Frankenstein’s Monster – Our New Mascot

Record temperatures and heat domes and misinformation everywhere. The world is a scary place right now and if you’re scared we hear you. We all should be.

But fear is only useful in the energy it gives us to do the work for our shared environment that must be done. It will take us all working together to defend the progress we have made and push forward to a better environmental future for generations to come.

Frankenstein's Monster our Sierra Club Canada mascot fighting oil and gas companies in a swampAnd that’s why we want to introduce our new Sierra Club Canada mascot, Frankenstein’s Monster.

We often say that ‘we’re stronger together,’ but what does that mean?

Does that mean we all agree on everything? No. Does that mean we all follow the same strategy or use the same tactics? No. Does that mean we all use the same forms of communication to make change? No.

What it means is that an attack on our environment is an attack on all of us. That we all agree the wealthy oil and gas companies halting climate action must be opposed and can’t be trusted to regulate themselves.

That we agree that while individual action for the environment can be important, systemic changes are what is most needed made. That our leaders need to come up with plans to work together to promote environmental protection. That we have the right to protest, to assemble, to call politicians on the phone and vote for the environment, to send petitions, and to hold town halls.

That fundamental to all of our work is dialog and solidarity. That we look at what each other are doing in the environmental movement – even if it’s not our thing – with an eye to cooperation and reinforcement, whether direct or indirect.

‘We’re strong together’ means even seemingly very different parts can come together to form a whole.

It means bringing to life a Frankenstein’s Monster that can make sure the biggest polluters stop polluting. A monster that can fight back even if one part brakes – that adapts.

To look at the whole and build on what’s there, to fight the misinformation of a few CEOs and lobbyists, and to see every opportunity in every obstacle. That’s what we mean when we say we are stronger together.