We’re Winning Now. Let’s Bring it Home.

 We’ve been hearing for years that climate change is the defining challenge of our lifetimes.That our children and theirs will judge us by what we did to stop the melting ice caps and the rising seas.That we’ll know we’re serious about climate change when we’ve mounted a peaceful mobilization on the scale of the Second World War to build a post-carbon world.Or as leading Canadian climate and energy analyst Ralph Torrie and former Sierra Club Canada Foundation board member puts it, when we’ve achieved fossil energy reductions on the scale of the increases that followed the war.It’s already been a long haul. Finally, we’re beginning to turn the tide. Now, Sierra Club Canada Foundation needs your help to keep on winning.Just look at what’s happened in the last few months.In November, U.S. President Barack Obama refused permission for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, a project that ex-NASA scientist James Hansen described as a “climate bomb” for its potential to suck more carbon emissions out of the Alberta tar sands.In December, 195 countries meeting in Paris agreed to a long-term goal of limiting average global warming to 1.5°C.In late January, Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna and Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr unveiled a new consultation process and climate test for fossil fuel megaprojects.In early March, Obama and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to a joint plan to reduce climate-busting methane emissions from existing as well as new fossil operations, while laying down tough new conditions for Arctic oil and gas drilling.And all the while, solar and wind energy costs are plummeting, while energy efficiency continues to shine as an opportunity to save energy, cut carbon, and create jobs.Earlier this month, the International Renewable Energy Agency reported that the world could meet its 2030 climate target and save $4.2 trillion per year by doubling the share of renewable energy in the electricity mix.It’s progress. But it’s still just early days.No one expected the Paris agreement to bring us all the way to a post-carbon world.UN Climate Secretary Christiana Figueres warned beforehand that a consensus process involving 195 countries would be too complicated—critics would say it was too corrupt—to get us all the way to 1.5°.In the end, the national climate commitments leading into the Paris conference will leave us at 2.7° average global warming, even if every country keeps its promises. And the commitments are all voluntary, so we know some of them will fall short.Sierra’s Cop21 Representative , Mitchell Beer reported at the time, the Paris agreement was a monumental milestone, but it still left a lot of the hard work to hit the target undone. Which means that giving real, practical life to the Paris deal is up to the rest of us…same as it ever was.That’s where you and I come in.Sierra Club Canada Foundation brings together thousands of volunteers who make a difference, every single day.You struggle against energy megaprojects in your community.Help conserve and protect wildlife and wild places.Help other people appreciate the beauty and grandeur of our natural heritage.Connect with the future through efforts like Sierra Club PEI’s Wild Child enrichment program.You make Sierra Club Canada Foundation everything that it is. But we need you to help us help you keep going. Your generous donation sustains the organization that makes your work at the grassroots as effective as it can be.The last chapters of this story still haven’t been written. You can help shape them.We can build the world we want to leave our children. It’s already starting to happen. But there’s a lot of hard work ahead, and Sierra Club Canada Foundation is your best channel to get it done.If you haven’t made a recent donation, please give generously now.If you can, please consider signing up for even a small monthly contribution.With tax-filing time coming up, this is probably a good time to remind you that your SCCF donation is always tax-deductible.And that we work hard to stretch every dollar as far is it will go to deliver the impact and results we need.Sincerely, Diane BeckettInterim Executive DirectorOne Earth • One ChanceLike us on Facebook. Find us on Twitter @sierraclubcan.SCCF’s success depends on the support of like-minded individuals and organizations.