Climate Crisis: Making the Most of Our Daily Actions and Going Further

The relocation of populations following forest fires or floods is one of the direct impacts of the environmental crisis. This situation, often catastrophic for many people, raises awareness of the crucial issues at stake. At the same time, everyone should be more aware of the urgent need to do more.

Simon Lantz

During his presentation to the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) of Quebec on April 11, at Maison Jésus-Marie (MJM), Simon Lantz, partner on the SNJM Quebec Justice and Peace Committee, made some very realistic, but not demoralizing remarks.

Even though he travels mainly by bike, especially from Montreal to Longueuil, Simon isn’t fooled. He knows it’s not enough. “It’s important to continue our daily actions to protect the earth. However, it’s not enough. We need to go further.”

Concerted intergenerational action

He believes that more action is needed on the part of governments. “Our laws need to change. We need measures with greater impact,” he says. With this in mind, he invited the Sisters present to gather in small groups to articulate what they see, what they want, what they would like to say to the governments. The aim is to send clear messages to the governments, making them aware that it’s not just young people who are concerned about environmental issues.

This major societal crisis affects all strata of the population, regardless of social status. This is the conclusion he has reached since beginning his research on this subject.

In fact, he confided that he had suffered a culture shock when he realized that elderly Sisters were not only aware, but also consistent in their daily actions. This revelation led him to consider the impact of concerted multidisciplinary and intergenerational action to put pressure on government authorities.

During his presentation, he also demonstrated how floods and forest fires have consequences in terms of forced relocation of populations, homelessness and trafficking of vulnerable people. Moreover, in a context where global warming and forest fires are undermining the way of life of indigenous peoples in particular, those present clearly grasped the interactions between the three SNJM corporate stands.

Sr. Jacqueline Aubry addresses the participants at Simon Lantz’s presentation.

Photos credit: Sr. Hélène Harvey