Can voting make a difference to climate change?

Linda McQuaig received a hail of reaction from the pro-tar sands press when she was quoted saying: "A lot of the oilsands oil may have to stay in the ground if we're to meet our climate change targets." Even Tom Mulcair and the NDP leadership rushed to distance themselves from the comments and censured McQuaig for not towing the party line. 



Yet McQuaig's words were perfectly in line with what leading climate scientists have told us we need to do in order to avoid catastrophic climate change. What does it say about the importance of voting and elections when none of the major parties, including the Green Party has promised to reduce the scale of Tar Sands extraction?



Is there any way to vote for the climate in this election? How can those of us who are concerned about the climate intervene in the electoral process to force party leaders to talk about the most pressing issue facing humanity? What is the relationship between voting and outcome of the election and building the climate justice movement?

Join us for a lively discussion on these topics and much more.

Speaker: Eric Lescarbeau

Suggested readings:

"Linda McQuaig is Right: Leave the Oil in the Soil"
http://socialist.ca/node/2844

"Movements and Elections, from Greece to Canada"http://socialist.ca/node/2847

Leaders debate winner: The Tar Sands
http://socialist.ca/node/2842