10 students are conducting a sit in at MP Dominic Leblanc’s office in Shediac to protest inaction on climate change.
They are one of 7 groups of students occupying MP offices across Canada.
Mount A student Emma Jackson says they are calling out the inconsistency between political leaders advocating the expansion of tar sands while also saying they believe in taking action on climate change.
“We can’t be expanding the tar sands while saying we’re committed to keeping global temperatures below a two degree rise,” says Jackson.
Jackson says we should be encouraging development of renweable energy sources like the wind farms at Amherst, and tidal energy in the Bay of Fundy.
“By investing in renewable energy sources we can begin to bring very good jobs back here to Atlantic Canada and jobs that are much more secure,” says Jackson.
The students oppose the Energy East Pipeline, saying it will result in a direct expansion of the Albertan tar sands.
Jackson says climate change is generally not an election issue, and that needs to change.
“And right now I think that it’s youth that are really positioning it as being a major election issue, we know that we have a lot to lose,” says Jackson. “I think that youth are beginning to pay attention to that, and this group really isn’t going to stop until October.”
Other MP offices that have a student sit in include those of Justin Trudeau, Thomas Mulcair, and Stephen Harper.
