The traditional advice here is that one call or email to your local representative is worth far more than a vote, such that you get much more value for your time by communicating in that way.
You can also try to find organizations that have a record of successfully advocating for good policy and try to support them as a donor or volunteer.
Unfortunately, there’s not much (if any) existing EA writing on Canadian policy (just the US and EU), so you’ll have to do your own research. But you might still learn something from the approach of organizations like Founders Pledge, who have done some good writing on climate policy. (See the Research Reports on this page.)
If you find any Canadian policy organizations that seem especially strong, consider writing about them on the Forum! There are plenty of other Canadians in the movement who might appreciate it (and people from other countries — we’re open to supporting charities anywhere in the world).
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Also, if your perception of the Green Party is that they are more focused on a consistent message than on actually reducing climate change (which an anti-nuclear position implies), that’s a reasonable thing to believe. Most political parties work that way.
A good book (maybe a little outdated by now, still beautifully written) on impact-driven climate policy is Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air. Also, it’s free to read online!
I think areas that might lead to higher impact might be areas where Canada is uniquely strong in climate solutions :-) Instead of advocating for a general party, maybe you might consider volunteering with or donating to a specific government-based climate solution yourself?
For example, could you find government institutes focused on protecting Canada’s especially large tundra forests. Did you know that the Canadian Boreal Forest is the second largest forest on Earth?
As another example, Canada has the third-largest freshwater reserves in the world. But eutrophication, industrial intensification, and (as I suprisingly learned) even wildfires can affect water quality. I’m sure there are government institutes out there that work on protecting water quality!
One last example: Canada is a world leader in carbon capture technology. This is a relatively neglected green technology that the IPCC acknowledges will be needed at much greater levels in the future. And the Alberta government is one of the most active developers of this technology in the world. With some digging, you could identify which politicians are most supportive of funding experimental technologies like this and see how you can support them!
Anyways, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the general premise! Does it make sense for you to support specific government initiatives that are helpful instead of hoping to vote in the green party in general?
The traditional advice here is that one call or email to your local representative is worth far more than a vote, such that you get much more value for your time by communicating in that way.
You can also try to find organizations that have a record of successfully advocating for good policy and try to support them as a donor or volunteer.
Unfortunately, there’s not much (if any) existing EA writing on Canadian policy (just the US and EU), so you’ll have to do your own research. But you might still learn something from the approach of organizations like Founders Pledge, who have done some good writing on climate policy. (See the Research Reports on this page.)
If you find any Canadian policy organizations that seem especially strong, consider writing about them on the Forum! There are plenty of other Canadians in the movement who might appreciate it (and people from other countries — we’re open to supporting charities anywhere in the world).
*****
Also, if your perception of the Green Party is that they are more focused on a consistent message than on actually reducing climate change (which an anti-nuclear position implies), that’s a reasonable thing to believe. Most political parties work that way.
A good book (maybe a little outdated by now, still beautifully written) on impact-driven climate policy is Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air. Also, it’s free to read online!
I think areas that might lead to higher impact might be areas where Canada is uniquely strong in climate solutions :-) Instead of advocating for a general party, maybe you might consider volunteering with or donating to a specific government-based climate solution yourself?
For example, could you find government institutes focused on protecting Canada’s especially large tundra forests. Did you know that the Canadian Boreal Forest is the second largest forest on Earth?
As another example, Canada has the third-largest freshwater reserves in the world. But eutrophication, industrial intensification, and (as I suprisingly learned) even wildfires can affect water quality. I’m sure there are government institutes out there that work on protecting water quality!
One last example: Canada is a world leader in carbon capture technology. This is a relatively neglected green technology that the IPCC acknowledges will be needed at much greater levels in the future. And the Alberta government is one of the most active developers of this technology in the world. With some digging, you could identify which politicians are most supportive of funding experimental technologies like this and see how you can support them!
Anyways, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the general premise! Does it make sense for you to support specific government initiatives that are helpful instead of hoping to vote in the green party in general?
On a semi-related note, Peter Singer appeared on the podcast of a Canadian MP, which I thought was pretty cool.
Hi, I would recommend you read Citizen’s Guide to Climate Success by Mark Jaccard. The author is a Canadian economists who has advised many regional and national governments. Since he’s Canadian, the book also talks about his experience with Canadian politicians. Here’s a review I wrote—https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/gtNxRnjLtZrqfskb7/book-recommendation-the-citizen-s-guide-to-climate-success You can just read the 1st and the last chapters if the book is too long for you.