lake on Saturday July 4 to join in a national day of action for jobs, justice and climate action, sponsored by 350.org.
“It was a great way to keep cool, have fun, and speak out for a clean energy future for Canada,” said Montana Burgess of the West Kootenay EcoSociety.
“People here and across Canada will keep taking public action to protect our future and our children’s future, especially in light of the extreme weather events causing catastrophes like the forest fire burning right now across from Nelson.”
The Kootenay boaters paddled up from Lakeside Park just to the Prestige Hotel and back, waving signs and banners and chanting “We’re Greater than Tar Sands.”
“Racheting back the tar sands is crucial for the future,” said Tom Nixon from Kootenays for a Pipeline-Free BC.
“It takes the equivalent of one barrel of oil of energy to create five barrels of synthetic crude. It’s enormously carbon intensive, and that all ends up in our atmosphere,” Nixon said.
“Stopping the tar sands explosion into our atmosphere is Canadians’ responsibility to our planet’s environment.”
Nelson’s “kayaktivism” was just one of the July 4 events that took place in centres across the country. 350.org also organized a mass rally in Toronto on Sunday, July 5th, with over 10,000 people marching, to coincide with a Pan-America leaders’ summit on climate change and green house gas reductions, organized by the Government of Ontario later this week. More info: http://350.org/july/
West Kootenay EcoSociety is a non-profit organization located in Nelson BC. Through education, outreach, community building, research, and advocacy, the EcoSociety works to protect the natural environment while building a just and sustainable post-carbon world.
