In the leadup to the City of Ottawa Greenhouse Gas Roundtable Ecology Ottawa volunteers began phoning other Ecology Ottawa supporters and asking them to contact their City Councillor to encourage the city to revisit its out of date climate change plan. The approach worked. On March 23 Mayor Jim Watson promised the climate change plan would be refreshed and new greenhouse gas reduction targets adopted.

We think we can do outreach even better. Some people will be phoning, emailing, tweeting; others will manage data; some will organize. The entire approach will be designed to make participants feel part of a team and connected to similarly concerned people who live near them.

And we need to do better at outreach because although the Mayor made a promise, as the saying goes “the proof of the pudding is in the eating,” or in other words, saying it is one thing, doing it is another. Our elected officials need to continue to be encouraged.

If neither this or another meeting on May 22 suits your schedule please contact Charles Hodgson directly to talk one-on-one.