You’ve probably noticed things aren’t going too well in the world. The term I’ve seen crop up a lot in recent months is “polycrisis.” We’ve got rampant inflation, an ugly war in Ukraine, democracies under fire and, of course, the climate crisis is affecting everything, and will continue to do so for the rest of our lives.
Bleak, I know, but if history is any guide, sometimes crises are a catalyst for transformative change. This is where Canada’s National Observer comes in.
This month is my two-year anniversary with CNO. I have never been prouder to work with an organization that is committed to coverage of the climate crisis that goes well beyond environmental reporting because our world is fundamentally changing. I work every day to uncover all the ways rising temperatures are changing Canada and affecting people, but to continue doing this work, I need your support.
We’re past the halfway point in CNO’s spring fundraising campaign and there’s still a long way to go to reach our $100,000 goal. Will you make a donation to CNO today and support the bold reporting myself and my colleagues do?
Because of your generous donations, I have been able to focus on two themes central to fighting climate change. The first is Canada’s role in the world, and the second is how the financial sector fuels the expansion of oil and gas. Allow me to quickly summarize some of what your generous financial support lets me do.
On Canada’s role in the world, I broke stories about Canada changing a long-standing diplomatic position that was the breakthrough the world needed to launch a damages fund for developing countries to pay for climate destruction — a massive win for climate justice. Your financial support sent me to Egypt for two weeks to cover the annual UN climate conference, where I uncovered banking and fossil fuel executives’ influence, reported on a Canadian oil company planning to rip up a UNESCO World Heritage site in search of billions of barrels worth of oil, broke news about Quebec killing LNG, Newfoundland and Labrador greenlighting new oil exportation, all while covering the COP27 climate negotiations in more depth than you’ll find elsewhere. In December, your support allowed me and the Ottawa bureau and podcasting team to travel to Montreal and bring you in-depth coverage of how countries were working on the international stage to protect biodiversity at COP15.
On the finance side, I’ve been able to shine a spotlight on the financial sector in a way no other outlet in Canada is doing. I’ve covered how the big banks have pumped over a trillion dollars into coal, oil and gas since the Paris Agreement was signed. I’ve covered the Wet’suwet’en resistance to the Coastal GasLink pipeline in B.C., putting a unique focus on their effort to push banks like RBC to divest from fossil fuels. I uncovered that one in five bank directors sits on the board of a fossil fuel company in an exclusive investigation, analyzed whether this is a violation of their legal duties, revealed confidential documents showing Bay Street’s attempt to greenwash federal regulations, while also reporting sketchy deals banks have been forced to answer for, like loaning pipeline giant Enbridge over $1 billion under the guise of “sustainable” finance.
As a journalist, one thing I often say is that change rarely comes from a single story. So while I’m proud of all these pieces, I’ll be honest that what I’m most proud of is the body of work we’ve created. It has pushed critical issues into the mainstream, forced governments to respond, and is helping to make sense of our world in this era of overlapping and cascading crises.
I want Canada’s National Observer to be a home for the smartest climate journalism in the country. Just imagine what we’d be able to do with more. CNO could send reporters to northern Alberta to investigate the massive tailings leaks, or send reporters to the Arctic where climate change is causing immense loss. We could bring you higher-quality photojournalism, file more access-to-information requests, or devote more resources to higher-impact investigations, like our recent deep dive into fossil fuel lobbying.
Canada’s National Observer is on the cusp of something big — something transformational — but we can’t do it without your financial support. We really can’t.
I’m going to end this letter with a heartfelt request. I want to be in this for the long haul and I know Canada’s National Observer does, too. I hope you’ll join us. Please consider making a donation today. Until May 24th, double your impact — every dollar you donate will be matched up to $25,000 thanks to our generous matching sponsors.
You are also eligible for a tax receipt if you donate $1,000 or more to this fundraiser.
Thank you for your continued support.
John Woodside
Ottawa Reporter
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