For Our Kids Toronto and the national For Our Kids network have applied to intervene in an Ontario lawsuit in support of young people suing the Ontario government for climate inaction. The network of parents and grandparents has filed a leave to intervene in the Mathur et. al. case, in support of the youth plaintiffs’ claims. (Photo credit: Youth plaintiffs from Ecojustice, via Facebook).
As Brianne Whyte, mother, teacher and organizer with For Our Kids Toronto explains: “parents want to join this lawsuit because the science is clear – if we want our kids to have a liveable climate we need to reduce emissions and prevent warming above 1.5 degrees Celsius. Young people will experience disproportionate physical, social and psychological harms from the climate crisis, and the Ontario government has a legal responsibility to protect our kids; both their Charter rights and their lives”.
In 2018, the Ontario government replaced relatively strong targets with a single, significantly weaker 2030 target that would allow dangerous levels of emissions to continue over the next decade. In response, seven courageous young people - Sophia, Zoe, Shaelyn, Alex, Shelby, Madi, and Beze - began a legal challenge of the Ontario government’s decision.
“The parents of the For Our Kids network will not let our kids face the climate crisis alone. Our intervention in this case is one of the important ways parents are getting involved and supporting young people in this crucial moment in history. We must curb climate change and create a safer future for all our kids '' says Natalie Caine, organizer with the national For Our Kids network.
In a written affidavit submitted to the court, Brianne Whyte shares: “[w]e (parents) have our own stakes in the battle against climate change, and we have a perspective on the impacts that it is having and will have on our children that comes from our roles as parents. We can compare their childhoods to our own, or their current experience to that of adults, and say with certainty that climate change is having and will have a greater impact on their lives than on ours.”
The For Our Kids network was founded in 2019 and supports parent-led local groups taking action on climate. For Our Kids Toronto formed in 2020 and has been self-organizing meetings and campaigns, despite the pandemic and school closures making life particularly challenging for parents. They continue to make time for important climate actions like this lawsuit, out of sheer love and commitment to a better world for all our kids.
To get involved in For Our Kids, join us here.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Brianne Whyte - For Our Kids Toronto
Email: [email protected]
www.forourkids.ca/toronto
Natalie Caine - For Our Kids
Email: [email protected]
www.forourkids.ca
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