I have two intelligent, lovely daughters who, as of this September, have both left home to attend university in different parts of the country. The last few weeks have been a busy blur of packing and moving them. My husband and I are now adjusting to life without them, which feels lonely and liberating at the same time. This past Sunday, for the first time, I went grocery shopping for just the two of us, and I realized with a pang that this is the way it will be from now on. On the other hand, I have spent very little time in the kitchen since we got home, so am feeling freed from the relentless need to ensure my entire family was eating healthy, well-prepared food. My husband is concerned that I may never cook again, but the good news is that he is a pretty good cook himself, so we won’t starve!
What has kept me out of the kitchen this week, besides a full-time employment contract, is the urgent need to address Bill C311, the Climate Accountability Act, which is approaching its second reading in the Senate next week. The Harper Conservatives continue to oppose this bill, and it needs at least 53 votes to pass (of the 105 Senators, 52 are Conservative). As Cheryl McNamara pointed out in Monday’s post, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has taken the anti-science, anti- progress stance and is opposing this bill and is exerting its considerable influence lobbying more of the senators to vote against it, even though it was passed in the House of Commons.
I have emailed all the Senators and sent letters to half of the insurance company executives identified by Cheryl on Climate Response. Obviously, I have more work to do – and so do you, if you haven’t yet let the senators as well as the insurance and financial companies hear your voice.
If you need some motivation, read about 82-year old grandmother and activist Betty Krawczyk‘s courageous campaign to bring attention to old-growth logging in British Columbia, and her current situation – the BC government is asking that she be locked up for life for her actions! She is on CBC’s The Current this morning. I will post that link as soon as it’s available.
More links:
Interview with Anna-Maria Tremonti on CBC’s The Current, Wednesday September 22, 2010
I Support Betty on Facebook