Our governments won’t save us. That’s the conclusion we inexorably reach when considering the hurricanes, wildfires and, most terrifyingly, the complacency that has so far accompanied global climate change.
Many cities and towns in B.C. are certainly trying to do the right thing by climate change. Burnaby has an extensive plan to boost the city’s energy efficiency and protect local green spaces. In neighbouring New Westminster, the city has been very proactive, from boosting solar power opportunities to promoting and supporting energy-saving home retrofits.
But, simply put, there are some things a city council can’t do. And what local governments can’t do, our federal leaders won’t do.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau explained his energy policy thusly: “No country would find 173 billion barrels of oil in the ground and just leave them there.”
The “I-betcha-you-would-have-done-same!” philosophy is illuminating in that it avoids logic and morality. It’s pure rationalization.
Of course, he added three buzzwords that are the equivalent of sterilizing the needle used for lethal injection: responsibly, safely and sustainably.
According to a recent NASA study, our planet produced more atmospheric carbon dioxide in 2015 and 2016 than at any point in the last 2,000 years. With that in mind, we suggest there is no way to responsibly, safely and sustainably burn 173 billion barrels of oil. And to approve a pipeline that is running through a metropolitan area to a narrow waterway is simply foolhardy.
For too long, environmental issues have been the property of liberal political parties. It’s time conservatives tried to wrest away an issue that should be inherent to their identity – conservation.
As much as we care about balanced budgets and job creation, our leaders must ultimately be assessed on the ability of future generations to breathe the air and drink the water.
Our governments can’t save us, but maybe we can save them.
