On October 21st, ASI’s Program Manager, Taylor Stimpson, joined Halton Hills Climate Action members, Susan Cox and David Smith, to host residents of Halton Hills, ON, for an evening of climate change conversations with the community.
The event hosted a room full of Halton Hills residents who are concerned about climate change, looking to connect with others in hopes of working towards a more resilient future. We talked about what we love about our home, why we’re concerned about climate change and its impacts on our lives, and what we can do individually and as a community to make a difference. People across the region and the province are feeling the impacts of climate change already, with impacts to water levels, crop yields, air quality, species loss, and more. It’s no longer a distant threat – it’s here, and it’s now.
Participants all had hopes for a better future, one that is simpler, more circular, safer, more affordable, and one where we can enjoy the natural beauty of our town without worry of whether future generations will get to do the same. Suggestions for how to make that a reality? Certainly, taking actions like electrification, planting pollinator gardens, and engaging with local governments are important ways to do something. But even simpler than that, connecting with neighbours to build a stronger community can help us to protect each other from the impacts we’re already seeing, and band together to take action more broadly.
We heard valid concerns that we need more than just a few of us talking about this and trying to change – we need a whole movement of people. But those movements can start from the conversations we have: over coffee, at work, at the dinner table, in our volunteer roles, with our neighbours. Talking about climate change isn’t going to be the thing that solves it, but it can plant a seed for others to take action, creating a ripple effect with each conversation. Change happens at the speed of trust, so now more than ever, building community and connections is core to creating a better future.
We agreed: let’s not let the conversation or the change end with this event. We had a brilliant challenge suggested by one of our attendees: In one month, we’ll check back in to ask: what have you done since the event? Who have you talked to, what group have you joined, or what have you committed yourself to personally? If we all can commit to even one small action, imagine how that can build into something bigger.
“Not only was it an important topic and discussion, but it was also a great chance to see that there are others in our community who are concerned.”
Our gratitude goes out to the Town of Halton Hills for their generous support of this event through the Climate Change Investment Fund.
