Don’t gut the laws that protect it.
At the top of my inbox this morning was the weekly newsletter from the David Suzuki Foundation. I’ve subscribed to the newsletter for a long time. I read it but I don’t often do anything with what I’ve read.
Today the newsletter argued something I have felt strongly about for a long time – Canada can’t move forward economically in any strategic way if we don’t work with the environment in the process. I contend “the environment” has to be our #1 priority.
You can’t “build” a stronger economy, a caring society, a healthy community, safe cities and towns, … , when you’re constantly having to deal with wildfire, flood, hurricanes, drought, disease, insect infestation, …. (sounds like the list of “plagues” named in the Passover story).
In any given season, more and more people today are directly affected by these environmental events/happenings.
Each uncontrolled fire, every flood, epidemic/pandemic, drought, famine, hurricane costs our communities huge amounts in recovery costs – which, had the destructive environmental event not occurred (or not have been as severe) could have been used to “build Canada Strong!”
Here’s what the Suzuki Foundation newsletter had to say:
Premiers Doug Ford and Danielle Smith have already dismantled environmental protections in Ontario and Alberta. Now, they’re teaming up to pressure Ottawa to weaken the last line of defence: federal environmental laws.
They are hiding their deregulation agenda under the cloak of “nation-building”, but if the rules that protect endangered species, reduce climate risk, uphold Indigenous rights and give the public a say are eroded, so too is Canada.
It’s a “no-brainer”. We have to protect the environment!
We reduce flood risk by keeping our wetlands healthy. A strong biodiversity reduces the impact of changes within an integrated ecosystem. Limiting carbon emissions would stabilize annual global temperature over a period of time. Just a few examples of how looking after the environment would bring long term benefits.
Rising global temperature impacts different parts of our country differently – right now, NS where I live (usually one of the wetter regions of Canada), is experiencing “drought” conditions – we’re in serious need of rain which is nowhere in the forecast for the next few weeks. Not just a gentle rain or fog, we need repeated heavy rainfall to soak into the ground, to fill our lakes and raise the level of our streams/rivers.
The threat of wildfire grows each day as our sunny weather remains unabated. We experienced several severe wildfires three years ago, we don’t want a repeat.
Black-legged ticks continue their march across our province due to rising temperatures, from the countryside into the cities, bringing with them an increase in Lyme disease cases.
It’s critical for Canadians in every part of our country to understand we need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels while building a greener economy. We need to work in harmony with the planet.
If Canada wants to build a better future, we must maintain the natural systems that support economic activities and all life. We must invest in clean energy, sustainable infrastructure and policies that respect the planet and people.
We need to say it loud and clear:
Protecting the environment is in Canada’s interest. Build “Canada Strong” — the right way. Don’t gut the laws that protect it.
In Canada, we’re at a critical and uncomfortable moment! For the past 60+ years we’ve built an integrated economy with the US suddenly to be faced with significant challenges to our sovereignty! We must find a way to greater self-reliance, a reduced dependence on the US, for our economic stability. It’s understandable that our federal and provincial governments want to make some big changes to facilitate economic development and expansion. And there’s pressure to move quickly – but expanding our reliance on gas and oil development at the expense of supporting our growing green energy capability is short sighted. Our rush to extract the rarer minerals (now very useful for our exploding digital way of life), by ignoring indigenous voices on whose lands these minerals are found, is asking for conflict where a slower collaboration might find a more harmonious way to benefit all of us.
At the moment, it feels as if things are quiet on the Canadian political landscape, but there are many conflicting pressures bubbling beneath this apparent calm surface. The trade deal talks with the US have passed a couple of deadlines with no deal, only more tariffs and threats. Interprovincial solidarity is an illusion we can’t rely on, either.
This is a moment when we Canadians need to understand we stand together or we fail. Any policy we make regarding our economic development needs to embrace the environment as our #1 priority. If we continue making decisions which extend environmental degradation at the current pace, we’re in for a long, rough ride.
jmn 