WHY MOTHERS HOLD UNTAPPED POWER IN THE CLIMATE FIGHT

 It was almost two years ago now when Brianne Whyte vividly remembers standing over her newborn son's crib and crying.

No stranger to taking climate action, mostly spurred on by feelings of anxiety and dread, she says it was looking at the tiny new life in front of her that really kicked things into high gear.

“We see the impacts of climate change all around us. It's no longer a future problem. It's impacting us in the now and we know it's getting worse, ”the Toronto mother told the Weather Network.

“For parents, particularly, when you see the future that our kids are inheriting, it's terrifying. This is an all hands on deck project. We can't kind of sit back and hope our governments do the right thing, because they haven't been doing the right thing for a really long time. "

After searching the web, Whyte stumbled across a group called For Our Kids that she felt was a perfect fit when it comes to taking action. Eventually Whyte would help launch the Toronto chapter that dedicates most of its time to lobbying politicians, curating an online discussion toolkit to talk about the problem, and connecting with other parents facing similar feelings.  

For Our Kids is an organization of parents, grandparents and allies fighting for climate action under smaller umbrella groups across Canada. The kids pictured here attended the Montreal Action for a Just Transition on March 19, 2022. (For Our Kids / Flickr)

"People are just so happy to find a community of like-minded people where they can talk and kind of gain support and also take action together," said Whyte.

"I just know that in the future, I need to be able to look at my son and tell him, 'I did everything I could. I tried. '”

THE MOM FACTOR

Mothers are more powerful than they realize, according to Dr. Melissa Lem.

As president-elect of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), the Vancouver physician's bio states she is an internationally recognized expert on the nature-health connection.

“My son and the beautiful landscapes in this country are the most wonderful things I've ever seen in my life. And I'm really inspired to protect them, "she said, adding that that's how she got involved in the  for the BC Parks Foundation.