Weekly list of environmental and social justice events and issues.
Updated every Monday.
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INTERNATIONAL
‘It’s no longer exceptional’: Karachi struggles under brutal new reality of extreme heat
Experts say the unseasonably hot weather across south Asia shows the impact of the climate crisis
Debriefed – An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change by Carbon Brief
The New Nuclear Push Intensifies
Excellent graphics. Helps explain why Carney is falling in line with Trump on nuclear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbSf5yYUUlw
What comes next could be ugly
China is dominating the energy transition with astonishing result, while fossil fuel fascists in the US try to turn back the clock
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/may/17/america-china-energy-oil-renewables
Earth in flames – Even a limited nuclear conflict could cause global famine and catastrophic climate cooling.
Everybody thinks an asteroid killed the dinosaurs. But it turns out the asteroid caused forest fires which sent smoke into the atmosphere—the same mechanism that would happen after a nuclear war.
Nuclear Winter – 3 min. song
It’s not the bomb that kills us all, it’s the smoke up in the sky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSqicOCJpEI
Amory Lovins – historical interview 1998 – part of the Tooker Tapes archive
Common sense solutions from one of America’s brightest minds. It was mere weeks since the Kyoto Climate Conference when Tooker & Angela bumped into Amory in Hong Kong. Watch their interview with him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zjj5Que0Dk&list=PL3IwhNn-WrINTQz2fBNayDoBWLW0y59le&index=11
CANADA
‘Sledgehammer’ Carbon Price Deal Boosts Emissions by 230Mt, Aims for Fall 2027 Pipeline Approval
A very bad week for climate, sustainability and energy security and affordability in Canada – By Dr. Mark Winfield, York U
The government’s proposals have been described as ‘worse than’ the Harper government’s notorious Bill C-38, and as turning the ‘clock back’ decades in terms of the Ottawa’s approach to environmental matters. The overwhelming focus of the government’s May 14 strategy for meeting projected growth in electricity demand is on fossil gas-fired generation and nuclear power. The accelerating global movement in the direction of renewable energy is mostly overlooked.
https://markwinfield.substack.com/p/a-very-bad-week-for-climate-sustainability
Feds plan to weaken clean electricity regulations
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/05/14/news/feds-clean-electricity-regulations
Big Reactors in Small Provinces: What could go wrong?
https://markwinfield.substack.com/p/big-reactors-in-small-provinces-what
Mark Carney wades into the deep waters of environmental regulation
The Canada-Alberta Implementation Agreement Jeopardizes Our Future – statement by Environmental Defence
How to blow open public imagination for meeting emergencies at speed and scale
3 ways to unleash our collective sense of possibility
https://sethdklein.substack.com/p/how-to-blow-open-public-imagination
Oil Pipelines Align With Jesus, Danielle Smith Tells Christian Leaders
The Alberta premier gave a biblical justification for oil expansion at a ‘pay-to-pray’ Christian conference featuring Conservative MPs and provincial cabinet ministers.
AI data centres fact sheet by Council of Canadians
https://canadians.org/wp-content/uploads/BCS_FactSheet_AIDBCtr.pdf
ONTARIO
A huge corporate welfare handout for Bruce Power
It’s time to stop the gravy train for uneconomic nuclear projects.
https://www.cleanairalliance.org/gravy-train/
New Ontario water and sanitation law could pave the way for the financialization of public water
Corn vs. solar to power vehicles
Every year, roughly 600,000 acres of land in Ontario is devoted to growing corn to produce ethanol to power cars. Less than 2% of those corn fields, covered with solar panels, could power the same number of electric vehicles.
https://www.cleanairalliance.org/ethanol-solar/
1 min. video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/L6p2RPgmNLo
TORONTO
Our new short vids relevant to Toronto:
Offshore wind https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJGURXBguSc
Renewables v. nuclear https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMIvqliUT2A
High nuke rates https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_lT3x9z8_4U
Waterfront – Jets and Portlands https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KWOrxmckURQ
Stop Doug Ford’s TTC Takeover
https://www.progresstoronto.ca/tell-ford-hands-off-ttc#petition
Richard (Dick) Troy: Toronto activist, elder, theologian, iconoclast, justice warrior
Watch his photo montage here: https://youtu.be/HKTt4ojJoG4
Read his eulogy here: https://greenspiration.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Dick-A-Life-of-Uncommon-Grace.pdf
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EVENTS
No To Nuclear: Why Nuclear Power Destroys Lives, Derails Climate Progress and Provokes War
Canadian Book Launch with author Linda Pentz Gunter
Tues. May 19, 2 p.m. ET
There is no silver bullet for the climate crisis—but that hasn’t stopped people searching. Seizing its chance, the nuclear power industry wants us to believe that theirs is the only technical fix for our deliverance. The public, politicians and the media have been easily swayed. No To Nuclear calls the industry’s bluff. Blasting aside its claims to be safe and green, Beyond Nuclear Executive Director Linda Pentz Gunter makes the irresistible case that nuclear power is too slow, too expensive, too dangerous and too integrally connected to the nuclear weapons complex, to serve as a rational energy choice. The book also delves into the lives of Indigenous peoples and communities of colour, who have been harmed the most by the nuclear sector, and questions whether the way we devalue nature and the environment is costing us the chance of a genuinely just energy transition. Co-hosted by Northwatch, Coalition for Responsible Energy Development in New Brunswick, Beyond Nuclear and Ontario Clean Air Alliance
Book: https://www.plutobooks.com/product/no-to-nuclear/ <https://www.plutobooks.com/product/no-to-nuclear/ ; >
Register for webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6qYNXJFDRUCmGfErWZzoBg#/registration
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From Vision to Vibrant: The neighborhood revolution shaping healthy cities
Tues. May 19, 11 a.m. ET
Policy is one thing; implementation is another. In this session of “Cities for Everyone,” we dive deep into the “how” of urban transformation. Featuring Hélène Chartier (C40 Cities) and the three pioneering teams who won the Healthy Cities Challenge, supported by Novo Nordisk, we explore the practical journey of creating green and thriving neighborhoods. From reclaiming streets for play to organizing pop-up markets that promote healthy and sustainable eating, discover how these winning teams overcame local hurdles, engaged diverse communities, and implemented design solutions that prioritize health, climate resilience, and social equity. This is a masterclass in making the 15-minute city a reality!
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_geUh_dyMRHW4eR442sFtPw#/registration
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Let’s Talk Lake Ontario: Nutrients and algae
Tues. May 19, noon – 1 p.m.
Learn how nutrients influence algae growth and overall ecosystem health across the Lake Ontario basin. Hear about efforts to better understand and manage harmful algal blooms in New York State using the Harmful Algal Blooms Research Guide, and explore how nutrient mapping in the Lake St. Francis watershed is helping to identify nutrient sources and their impacts on the ecosystem.
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uSdiNTISRkeqRW0O_egdVg#/registration
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A new era of American Imperialism
Tues. May 19, 7:30 p.m. ET
Impacts of the U.S. bids to tighten its imperialist domination are felt deeply all over the world. Cuba is inching deeper into a health crisis. The U.S. fuel blockade on Cuba has entered its fourth month, blackouts are disrupting the country’s medical services and garbage is piling in the streets. Iranians continue to face violence at the hands of the U.S. and Israel. In Canada, thousands have lost their jobs amid tariffs on Canadian goods that push companies to shutter their Canadian operations. As conditions worsen for the average working person under American imperialism, the hunger to oppose this aggressive trend has grown. Our next edition of the Off the Hill panel series will bring together experts to discuss how to make sense of the chaotic state of the world and struggle for better.
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uUjYdSrBQwqyp2y6xcZR3w#/registration
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Ride of Silence – Toronto
Wed. May 20, meet up at 6:45 p.m., ride at 7
Meet at Matt Cohen Park (Bloor and Spadina). The silent ride will end at Nathan Phillips Square (Queen and Bay) where we will read out the names of cyclists who have been killed on the streets of Toronto. This annual, global ride is being organized in Toronto by Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists.
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Support Grassy Narrows
Wed. May 20; 10 am – 3pm
Osgoode Hall, 130 Queen St. E., Courtroom #3, Toronto
The Madsen Mine was recently re-opened without Grassy First Nation’s consent. Grassy is challenging the Ontario government decision not to issue a control or stop order on the mine’s pollution.
https://actionnetwork.org/events/support-grassy-narrows-court-challenge-to-the-madsen-mine
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International Festival of Wild and Kind Ideas
May 20 – 25
A 6-day festival featuring inspiring thinkers, doers and creatives from around the world exploring wild and kind ideas. Hosted by the Permaculture Education Institute. Meet thinkers, educators, designers, artivists & doers – all inspiring connection, humanKINDness and regeneration. Free.
https://permacultureeducationinstitute.org/festival-2026/
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More than a Beach and The City Island Screening
Thurs. May 21, 7:30 p.m. ET
Hot Docs Theatre, 506 Bloor W (at Bathurst), Toronto
This special screening will show More than a Beach (21 min) and The City Island (74 min), two documentaries about protecting Toronto’s public spaces from unbridled development. This screening is intended to dispute the recent appropriation of the Toronto Islands for possible airport expansion, and the Toronto District School Board from the ongoing sale of schools and their land. Producer, Director and Cinematographer: Elizabeth Littlejohn
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Indigenous Environmental Health Justice – Education Rounds on Uranium
Thur. May 21, noon – 1 p.m. ET
We invite you to join us to learn about the historical precedence of uranium mining and community advocacy and resistance in Serpent River First Nation. How can anti-colonial and community-led approaches transform responses to the unequal health impacts of environmental violence? Presented by Ganawishkadawe – The Centre for Wise Practices in Indigenous Health, featuring Dr. Lianne Leddy (PhD).
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Get Help With Housing Problems: A Toronto AMA for Renters & Homeowners
Thur. May 21, 6 – 9 p.m.
Youngplace, 180 Shaw St., Unit 314 (north of Queen)
Everybody’s got housing questions — but almost nobody knows who’s supposed to answer them. Whether you rent, own, live in a condo, share a place with roommates or are trying to understand what kind of housing supports exist in Toronto, it can be hard to know where to begin. Who do you call when your landlord won’t fix something? What rights do renters and homeowners have? And why does every housing problem seem to come with five different acronyms? Don’t worry — you’re not the only one trying to figure it out. You’ll leave with a better understanding of where to turn, what resources are available and what other renters and homeowners have learned from dealing with housing problems IRL. Hosted by The Green Line.
https://thegreenline.to/issue/toronto-housing-market/#part_three_event
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The Civil Society Summit on the AI Industry
Fri. May 22
Montreal
The Civil Society Summit on the AI Industry is an opportunity to slow down and take a close, critical look at what is being decided and implemented on our behalf, without any meaningful public consultation. We’ll hear from organizations confronting the “upstream”of AI: data centres’ water and energy use, climate impacts, mineral extraction, electronic waste, and violations of Indigenous rights. And we’ll discuss the downstream effects: impacts on mental health, online sexual violence, workplace surveillance, deskilling workers, devaluing labour, collapse of social trust, intensification of fossil fuel production, automation of artistic and cultural practice, undermining Indigenous data sovereignty, racial profiling and algorithm-facilitated discrimination. We’ll share knowledge, highlight resistance, learn from global struggles, and begin shaping a unified approach to the AI agenda — one grounded in environmental and migrant justice, workers’ rights, Indigenous sovereignty, public accountability, and livable futures. Hosted by the Council of Canadians.
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Stand Against Hate
Sat. May 23, 4:30 p.m. ET
International Mother Language Memorial @ Dentonia Park, 80 Thyra Ave, East York, Toronto
The Shahid Minar, or International Mother Language Monument, honours the 1952 Bangla language movement and, since 2000, stands as a symbol of cultural and linguistic diversity globally. Over the past year it has been the target of hateful vandalism, which is an attack on the inclusion and community values the monument represents. Join us to speak out against hate and strengthen community solidarity! There will be speakers, children’s activities, art and music.
https://www.facebook.com/events/s/stand-against-hate-shahid-mina/1318709603560756/
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Education Under Siege: New Strategies Against Austerity
Sat. May 23, 7 – 9 p.m. ET
60 Lowther Ave, Friends House, Toronto
Ontario’s higher education sector is at a breaking point. From the systematic marketization of colleges and universities to the sustained attack on labour rights, the provincial government’s strategy is clear: treat education as a commodity rather than a social good. Join us for a political discussion as we analyze the Ford government’s maneuvers—including the devastating shift from OSAP grants to loans, the manufactured “international student crisis,” and the broader austerity agenda threatening social equality.
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/panitchschool/2198644
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Chrystia Freeland on Globalization: How It All Went Wrong, and Why It’s Worth Saving!
Sun. May 24, 7 p.m. ET
Al Green Theatre, 750 Spadina Ave (at Bloor), Toronto
Globalization promised a more open, prosperous and well-connected world. So why does it feel like the opposite happened? Is globalization failing us, or are we failing it? Award-winning novelist and essayist Stephen Marche will be joined by former MP and current Advisor on Economic Development of Ukraine and CEO of the Rhodes Trust, Chrystia Freeland, to discuss why globalization shipwrecked and what should be rescued from the wreckage.
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Capitalism Can’t Be Fixed
Sun. May 24, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET
Workers’ Action Centre, 720 Spadina Ave, Suite 202, Toronto
Break Canada out of colonialism, poverty, climate catastrophe and military aggression. Imagine a societal transformation centered on workers’ power, peace with social justice, and a bottom-up democracy that abolishes billionaires. Isn’t it time to craft a framework that puts people before profits, a platform that serves the vast majority?!
http://www.capitalismcantbefixed.ca
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More Toronto events
For the best Canadian climate and energy news, visit and subscribe to the Energy Mix newsletter
Democracy Now Daily Show – global peace, justice and enviro news
Tooker Tapes Archive Project – Youtube Playlist
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3IwhNn-WrINTQz2fBNayDoBWLW0y59le
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