IN THIS BULLETIN...
At last Friday's meeting, October 4th, the Seniors for Climate Action Now (SCAN) spoke to our club.
Marva Wisdom introduced the speaker from SCAN, Mary Mitchell, highlighting her extensive background in education, including her role on a school board and a year-long sabbatical in France.
Mary began by sharing a personal story about a conversation with her son during a car trip, where they discussed the impact of climate change.
The son expressed a pessimistic view about the future, leading Mary to have an "aha" moment and decide to take action.
Mary's journey began by connecting with the Ontario Clean Air Alliance which led to the formation of SCAN.
Mary praised SCAN's website for its wealth of information on activism, education, research, and knowledge sharing.
The concept of seniors being a "demographic time bomb" is discussed, with SCAN working to change this legacy to one of climate action.
In this regard, Mary spoke about the global impact of senior activists, citing an example of 2000 women in Switzerland taking climate action.
Mary then shared a video that provides an overview of SCAN and the seniors' movement.
The video discuses findings from a study conducted by sociology students at the University of Toronto, revealing that older adults are more engaged in climate action than assumed.
The study highlights that 59% of older adults in Canada have altered their behaviors to impact climate positively, and 56% believe Canada is moving too slowly on climate change.
Mary then asked Gina Lammel to speak. Gina is another member of SCAN. She explained the qualitative research methods used, including literature reviews and interviews with older adults in the Greater Toronto Area.
The interviews revealed that older adults care about the environment and climate change, but many are unsure about how to take action.
Gina explained how SCAN can be best understood as a resource to mobilize and guide older adults in climate action, providing opportunities for political engagement and practical measures.
SCAN has had many successful campaigns, such as pressuring the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board to divest from fossil fuels.
The organization also educates members about the broader consequences of climate change, including potential displacement of over 1 billion people by 2050.
SCAN's efforts aim to create a sense of collective action and amplify individual contributions to climate change mitigation.
After this overview by Gina, Mary went on to summarize SCAN's five transitions that are needed to address the climate crisis: recognizing Indigenous rights, energy transition, economic transition, social and climate justice, and a new relationship with the natural world.
Mary, a retired teacher and librarian, shares her journey of discovering SCAN and becoming involved in the Guelph chapter.
The Guelph chapter has about 15 members and focuses on building a community of effective climate activists and working on actions and goals.
Mary outlines the activities of the Guelph chapter, including monthly meetings and planning sessions.
The chapter's goals include building a community of activists and working on actions to bring about the desired change.
Recent activities include a campaign to divest from fossil fuels and discussions on implementing a maximum indoor temperature by law.
Mary and Gina were thanked for their insightful presentation and work on climate action.
Notes taken by otter.ai, edited by Aidan Harris.