About Vote for Climate
Vote for Climate is a grassroots campaign to elect a federal government committed to bold action to reduce the emissions which cause climate change. We are not seasoned political operators, nor are we affiliated with any political party -- we are just a group of Canadians who feel compelled to help replace our current Conservative government with a climate-friendly one. We do have experience in grassroots organizing and campaigning and we believe that concerned citizens working together at the riding level will make the difference in this election.
Here are some of the people who have helped to get Vote for Climate off the ground:
David Carr has lived in Norway, where he saw that coalition governments can yield great results if politicians are willing to co-operate (perhaps it helps having far more women elected!). In Uruguay he saw how proud, active citizens who value their right to vote can bring about change. At home in Vancouver, David helped with the 'Yes' campaign for electoral reform in BC, and most recently he helped found ClimateCafes.Ca - a grassroots forum for individuals who want to make personal choices around climate change. Professionally, David Carr works for an environmental consulting firm developing decision support tools, mathematical models, and analysis for governmental and non-governmental organizations and the scientific community. David knows that government has the ability to lead with vision. He also believes that when voters stand together on the issues - not with the parties - there is tremendous potential for positive changes for health, the economy, and the ecological diversity of our planet.
Jeff Gibbs has been working for twenty years on efforts to help create the critical mass of support to secure a future for our living planet. He has co-founded several projects and organizations including Leadership Initiative For Earth, which engaged over a thousand young people in intensive learning experiences. Alumni of his youth programs are now an emerging force for positive change throughout the world. Recognition for his work includes the United Nations’ “Global 500 Award for Environmental Achievement” and McLean’s Magazine “100 Canadians to Watch.” Most recently he co-ordinated Beat Global Heat, a national effort to organise backyard climate awareness festivals.
Cristina Romanelli has travelled and resided in various western European countries and completed an M.A. in International Affairs at the University of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. She has since returned to Montreal, Québec where she resides with her two children and husband, Peter Stoett, a Concordia University professor whose areas of expertise also include environmental politics. An established energy policy consultant, Cristina provides policy analysis & strategic advice to public interest and environmental groups in various North American jurisdictions and has been particularly active in Quebec energy regulatory proceedings. She represents and consults with both public and private bodies on sustainable development, environmental issues, energy efficiency and renewables. She was also active in the successful campaign against the construction of a combined-cycle gas-fired generating station in Suroît, Québec.
Brigid Rowan is an energy economist with over 15 years of experience in the areas of utility and regulatory economics, energy efficiency and renewables. She has been a consultant in energy economics and regulation for public interest and private clients in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, California, Nevada, and New England. Brigid is currently working primarily with The Goodman Group, with whom she has co-written several regional studies of the economic development and environmental impacts of various energy supply options. As an economist and an environmentalist, Brigid is convinced that addressing climate change will be of central importance throughout the foreseeable future. As such, she is increasing her consulting focus on energy efficiency, renewables, carbon taxation and other climate change solutions. Brigid believes that strategic voting to elect a climate-friendly government is the most pragmatic and principled choice that Canadians can make in the 2008 federal election.
Mary Stockdale lives in Vernon BC. She is married and has two children. Her career in community-based forestry has taken her to many tropical countries and areas of BC. Presently she teaches a course in regional food security at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. She also works to effect change locally by co-editing a biweekly column on sustainability issues in the Vernon Morning Star, and through involvement with local organisations such as the Sustainable Environment Network Society and the Vernon Cycling Advisory Committee. Recently Mary organised Wheels for Change, a 1000 km bicycle tour across BC in support of government action on climate change. 800 people joined in this journey to show their support for strong climate policies.
Kevin Washbrook has conducted policy analysis and advocacy work for various environmental NGO’s on transportation, land use, air quality, energy and climate change issues. While he has long been concerned about climate change and has taken effort to reduce emissions in his own life, Kevin was motivated to get more active politically on climate change by the poor performance of consecutive federal governments. He is very active in a Vancouver organisation he helped create, Voters Taking Action on Climate Change, which encourages citizens to get engaged politically around climate change. Kevin lives in Vancouver with his wife and two kids and promises to finish renovating the kitchen as soon as the election is over. Honestly.
