From Clean Air in Schools to Bold Methane Emissions Regulations: Educators and Parents Across Western Canada Want Clean Air for Kids

December 2024.

Last spring, I had the opportunity to present a clean air policy at the Alberta School Councils' Association (ASCA) AGM in Edmonton. This annual gathering of parents representing school councils is where Alberta’s educational landscape takes shape. The policy I introduced, which passed at the AGM, called for ASCA to advocate for increased funding to install modern HVAC systems in schools—equipped with air filtration and cooling. The aim? To retrofit older school buildings and ensure all new schools provide clean, healthy air for students. Now officially an ASCA directive, this policy is being championed by the ASCA Board of Directors. They are working to secure the resources and funding needed to provide students with the clean air they deserve—a necessary measure in an era marked by pandemics and escalating wildfire smoke.

My work on clean air issues connected me with Ari Pottens, a senior campaign manager at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Learning about EDF’s efforts to reduce methane emissions, I felt compelled to act. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, and its pollution fuels the hotter, drier conditions that drive increasingly destructive wildfire seasons. Communities like Jasper, Fox Lake, Waterton National Park, Fort McMurray, and Slave Lake have experienced firsthand the chaos of extreme fires. Watching entire towns go up in flames is devastating—especially for families forced to flee, children torn from their friends and schools, and the profound sense of loss that follows. The emotional and economic toll of these disasters is staggering and underscores the urgency of addressing rising greenhouse gas emissions.

In collaboration with Kate McMahon from For Our Kids Burnaby, I co-organized a webinar for educators to explore methane’s impact—particularly its alarming proximity to schools and daycares across Western Canada. The session unveiled an unsettling truth: methane flaring often occurs disturbingly close to where children learn and play. While the group of participants was small, the impact was significant. Viewing maps of flare sites near schools highlighted the urgent need for action. Many expressed their concern and desire for change. Inspired by this response, I drafted a letter urging bold action on methane emissions. With support from For Our Kids’ national support team, we refined and circulated the letter widely. I emailed climate-concerned individuals and groups across Western Canada, securing signatures from educators, retired teachers, principals, school board trustees, and concerned parents, grandparents, and caregivers.

On the opening weekend of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, we received word that the Minister's team was interested in reviewing our letter. I quickly began coordinating over text with Robb Barnes and Dr. Joe Vipond from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), who were en route to the annual climate conference. Among their many priorities was delivering this letter to Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault. The effort paid off. With 480 signatures—predominantly from Western Canada—the letter was presented directly to the Minister. Our message was clear: end methane flaring near schools and daycares.

Even as Alberta’s leadership denounced federal emissions caps, hundreds of citizens across BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan want meaningful action to protect their communities and children from methane pollution.

This work is far from done. The letter now has over 500 signatures, and we are closely watching for the final emissions cap policy in January. Meanwhile, Alberta’s leaders persist in claiming that regulating oil and gas emissions will harm the economy—ignoring the devastation climate-fueled wildfires wreak on families and communities.

Reducing methane emissions is one of the simplest, most cost-effective actions to pursue. Solutions already exist, and it’s time for the Government of Canada to act decisively and implement these regulations. For the health and well-being of our children, For Our Kids Alberta remains steadfast. We will continue advocating for robust methane reductions, a bold oil and gas emissions cap, and clean air for all.

Written by Claire Kraatz. 
Claire is a Mom, a former teacher, and a member of For Our Kids Alberta. To learn more about the For Our Kids Alberta team and how you can get involved, visit their team page or reach out to the network support team: [email protected].

 

 

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