TSP TIMES April 2016 CLIMATE JUSTICE GROUP UPDATE 1. At the AGM in March we celebrated our collective work on climate justice over the past two years since our congregation voted to divest from fossil fuels. We rejoiced in the United Church of Canada General Council decision in August 2015 to do the same. Fifty-two of us signed a letter of gratitude to the UCC General Secretary for the church’s stand. You can read the letter in its entirety on our TSP website, but here is an excerpt from that letter. “We are celebrating today that both of our bodies have divested their funds! We are very grateful for and are extremely proud of the United Church of Canada’s decision in the 42nd General Council meeting in August 2015 to divest its treasury funds from fossil-fuels, and to ask the UCC Pension Board to be more transparent in its holdings and to report back to the church on how those holdings align with the church’s positions. We are thrilled that this was accomplished by the end of 2015. We celebrate this manifestation of the United Church of Canada living into its mission and policies on global warming, climate change, climate justice and solidarity with our partners, which have been clearly stated since 1988. We are aware of the variety of questions and concerns that are a part of this kind of decision-making. So we want to say THANK YOU to the whole church.” 2. Just recently our TSP congregation has signed on to a letter from major faith and religious leaders, communities, and individuals (including a number from TSP) to be delivered to the United Nations and world leaders prior to Earth Day. 3. Over the past months a large team from our Climate Justice Group, the Youth on Bloor, the Tweens, and the broader congregation have been working hard to promote the upcoming play reading of David Craig’s play, Lysistrata and the Temple of Gaia, to be performed on April 24th, Earth Sunday. We’re looking forward to welcoming ALL OF YOU to that event, which we are co-sponsoring with Toronto 350.org, who have provided us with initial inspiration and who have been strategic allies ever since we formed the Climate Justice Group in September of 2013. Net proceeds from the day will go to 350.org for their continuing work. Thanks to Anne Nikkel who has been chairing the team—and to all those on the team for their great work! And special thanks to our David Craig, the brilliant playwright. 4. Emily Greenleaf undertook another great project of our group—to develop an online resource booklet for congregations and other groups who wish to work toward divestment of their funds from fossil fuels. Building on what we learned over the past 2.5 years, we are offering our “travelling roadshow” resources, along with many other resources to encourage others to make this work less formidable and very much more do-able. We hope we may accompany many more divesters. 5. The Trustees are working on hiring Green Chip to handle our (currently modest) TSP Green Initiatives Fund (donations welcome; speak to a trustee about this fund). The paperwork is substantial, with many details to be sorted out before signing the agreement.

6. Walter Whiteley is also working on the Fossil Free York petition and document. He reports that the experience with the United Church’s decision haw been instructive in this process.

7. We are in touch with Kendra Fry our General manager and with Lucy Cummings from Faith and the Common Ground about preparing for an educational session on working toward carbon neutrality.

8. Ann Russell is working with others in planning for the annual Bike Blessing to be held this spring at a date to be announced.