Recently I
have become increasingly worried about the direction that the world in general,
but more specifically Canada, has been heading in terms of environmental
issues. Recently the government of
Canada eliminated many government positions involved in environmental
oversight. An article in the Times Colonist reported that the entire Department
of Fisheries contaminants program was being axed. One of the Marine Biologists
being fired said “The entire pollution file for the government of Canada, and
marine environment in Canada’s three oceans, will be overseen by five junior
biologists scattered across the country — one of which will be stationed in
B.C.,”
This kind
of radical disregard for the environment is par for the course for the
conservative government’s 2012 budget. This article from CBC News outlines the changes that the
government implemented with the new budget; among other things it overhauls
environmental regulations and how they are overseen. It cut funding entirely to
the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, an advisory panel
that has produced reports in recent years that were contrary to the
conservative government’s policies regarding the environment and recommended
more stringent environmental regulations. The group has existed for over 20 years,
but due to budget cuts they will be completely phased out; which I would find
hard to believe was not due to the fact that they regularly recommend actions
which the conservatives don’t support and won’t follow. This article outlines a little about the
roundtable getting cut, as well as another move the budget makes to quell
dissent regarding the environment; by imposing stricter rules regarding political
activities of charities. This is likely related to the situation which led to David
Suzuki resigning from the David Suzuki Foundation. The interesting thing about the cuts to so
many environmental agencies is that altogether they amount to a mere fraction
of what the government spends on subsidies to the oil industry. I found this quote from the Postmedia news
article especially enlightening regarding how the Canadian government feels
about protecting the oil industry at the expense of the government:
David Sawyer, an environmental economist who specializes in climate change policy, has estimated these remaining subsidies are costing taxpayers $1.3 billion per year, while encouraging more pollution and emissions that cause global warming.
This is
part of a frightening trend happening lately, which I think stems from another
trend which sees less and less people actually concerned about global
warming. A recent poll shows that less than half of
Canadians said they “worried a great deal” about global warming or about loss
of the rainforest. This is the kind of apathy towards our planet that allows
these environmental cuts to take place, and I worry what the long term consequences
will be.
If you’re
not concerned about global warming, then I hope you’re at least concerned about
clean water, air quality, and contamination of land (which the poll I mentioned
before suggests you’re more likely to). In that case, please watch this video
regarding the tar sands in Alberta and how they affect the environment. The
speaker does speak a lot on global warming, but the effects it has on the land
are what bothered me the most, as they’re so blatant. This beautiful part of
our country may never recover from what has happened to it.
I hope that
you watch the entire video, it’s quite powerful. One of the main arguments
against any action to prevent these mines in the boreal forest is that it is
too costly economically to do anything about. Over the next few weeks I’m going
to post some articles and videos to show that notion to be false. Action
against pollution will benefit the entire world in more ways than just the
prevention of climate change. Even if you don’t believe that climate change is
happening, the steps to prevent it are beneficial in so many ways it’s hard to
believe that anyone would want to keep going with business as usual.
