Fun! Sometimes all it takes is one person willing to take a risk, and invite other people to join them, to change an experience from drab to extraordinary. Imagine if this happened every day after work, we’d all get home energized and happy.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/eWu63UY6E90]
Hundreds, if not thousands, of Canadians are going to be gathering in Victoria, B.C. over the next few days to take a stand against the Northern Gateway Pipeline that Enbridge, and our current federal government, is intent on building through the pristine Great Bear Rainforest to the northern B.C. coast. One of my daughters is planning to attend, but like many Canadians I will be supporting this event at a distance. What I can do from my home today is participate in a “flash phone mob” organized by Citizens Climate Lobby Canada. The goal is to fill Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s answering machine with messages about reducing taxpayer subsidies to the richest industry on the planet, in this time of fiscal restraint. I invite you to join me. Here’s the suggested message, but feel free to improvise; just keep it polite – we are Canadians, after all:
SUGGESTED SCRIPT (please use your polite Canadian voice)
Hello My Name is [ __________________ ]
The government of Canada introduced a second omnibus budget bill this week. If lawmakers in Ottawa are looking for ways to reduce spending, it seems that subsidies to the oil, coal and gas industries are the best place to start.
I believe that Canada should stop giving a $1.4 billion annual bonus to rich fossil fuel companies that are recklessly polluting our land, air and water(1) .
By doing so, Canada will meet its 2009 commitment made in Pittsburgh, along with other G20 leaders, to phase out subsidies to fossil fuel companies (2) .
The richest industry on Earth doesn’t need our tax dollars. Instead, Canada should invest responsibly in clean energy sources that create good jobs and sustainable prosperity.
I call on all Members of Parliament to support the motion drafted by the youth-led movement PowerShift to end to subsidies and tax incentives fossil fuel companies.
Specifically, I would like to know how much of the tax incentives and subsidies to the fossil fuel companies were cut in Omnibus Budget Bill C38 and will be cut in the latest omnibus budget bill.
Please send the information to [ your mailing address].
Thank you for your time and service to Canada.
********
Minister Flaherty’s contact info is:
Parliament Hill Office – Ottawa: Telephone: (613) 992-6344
Have fun! And feel free to comment below if you do call, and let me know.
This flashmob demonstrates that even banks can be agents of building community, if they choose to. The English translation of the Spanish description is:
On the 130th anniversary of the creation of Banco Sabadell we wanted to pay tribute to our city with the campaign “Som Sabadell.” This is the flashmob done as a climax to campaign, with the participation of over 100 people from the Vallès Symphony Orchestra and the choirs of Lieder and Friends of l’Opera and the Choral Belles Arts.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBaHPND2QJg&feature=player_embedded]
Whatever one’s religious beliefs, the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah is a joyful and inspiring piece of music. Here on Easter Sunday is a “Random Act of Culture” that brought together 650 singers from 28 participating organizations to perform at Macy’s in Center City Philadelphia last October. Enjoy!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU]
More links:
A Flashmob organized by the “Testé sur des humains” team at TVA in Quebec. Thanks to Dan for passing it on:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RODr0Fg8pNc]
The translation of the video is:
On May 14th 2010, at 10 AM, more than ten thousand young people danced together in at La Fontaine Park in Montreal, Canada to send a message to world leaders: Keep Your Promises!
Inspired by the “At the Table” campaign, these young people asked the leaders of the G8 and G20 countries to keep their promises to:
Here’s a video of the event:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRTJ0sD84i8]
Oxfam-Québec organized the flash mob march.
Click here to sign the “At the Table” Petition and make your voice heard! To find out more about the At the Table campaign, and how you can participate, click here.
If you are in Canada, enjoy your long weekend!