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Last week we wrote saying that as long as you stood your ground and were still vocal about the emissions cap then the Alberta government's ads against it had failed. That to win, you just have to refuse to be crushed.

Not only did you succeed in that, but the anti-emissions fear-mongering didn't work. New polling, we responded to late last week, shows you are not alone. Now is the time to be louder, not quieter!

Across Canada 32% of people strongly support an emissions cap and 33% say it's a matter of the implementation being right. That's 65% of people who, like you, want the Federal government to get this policy right and that's an invitation for all of us to come together on implementing this policy correctly. 67% agree the emissions cap will have either a significant, or some, impact on climate goals. Your standard 32% of people (who sadly probably don't believe in any climate policies to begin with) predictably stand opposed to the cap.

But that's just the start. After the Alberta Government wasted seven million in Albertan's taxpayer dollars on a misinformation campaign against the emissions cap (ostensibly on behalf of Alberta) you'd expect the vast majority of Albertans to hate the cap right? Nope. Only 45% of Albertans actually oppose it. Millions of dollars in ads and not even half of Albertans were convinced on the provincial government's home territory. In Atlantic Canada, where oil and gas is also a key jobs issue, only 22% of people oppose the cap.

You talking to others about the emissions is also going to make a huge difference, because the other thing the polling found was that half of people have never heard of the emissions cap.

People are open to chatting, so let's talk with them! Here's a new video with an explanation on the emissions cap and why anyone can support it, that can help you explain it in turn.

Don't forget to send a message for an improved cap below.

All the Premier's horses and all the Premier's men couldn't make climate policy unpopular again.

Given how much the Alberta Government spent on their campaign against the cap they can't be happy with the result, and their next step will be a legal battle for sure. But the Alberta Government's case against the cap is one lawyers say does not have a firm footing below it and goes against precedents that have already been set on pollution law. There will be theatre, but the fight against the cap on behalf of wealthy corporations is not productive. Now it's time to implement an emissions cap together.

This is more than a victory for climate policy, it's a victory for nuance over polarization. In media landscape that seems to care more about political theatre than solutions, this polling shows what people want most are policies that are written well and well implemented.

Now on to other news...

The Yukon, Food Security, & the South Beringia Priority Place

You can also find this episode on the Harbinger Media Network, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, our Youtube Channel, and on our website, as well as many other places you listen to podcasts. The Environment in Canada Podcast is additionally broadcast by-weekly on CKUT radio in Montréal (90.3 FM) and on CHMA radio in Sackville New Brunswick on Saturdays at 11am Atlantic Daylight Time.

For anyone concerned about how climate change will impact our ability to feed ourselves we share some advice on how to make our food systems more resilient in the second half today’s episode. Please note that the views in the second half of the podcast are on behalf of ourselves and not our guests.

Send us your questions on this episode or other issues to info@sierraclub.ca

• EV Trucker’s Drive from Yukon to Manitoba Reveals Disparities in Charging Infrastructure (pictured) by Tova Gaster:

"People worry about battery fires—which are up to seven times less frequent than gas- and diesel-powered vehicle fires, according to Motortrend—and range.... “There was a big variance in provinces that had privatized their grids and those that hadn’t.... Lindley says chargers should be better regulated to ensure they’re maintained. He found that many chargers in Northern Alberta didn’t work."

• Community Land Trusts Can Build Resilient, Affordable Housing, Advocates Say by Tova Gaster:
  

"Community land trusts can keep housing cheap in the face of rising rents, say advocates and developers, but an Ottawa Council committee decided recently to keep its existing housing strategy, which prioritizes funding new construction over preserving affordable housing."

Resources on how to communicate with others:

• How to talk with neighbours, friends, and family on climate issues (webinar recording).
• Effective Communications on Climate Change (podcast).
• Visual communications advice on wildfires (webinar recording).

Facts Sheets:

• Emissions Cap Fact Sheet.
• Wildfire fact sheet on causes and links to the oil and gas industry.
• Carbon Pricing Fact Sheet.
• How the Carbon Tax Got Alberta Off Coal and Could Reduce Future Wildfires (Podcast).
• Facts on Heat Pumps.
• Canada’s forests haven’t absorbed more carbon than they’ve released since 2001.
• It isn’t arson: untangling climate misinformation around Canada’s raging wildfires & climate crisis made spate of Canada wildfires twice as likely, scientists find.
• CO2 is a pollutant in the case of climate change and human caused CO2 causes climate change – it’s not just 'plant food.'
• More on other common climate myths.

Talking with others is the biggest impact you can have but be sure to prioritize talking to those on the fence about the seriousness of the climate crisis (unfortunately not everyone is open to listening). Call out oil and gas CEOs in the process!

We're stronger together!

Conor