Regina woman advocates for climate change awareness in interesting way

A chilly Saturday afternoon didn’t deter a Regina woman from advocating for climate change awareness in an interesting way.

Amy Snider, a board member for Envirocollective, hurdled over seven signs consecutively for seven minutes with the main goal of getting provincial government candidates to address climate change more thoroughly in their platforms.

“I want every one of the candidates to make climate change action a greater priority,” Snider said. “It might not feel like an urgent issue compared to some immediate problems that we are dealing with in Regina and throughout the province, but it is absolutely the greatest problem of our time.”

The number seven was a common theme in Snider’s approach, saying she chose the number because of the symbolic approach it holds to her message.

“It’s a symbolic gesture, the symbol here is that according to the United Nation’s intergovernmental panel on climate change we have very little time to reduce our greenhouse gas usage,” Snider said. “According to a group of scientists in Berlin that are apart of the Mercator research institute we are on a path to exceed our carbon budget in seven years.

“I’m just trying to attract attention to the severity of this threat.”

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which operates as the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change issues, based on our current rates of emissions we are on the path to burn through our carbon budget — the amount of CO2 that can still be released into the atmosphere while limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

The timeline for staying below 2°C threshold is expected to be exhausted in less than 25 years. 

A report issued in 2018  said global warming was likely to reach 1.5°C over preindustrial levels between 2030 and 2052 if it continues at the current rate.

Despite the variance in numbers, Snider’s message remains the same as she attempts to raise awareness for climate change policies provincially and federally.

“I’m trying to stay non-partisan, I’m not interested in talking about who I would vote for, I’m just asking that people ask their candidates in their ridings about what they would do to help limit climate change in the province,” she said.

Maureen Huot, Co-chair of Envirocollective, says the whole point of Snider’s display was to create conversation.

“We need all the parties to agree and unite behind the science. We want to have those tough conversations, we want people to have good-paying jobs but not at the extent of the future generations quality of life if we continue to pollute the planet.

“We just want the different levels of government to have a plan.”

Saskatchewan’s emissions per capita are at the highest rate in Canada at 67.7 tonnes of CO2e – 246% above the national average of 19.6 tonnes per capita according to the Government of Canada.