Climate and Ecological Breakdown
The compelling case for ecosocialism
Policy Goal
Transform the City of Vancouver into an environmentally progressive, sustainable community with clean water, air, and land and ensure it contributes to broader environmental goals within the region and province, where all city neighbourhoods (not just wealthy neighbourhoods) have access to clean air, green space, and oceanfront.
Pathways to Change
Embrace free and expanded accessible public transportation, public neighbourhood co-working spaces, and mixed neighbourhood zoning as tools for environmental sustainability by reducing the necessity for trips by private automobiles;
Develop and implement plans and policies to help meet science-based carbon emissions targets designated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to address the climate crisis;
Update city land-use policies to support environmental sustainability and ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation;
Communicate with Vancouver residents about the importance of addressing environmental issues and ways in which everyone can help achieve a “greener” environment, and facilitate community-led initiatives to monitor and protect the health of local ecosystems;
Advocate for the doubling of mill rates on gas stations and other fossil fuel storage, transmission, and processing properties and the financial institutions that fund them;
Adopt new policies and bylaws to promote tree preservation and green space around new developments, including adding more natural wild greenery friendly to wildlife and pollinators in parks, boulevards, developments, and on-street frontage, in harmony with Indigenous planting principles;
Promote “depaving” to remove unused asphalt and replace it with local plant species to reduce heat-island effects, improve stormwater drainage and filter pollutants, reduce local flooding, and improve biodiversity;
Promote local food gardens and encourage adding overproduction of food to local community fridges, encouraged by a small tax break;
Require the use of renewable energy for all construction crews working within city limits, and end the use of gas and diesel generators in temporary work sites;
Promote “de-lawnification”: ban gas-powered garden/lawn maintenance equipment, and provide tax credits or incentives where homeowners convert all or part of their yards to food gardens or pollinator-friendly plants;
Purchase electric vehicles (including e-bikes) for city fleets and use renewable energy sources for charging;
Require new developments to use less carbon-intensive building materials and more renewable energy, including a ban on natural gas in new developments, and use more efficient, airtight construction methods such as Passivhaus;
Increase incentives for energy retrofits such as windows, insulation, and green roofs, including renewable energy conversion (heat pumps or electrical heating) for existing residential and commercial buildings;
Join the Sue Big Oil Declaration lawsuit initiated by West Coast Environmental Law to sue fossil fuel companies for misleading the public about the dangers of extracting and burning fossil fuels in causing climate change and related disasters.
Implement taxes on cruise ships to discourage use of Vancouver ports, given that cruise ships discharge large amounts of toxic waste including waste from scrubbers, bilge water, and wastewater into our waterways; investigate a ban on all cruise ships using Vancouver ports.
Consider (and research) subsidies for the purchase of e-bikes and scooters.
Resources
Note: The resources on each of our policy pages are a starting point for learning about various issues and organizations doing work in these areas. This is not a comprehensive list and VOTE Socialist is not affiliated with the organizations listed here. We hope that these resources will help you reflect on and consider community engagement with the pathways to change suggested. We organize and lead with courage not fear, with transformative vision not limits. Vote on October 15!
Learn about the Sue Big Oil Campaign (West Coast Environmental Law):
https://www.wcel.org/blog/we-are-going-sue-big-oil-birth-new-movement
Recycling: New solutions are required:
We are not starting from scratch:
Stop pollution from cruise ships in Canadian waters: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/09/us-cruise-ships-using-canada-as-toilet-bowl-for-polluted-waste-alaska-british-columbia
Learn how Stand.earth focuses on protecting our forests and tackling climate change and environmental injustice at its roots: https://www.stand.earth/
Here is how Wikipedia discusses eco-socialism: