“No Future, No Children” — this slogan has united several thousand activists on the Internet, provoking real protests on the streets of Canadian cities.
More than 3,000 young Canadians have signed the online petition “No Future, No Children”, promising that they will not have kids until the Canadian government takes decisive action to combat climate change. The online petition, which has been published by an 18-year-old student, says: “I pledge not to have children until I believe the government has done enough to ensure a safe future.”
The campaign has been launched by Emma Lim, who believes that provincial and federal officials are not taking enough action to combat climate change. In her online campaign, Lim explained that Canadian leaders do not take this problem seriously, and one of the examples is the federal government’s approval of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion.
Lim says that she always wanted to have children, but the climate crisis in Canada made her change her mind. She is not the only one who is ready to give up the dream of having kids for the sake of the environment since more than 3,000 people have signed the petition.
Emma Lim, who grew up in London, Ontario, notes that floods that used to occur once a century have now become an annual disaster in her province. In the summer, the heat is terrible, and in winter, it is no longer possible to skate on a pond. According to her, we all are in far greater danger than one could have ever imagined.
The activist emphasizes that Canada is currently not one step closer to achieving its goals under the Paris Agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which regulates measures to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The online petition has gradually become an offline protest as thousands of Canadians across the country went to the streets on September, 13 calling on the government to do more to protect the environment.
Lim has explained that giving up her dream was not easy, and she worries that, despite all her efforts, nothing will change. However, she wants to look to the future with hope, not fear. You can read the full text of the pledge and sign it on the Nofuturepledge.ca website.