By Pratik Bhattarai
Sep. 15, 2023
Climate activists marching at the climate strike rally on Great George St., Charlottetown, P.E.I.
About a 100 people gathered earlier today in front of Coles building in Downtown Charlottetown. The crowd was carrying signs that said “There is no planet B”, “Planet over Profit” and was chanting slogans like “System change, not climate change” and “If oceans dry, so will we”.
The event was organized by P.E.I. Climate Strike along with many other local community organizations.
“Hottest temperature has been recorded in human history, floods, fire, drought, growing separation between wealthy and vulnerable. This is the world that we’re creating but we can create a different world.” said Mille Clarkes, the organizer of the event.
Multiple speakers at the event talked about the necessity and the urgency of climate action.
“The biggest contributor to climate change is oil and gas and they need to stay in the ground.” said Anne Wheatly, the board member of Environmental coalition of P.E.I. and the member of Cooper Institute.
Wheatly also talked about the $20 billion the federal oil and gas sector got in subsidies, from the Canadian government, last year.
“The same year top five oil and gas companies made $38 Million in profit, but I think that is mixed up because the polluters should be pay, we shouldn’t be paying them.” Wheatly added.
The event was organized in collaboration with PEERS Alliance, P.E.I. Transgender Network, BIPOC USHR, Creative P.E.I., and Mi’kmaq indigenous community.
The event consisted of speeches from community organizers and artistic performances by a group of poets called Good Co., and Mi’kmaq Elder Junior Peter Paul.
Along with climate action, the speakers also focused on racial justice, gender equality, affordable living cost, public transportation, farmers rights and many other social justice issues.
“Even if we try to do something good for the environment, with great intentions, if we’re doing them in context of colonial systems with colonial knowledge base, we can’t help but develop solutions that are perpetuating colonialism.” said Stephanie Arnold, the board president of BIPOC USHR.
“This is not a game, this is time to come together across political parties, to work for humanity,” said Clarkes.
The climate strike was a part of a global initiative that is taking place today and again on Sep. 17, worldwide.
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