Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice
A national faith-based organization that supports Unitarian values through action
This category is for general environmental issues. For posts on climate change and carbon-reduction strategies, see the Climate Change page.
Your CUSJ Board is monitoring key issues that are continually developing in the world and working with our partners to create pressure on government and other bodies on those issues. To see what issues we are working on, go to CUSJ Priorities. Following are a few links to actions we have taken recently: Action to … Read more
Faith Tested: Deep Throat and Zombie Credits in Glasgow. by Ahti Tolvanen, CUSJ Delegate to COP26 It began on Halloween. I was pleased to be the sole representative, of Canadian Unitarians and CUSJ on site- as well as at meetings on the COP Interfaith Liason Committee. I was also honored to accept an invitation to … Read more
CUSJ stands with former member Catherine Hembling (80 years old) (lower right speaking at the microphone). She was one of the Brunette Six who defied the court injunction, stood in the way of the Transmountain (TMX) pipeline and was arrested. She is currently serving 14 days in jail for her protest. She began her statement … Read more
CUSJ Joins 200 Organizations to Send A Letter to John Horgan Asking For Climate Action Thanks to the Tyee for printing the open letter Tackling the climate crisis offers an opportunity to generate new economic and social wealth as the province transforms where its energy comes from and how it is used, writes the … Read more
Permits for the Keystone XL pipeline have been cancelled by US president Biden this week, citing climate change as the reason. CUSJ has joined a coalition of climate activist groups to demand Justin Trudeau cancel the Trans Mountain pipeline and tanker project for the same reason. Oil companies will be pulling out all stops to … Read more
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau P.C., M.P. Prime Minister of Canada Langevin Block Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2 The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P. Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Minister of Finance House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 CC. Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister Catherine McKenna, Minister Steven Guilbeault Dear Prime Minister and Deputy Prime … Read more
LA VERSION FRANÇAISE SUIT Canadian Unitarians For Social Justice joined with many other NGO’s, unions, and faith organizations to call our Federal Government to direct subsidies toward helping workers through transition rather than bailing out oil companies once again. March 23, 2020 To the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Cc: Federal Cabinet Ministers COVID-19 is presenting … Read more
Editor’s note: Former JUSTnews editor Philip Symons published this timely op-ed in the CUSJ Googlegroup, and we felt it was so informative we had to share! Why do elected and hereditary Wet’suwet’en chiefs disagree on whether pipelines should go through their territory? Just like our elected members of parliament, Wet’suwet’en elected Chiefs and Councils keep … Read more
Letter of January 21, 2020, from CUSJ President Bill Woolverton TO: Honourable Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resources; Premier John Horgan; Adam Olsen, Interim Leader, Green Party of BC; Andrew Wilkinson, Leader of the BC Liberal Party; Federal Justice Minister David Lametti; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; Jagmeet Singh, New Democratic Party of … Read more
CUSJ is a member of the Climate Action Network and signed on to this long but informative letter detailing what is needed in a government oriented to acting on the climate emergency. Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, Congratulations on your re-election to lead Canada’s government at this pivotal time in history. The next few years are … Read more
How could 5G affect our health and environment? By Marg Friesen M.Sc., Safer Wireless Radiation Manitoba Originally published in the Manitoba Eco-Journal; reprinted with permission from the author. WE ARE HEARING A LOT OF BUZZ about faster “5G” for a new interconnected world, but do we really know all we should know on how it may … Read more
This text is a homily by CUSJ President Margaret Rao, of First Unitarian Church of Toronto, on the January 2019 theme of Change. Good Morning Everyone! I am grateful to be given the opportunity to share a testimony with you on my life as an activist. In keeping with the theme of change, an activist … Read more
Although all five hereditary clan chiefs to he Wet’suwet’en Nation have clearly stated their opposition, the Canadian Liberal government seems determined to go ahead with TransCanada subsidiary Coastal GasLink’s liquid natural gas (LNG) pipeline projet. This, in spite of the fact that doing so would: Fly in the face of the most recent report of … Read more
Indigenous groups and other humans who are not in climate denial have significant reason to celebrate today, as the Federal Court of Appeal has invalidated the government’s approvals to build the $7.4 billion Trans Mountain expansion project. The court, represented by Justice Eleanor Dawson, found that the federal cabinet based its approval of the pipeline … Read more
Above: On April 12th, a group of artists form a blockade in front of the gates of Kinder Morgan’s Burnaby Mountain tank farm as part of ongoing Indigenous-led resistance. “Let’s not forget in all the provincial and federal squabbling that the company still doesn’t have Indigenous consent and never will,” said Will George, Watch House project … Read more
Saturday, March 10th 2018 was a day for the history books, as thousands marched in an indigenous-led protest against the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline. Coast Salish spiritual leaders and members raised a traditional Coast Salish Watch House* near the pipeline route, which will act as a base for resistance to the project. In addition … Read more
Mary Bennet of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver reports: What an event we hosted last night [Feb 19 2018] at UCV. Thanks to the Environment Committee, the Board, the musicians, the speakers, the artists and groups who donated items for the silent auction.. and Tamiko Suzuki – our great emcee for the evening. I was … Read more
Two-thousand seventeen has been a roller-coaster year for progressives (and I write this as someone who dislikes amusement parks). We started the year on a high note, eager to usher in electoral reform, only to learn that Liberal PM Justin Trudeau was backing out on his electoral reform promise. A big lie. However, we took … Read more
You are busy divesting, exploring alternative energies, signing petitions to end megaprojects, and generally doing what you can as a citizen to promote a fossil-free future. Meanwhile, did you know that, according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the Canadian government is subsidizing fossil fuel industries to the tune of $3.3 billion? As the … Read more
On December 1, 2017, CUSJ President Margaret Rao wrote to the Prime Minister, select ministers of the environment and natural resources, and a few newspapers, to request that the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project be put on hold. There are too many issues that have not been addressed. In particular, the government has not fulfilled its … Read more