(Victoria, B.C.) - At age 71, Dorothy Cutting has decided to take action to ensure the federal government delivers on the issue of climate change. On Monday, September 9th, the grandmother of four will depart from Mile Zero of the Trans-Canada Highway in Victoria, bound for the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. Her goal: to deliver to each Member of Parliament a copy of Robert Hunter’s book, 2030: Confronting Thermageddon in Our Lifetime.
“Everyone who reads his book will be energized,” says Cutting, “We’ll be scared into action!”
In the book, which details the catastrophic implications of global warming, Hunter describes a future that includes the sudden loss of the northern ice cap by 2050. This could trigger the interruption of the Gulf Stream and devastate European agriculture.
Cutting originally planned to fly to Ottawa to deliver the book, but felt the greenhouse gas emissions associated with airline travel were contradictory to her message. Her solution is to drive the 5,000-kilometre cross-country trip in a fuel-efficient Honda Civic gas-electric hybrid. The car is rated as an ultra low emission vehicle and gets up to 61 miles per gallon. Cutting’s German Shepard, Arta, will accompany her on the trip.
Driving across Canada is Cutting’s way of sharing her message that one individual can make a difference if they use their imagination. She takes hope from the Prime Minister’s recent commitment to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, but is concerned that it will trigger a backlash from opponents of the agreement. Because of this, Cutting feels her trip is now more important than ever.
A send-off for Dorothy Cutting will take place on Monday, September 9th at Mile Zero, located at Douglas Street and Dallas Road in Victoria. The event begins at 10:00 am.
