A Green New Deal for Canada -- what's next?

In May and June, over a hundred groups across the country came together for town hall meetings to discuss climate change and what a Green New Deal for Canada could look like. And the energy continues – there are still a few town halls happening in the month of July.

This week, a report was posted online summarizing what some of those findings were, and what communities were saying about how the Green New Deal could be applied in their cities, towns, villages and townships.

The Green New Deal town halls were organized by a coalition which included the Council of Canadians, Leadnow, GreenPeace Canada, The Leap and 350.org. According to the report released this week over 7,000 people took part in 150 town halls.

On today's show:

1) rabble radio executive producer Victoria Fenner went to one of these town halls in Barrie, Ontario, just north of Toronto. What she discovered was a discussion that was wide ranging, going way beyond what is usually considered to be environmental issues. In a series of questions prepared by the national organizers, participants were invited to look at issues relating to environment and sustainability in the broadest terms possible. The solutions people came up with had to do with environment, economy, transportation, health and every facet of life which is or will be affected by climate change.

2) She also talked to Tim Ellis, one of the national organizers of the Green New Deal town hall project to find out what the next steps are. He works with Leadnow.

3) Also on today's show – Johnny Got His Gun is a musical response to school shootings in the United States, performed and composed by Emilie Feldberg, also known as E.L.F. She contacted rabble radio with her song, which is on today's show, along with an interview with E.L.F. about why she wrote the song.

Her songs are strongly inspired by her political views, the impact of her environment on her, and the regular life of a seventeen-year-old today. She has studied music for most of her life, receiving training in classical studies as well as performing indie music. Emilie has taught both piano and voice and plays multiple musical instruments. She completed the royal conservatory of music grades in voice and uses her knowledge of vocal technique and classical styles to inspire her songs. She first became inspired by activism through feminism at a young age and has attended protests throughout her city. Since then, her music reflects what she sees in the world around her.

Image: Victoria Fenner

Music: Johnny Got His Gun. Used with permission of E.L.F. (Emilie Feldberg)