 Pinocchio Script
( SET UP - sign “Pinocchio Puppet Biggest Liar Contest Puppeteer dons Pinocchio / Fred Fossil puppet head, putting kazoo in mouth, tongue in pocket and length of nose over one shoulder Props: certificate, prop drill, tongue, kazoo, prop-mic, real mic and clip board) Pinocchio : (enters causiously, drill in hand, when seeing that no one is around he begins to drill in several directions, drill sound with puppeteer’s tongue and lips) Interviewer: Enters from audience saying, “There you are Mr Fossil” (puppet quickly drops drill) Interviewer: (standing next to Fred and addressing the audience) Good morning, everybody! Welcome to the Pinocchio contest. We’re down to our final contestant today in the biggest liar contest: Mr. Fred Fossil. Do you mind if I call you Fred? It’s an honour to meet you. Let’s get started shall we? Here are the rules. I ask you a question and you simply answer yes or no. Are you ready? Fred: (turns to Interviewer and slowly nods yes) Interviewer: (looking at Fred) Canada has had a record number of forest fires over the past two years including smokey air in Toronto. Scientists and environmentalists say that fossil fuels are the cause of the forest fires raging across Canada this summer. Is this true? Fred: (vigorously nods NO, blows kazoo followed by nose growing a few inches) Interviewer: (addressing Fred) Health sources say that pollution caused by fossil fuels is causing premature death and chronic disease, heart disease, CPD, stroke, asthma, diabetes, and dementia to name just a few. Is this true? Fred: (vigorously nods NO with kazoo sound and then nose grows several more inches) Interviewer: Phew ! I’m feeling the hot air coming from you already! Fred: ( turns to interviewer and sticks out tongue) Interviewer: The Canadian Climate Institute says that Environmentalists are saying that sustainable renewable energy: like wind, solar and water can not only meet our energy needs, but are cheaper than fossil fuels. Is this true? Fred: (starts to slowly nod yes then switches to vigorous No with kazoo – nose grows several more inches then Fred turns sharply to Interviewer bopping her with his nose causing her to jump) Interviewer: Are you getting free, prior and informed consent before you extract minerals and resources from Indigenous land? Fred: (vigorously nods yes – nose grows a few more inches) Interviewer: Among your many talents, is greenwashing. Is it true that you can “decarbonize” oil ? Fred: (nods a vigorous YES, blows kazoo and nose grows final many inches) Interviewer: Is it true that you’re advising people who are overheated to go jump in the lake ? Fred: (sticks tongue out at audience) Interviewer: I think we have a winner here. We’ve all seen the other contestants, many outstanding bank executives! Has Mr. Fred Fossil been the “Biggest Liar” of them all? Give a good shout if you think so!! (encourage audience to respond) And here is your certificate to prove it! (Interviewer hangs certificate on Fred’s extended nose) Fred: (looks proud and blows extended kazoo)
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 Wherever you are this summer, the time to act is now. Join us September 20 to #DrawTheLine. The following is from an email I received from Christine Langlois, Communications Lead, Seniors for Climate. Dear Sally, It’s early morning on a small lake in the Kawarthas. The sun is shining and the air feels fresh–the beginning of a perfect summer day. But the sky is hazy with smoke from wildfires thousands of kilometres to the west. And the weather app announces yet another heat warning and it’s not even the middle of July. I think of the CBC interview I heard a few days ago with a young woman in northern Saskatchewan, whose home was lost to wildfire. When asked if she planned to move or stay and rebuild, she said she was staying: “Extreme weather is everywhere. Nowhere is safe.” I looked out at the forest and knew she was right. I’ll keep this short and clear: 📅 Save the date — Saturday, September 20 That’s when Seniors for Climate will join with thousands of organizations and millions of people across the globe to take a peaceful stand for climate justice and democracy. We’re going to Draw the Line. Enough is enough. 👉 Click here to register for regular updates, and click here to find out what’s planned in your community. Following the success of No Kings Day in the U.S. and No Tyrants Day here in Canada, Draw the Line is the next bold step in the growing global movement resisting authoritarianism — and fighting for a livable future. This summer, talk about Draw the Line with your friends, family, and neighbours — especially those who care but haven’t yet taken that next step. Every conversation matters. Every person counts. 📣 Share the links above. 📩 Invite someone personally to stand with you on September 20.  Let’s Draw the Line — for the planet, for each other, for the future.
With hope, Christine Langlois Communications Lead Seniors for Climate Here are half a dozen still photos of our SCAN, Earth Day, street theater event. (Click on a photo to get the full image.) Photos by Martin Reis. Here is the five minute video of my Earth Day Seniors for Climate Action Now street theater performance. Appearing elsewhere soon.  Earth Day is just around the corner. Despite the environment being seen as a low priority in the current federal polls, the global carbon emissions are continuing to increase and in the words of UN Secretary António Guterres: “Either leaders bridge the emissions gap or we plunge headlong into
climate disaster …” The military is the top greenhouse gas emitter. It is time for Canada to take a real madeinCanada position. The global climate crisis will never be tackled without global cooperation. Canada should take a sharp turn in its global role and become a voice for peaceful diplomacy. Cancelling the deal with U.S. Lockheed Martin for 88 F35 fighter jets would be a great start and would free up $19 billion, which is desperately needed for social programs and climate mitigation. Highly skilled workers like those at Bombardier can do better things than build weapons of destruction. How about starting with highspeed trains so we can travel across this beautiful country? Virginia Thomson, Toronto Hope you can attend this event at Allen Gardens on April 26th. My short street theater piece will happen around 2pm. Look for people wearing SCAN t-shirts or puppets made from yard waste bags. See you there!   Image generated by AI On October 1st 2024 the world will be celebrating International Climate Change Seniors Day with thousands of projects and events to mark the occasion. Sooo, perhaps the parish church with its small groups, an abundance of elders and a traditional commitment to honor life and seek justice makes it an ideal leadership hub for climate crisis action. Someone I know said she had six more years to fight the climate crisis as her doctor estimates her longevity to be 89 years! This remark hit home to me and gives me a renewed respect for the passage of time.
Leadership rises up in every generation and, certainly, there are exemplary youth ecojustice activists around the world providing inspirational leadership. But it seems to me that, at this time, the elders are in the vanguard – David Suzuki, Jane Goodall, David Attenborough, to name just a few of the well-knowns, and all the “unknowns” who live a sustainable lifestyle and have worked for decades to share it. We oldies care deeply for our children and grandchildren as well as the many fellow species we will leave behind. Since we are no longer climbing the social and professional ladders, we can allow ourselves more time to read and reflect. Many crisis observers agree that the most important thing we can do right now is talk about this urgent topic in small community groups. To expand our awareness of the “what” and explore the “how,” these conversations need to begin with what we have in common rather than the ways we differ. The “what” is easier to imagine from walking to church to repurposing church buildings. Now we all need to look at the “how,” not only the specific and vital changes in liturgy, programs and practices, but the “how” of encouraging others to accept essential changes. This requires a shift in mind-set / world view which begins with recognizing that humans are animals among many other animals (rapidly disappearing) and it takes all of us to keep this planet in balance. Some of us believe that digging up the church parking lot to plant vegetables and worshipping out of doors all year round are excellent ideas, but picture the vestry meeting when those and other “radical” moves are proposed! There is much research being done with non-human animals in the last several years to determine their intelligence and empathy. The following scientific experiment could be a model for a well functioning church community! Virginia Morell, in her book, Animal Wise describes a research project carried out by biologist and ant specialist, Nigel Franks in Bristol, England. Franks and his team of researchers brought an entire colony of Rock Ants (200) into his laboratory where the ants settled into a glass and cardboard habitat. The team then took on the laborious task of gently dabbing each individual punctuation mark-sized ant with a unique multicolored pattern to enable them to identify each ant as they observed them. The ants were also videoed during the experiment for further observation. The research team built another ant habitat about 18 inches away from the current one. Then the team destroyed the current habitat, harming no ants, and settled in to observe the ant’s response to their disaster. These ants have a queen whose only job is to procreate, but they have no designated leader. However, a few ants sprang into action (parish council?) leaving the colony at the old site, while they looked for a new home. They found the one the team had created for them. After inspecting and okaying it they returned to the colony where they chose a few others to follow them back to the new site to learn the way. If the followers got lost or confused, the leaders stopped and waited until the followers caught up. This teaching procedure continued until a certain number had learned the route at which time these leaders pulled the rest of the congregation onto their backs and all journeyed to the new habitat and moved in. Unlike humans, ants, in a crisis, do not fret, argue or deny – they just get on with it! That said, we human beings desperately need to slow down to let our imaginations flow, but at the same time the climate situation demands that we hurry up! We can do both if enough of us, like the ants, can share the same mind-set and say, “yes” to change. We need the energy and idealism of the young and the expertise of the middle aged, but let’s turn first to the elders for their love of the life they have lived and the wisdom that comes from it. Sally Armour Wotton is a performing artist and an adjunct professor at Trinity College, School of Divinity, University of Toronto  Some of us will remember the 1970s when we cycled, pushed or pulled our recycling to the shed in the TTC lot attached to the Broadview subway. Pouring the paper, metal and glass through the openings at the top of the eight-foot structure, especially the glass, was cathartic at the end of a long day. Now, of course, we have only to push our private bins to the curb, less satisfying but more convenient. However, there is so much more to the climate crisis than recycling and I believe the best beginning action is to form a climate change support group. I advocate putting together a small group of immediate neighbors, even though my own group of six women is spread over two provinces and meets through Zoom. A dear friend of mine and I were chatting on Zoom in the early pandemic days and our conversation naturally worked its way into the topic of the climate crisis. We began to reflect on the climate change thoughts and attitudes of our own and that of friends, acquaintances and strangers we encounter. They ranged from at one end denial, which existed then and perhaps still does, to the other end total panic with the frustration of not knowing what “I” can do, racing through the middle. However, we agreed that human beings need each other for emotional support, education, creative ideas and help. Sooo, we set up a Zoom meeting with four other like-minded climate change women, all of us with enough life experience to recognize anxiety but believe in hope. We all were enthusiastic about meeting regularly and set up two-hour meetings every other week on Zoom and Earth Care was born. We have continued for over two years and share books, videos, articles, and our own thoughts and feelings on the topic. An extra benefit to any support group is developing closer relationships as individuals and a stronger sense of community. To start your own climate support group, simply invite some neighbors on your block or in your apartment building to join you in getting together regularly to share hopes, concerns, and climate change resources. Provide refreshments - think Tupperware party without plastic! Include a diversity of people but with a preference for those with an interest in the topic. Form a small enough group for easy discussion; six to ten works well. Some topics might be plant-based eating, pollinator gardens, commuting by foot, cycle and transit, and homemade cleaning solutions and use of clotheslines. Most important is the kindness factor, recognizing that we all need each other. For example, you might talk about who in your neighborhood would need help in a disaster - the elderly, those with disabilities, people with multiple pets and small children, and those who have no vehicle… It's useful to have several recent climate change books available from the library on hand and a list of reliable website references. Take time for everyone to get to know one another before delving into the topic and the group's particular concerns. The group should be willing to meet regularly so as not to lose momentum. After a year and a half of our group meeting on Zoom, some of us had never met everyone else in the flesh, so to speak. So, last June we gathered for the day in my backyard in the Pocket. We began with morning coffee, moving on to a potluck lunch when some of our spouses and partners joined us. With smoke pouring down into Toronto from the North that month, climate change had become a frequent topic of conversation even among strangers, and the comments I most often heard whenever I spoke to anyone about it was “I’m scared, I feel unprepared, and I don’t know what do to!” As we reflected on this, our group decided to create a tiny eight-page zine (a simple, handmade magazine) that we could pull out of our pocket and give to anyone interested in how to prepare for a climate crisis. And that’s just what we did. The result was fully illustrated, and as two of our members are in Montreal, produced in both English and French. It is called Storm Signals: A Climate EmergenZine. The front page warns “Before the Knock on the Door.” These topics follow on the next six illustrated pages:
If you’d like to make use of the zine too, it’s freely available. Please download Storm Signals: A Climate EmergenZine, follow the folding instructions, and help us distribute it by sharing it with your friends and contacts. The Pocket Change Project has taken the lead in environmental issues such as native trees and gardens, sustainable transportation, solar panels and heat pumps. My heat pump is experiencing its first winter and warming me nicely thanks to Wonder Women Sarah Grant and Anne Hogarth (Goldfinch Energy) whom I learned of thanks to Pocket Change’s Retrofit Coach, Paul Dowsett. My background is theatre and storytelling and when I think of our human condition the story that comes to mind and describes us best in terms of climate change is the Three Little Pigs. Obviously, the big bad wolf is greenhouse gases, especially methane, produced by the fossil fuel industry. Through exercising our voices and taking action in favor of alternative energy sources as well as a wider and wider choice of sustainable building materials, way beyond sticks, straw and bricks, we as individuals and communities can make a difference. Sally Armour Wotton Adjunct Professor - University of Toronto This article was originally published on the Pocket Change Project website  As you all know, my climate change support group and I have created a a zine entitled Storm Signals that outlines ways to prepare for a climate crisis. This is an 8-page pocket-sized paper zine with a QR code on the back page that links to the Storm Signals website with continually added further information. CBC radio highlighted our initiative in their program, What on Earth - link attached [starting at 18:00] https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-429-what-on-earth/clip/16030394-yes-chat-climate-change-buzzkill
For the next six weeks my blog will share this zine page by page, communicating by word and picture and each page includes a resource. The cover of the zine is "Before the Knock on the Door" and here is page one, "Support Groups". As you become more and more involved in preparing for and fighting the climate crisis, find some time to enjoy 2024.  On this Thanksgiving, I share the beliefs of one of my favourite theologians, Thomas Berry.
He, a renowned priest, theologian and ecologist, urged us, throughout his lifetime, to recognize humanity and all living beings as of the Earth, not on the Earth—that all life is subject, not object. Only when we fully grasp these truths might we be able to regard our body, the Earth, to be as precious as our own individual bodies. Perhaps such deep understanding begins with stories. If God is working in us and through us, and I believe God is, it seems to me that we are obliged to blend our own sacred stories with those that have come before ours, keeping the Gospel living and growing. I have taken the liberty of rewriting the Apostle Paul’s beautiful letter to the Corinthians to give it a slightly different interpretation. An ecological version of St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 12: 12-26 For just as the Earth is one and has many members, and all the members of the Earth, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit, we were all baptized in the one body – sun, water or air – soil, plants or creatures, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the Earth does not consist of one member but of many. If the rock would say, “Because I am not a frog, I do not belong to the Earth,” that would not make her any less a part of the Earth. And if the man would say, “Because I am not vegetation, I do not belong to the Earth,” that would not make him any less a part of the Earth. And if the lake said, “Because I am not the sun’s rays, I am not a part of the Earth,” that would not make her any less a part of the Earth. If the whole Earth were a lake, where would we stand? If the whole Earth were soil, how would we drink? But as it is, God arranged the members of the Earth, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the Earth be? As it is, there are many members, yet one Earth. The person cannot say to the polar bear, “I have no need of you,” nor, again, the tree to the bird, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the Earth that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the Earth that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honour. Our less respectable members are treated with greater respect, whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the Earth, giving the greater honour to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the Earth, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with him. If one member is honoured, all rejoice together with her. And I offer this prayer for all living beings of the Earth: Be still and know Creation aches Be still and know Creation mourns Be still and know Creation . . . heals Be still and know Creation Be still and know Be still |
