Earth Day: Postal Workers Have a Plan to Green the Post Office

Thursday April 4 2024
2023-2027/087

Poster: Earth Day 2024

Canada saw the full might of Mother Nature last year, from floods, to fires, to storms, and thick smoke.

It was a year of extremes. Wildfires ripped through communities in British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and Nova Scotia. Fires also burned for months in Quebec producing thick, noxious smoke that blanketed most of eastern North America. While the Prairies grappled with drought, Eastern Canada experienced record rainfall and deadly floods. This past winter was the warmest winter ever recorded in Canada by a huge margin.

These are the consequences of climate change and a sign of what’s to come if we don’t seriously tackle the climate crisis. It’s up to us. The evidence is clear: Human behaviour is causing the Earth to warm, leading to more extreme weather events. We may be the cause, but we can also be the solution.

The Post Office of the Future

Postal workers have long known that we can play a larger role in protecting our planet.  As Canada’s largest public infrastructure, Canada Post can have substantial influence and lead the way for other Canadian companies to become more sustainable. 

Canada Post operates the largest vehicle fleet in the country — that’s a huge footprint and a huge opportunity. Transitioning that fleet to electric-powered vehicles stands to make a huge impact on greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions.

There is no doubt that electric vehicles (EVs) are the way of the future. One important barrier to widespread adoption of EVs is lack of available public charging stations. With more post offices than there are Tim Horton’s, we can help pave the way for more electrification by installing public charging stations at every Canada Post office.

Our public post offices can become hubs of the new green economy. We have a powerful vision. Join the movement! https://www.deliveringcommunitypower.ca/join

Earth Day, Every Day

Earth Day has been greenwashed and coopted by large corporations for decades, but let’s not forget that the origins of Earth Day are rooted in protest and activism that led to the passing of landmark environmental laws in the 1970s. We have the power to create change. Let’s harness that power and save our planet.

In Solidarity,

Coleen Jones
2nd National Vice-President