Turning a New Leaf

 

Everyday I hear from people about the problems we face.  The people of this province are not afraid to face these problems head on, so why is government?  There are many solutions, and many more to be found.  But solutions can not be enacted by governments who remain in a state of denial.  Denial runs rampant among those in power, especially since they often have the most to lose if we take the necessary steps to end the oppression of people and the environment.  How much longer do we as a society want to ignore people’s problems for the sake of our GDP?  How much longer do we remain blind followers on the path of “business-as-

usual”? 

 

Over the past year, the environment has sadly ended up taking a back

seat to the economy.  It is only those of us with our eyes wide open to

reality who realize the environmental crisis and the economic crisis are

one and the same.  Although most people recognize that

environmental degradation is generally caused by economic activity,

only Greens are standing up to say that the economy does not exist in a

separate bubble from the environment.  The economy is actually

dependant on the environment.  In otherwords, money can’t be

eaten.

 

Even when faced with great hardships, it is important to remember

that sometimes problems are also opportunities in disguise.  The environmental crisis brings with it a chance to come together in solidarity as a world community to change our course of action.  We can begin to imagine a world guided by the same principles our party is – a world guided by ecological wisdom, social and economic justice, participatory democracy, personal, social, and global responsibility, community based economics, cooperation and mutual aid, respect for diversity, peace and non-violence, decentralization, and gender equity.

 

The economic recession presents serious challenges to our everyday lives that require more than just short-term solutions. The rising cost of food has made those worse affected even more vulnerable to meeting their basic needs.  Domestic violence is on the rise as a result of the recession.  Job loss and layoffs continue.  Yet, huge corporate subsidies to some of the world’s most environmentally destructive industries persist.  While Bruce Power is ‘toasting in the New Year,’ even more Canadian children will be forced into conditions of poverty.  The Olympics will present glorified and falsified images of Canada to the international community while massive debt is incurred during a serious time of recession.  Where is the precautionary principle in all of this? 

 

If the right decisions are not made now, future generations will pay.  For the youth of this country and province, the way the economic recession has been managed by the Federal and Provincial Government is unacceptable. 

 

It is time for Green Vision and Green Hope.   

 

Just like the threat of a nuclear plant in Saskatchewan opening the door widely to public demand for green energy, the economic recession reaffirms the true importance of implementing a Guaranteed Livable Income (for more info, see www.livableincome.org).  If we face these challenges head on, this too can be an opportunity for building a healthy and inclusive society.

 

The world today is more divisive than at any other point in my twenty-seven years on this planet. As more and more of us begin to exemplify and advocate for green values, those who prefer “business-as-usual” are working harder than ever to maintain the status quo.  Premier Wall and Prime Minister Harper are no exception. 

 

Hopenhagen

 

From December 7th to 18th, 2009, the international community will gather in Copenhagen, Denmark at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change to decide the fate of the world.  Copenhagen marks the most important global summit of the 21st century as it has been identified as our last chance to lower our greenhouse gas emissions in order to avert the tipping point.  Climate change is the #1 threat to our planet, killing our forests, acidifying our oceans, intensifying storms, diminishing food supplies, threatening mass extinctions, and becoming a driver of resource scarcity, massive dislocation of populations, and wars. Copenhagen truly presents the most crucial opportunity at a pivotal time in the planet’s future to create a successor treaty to the Kyoto Accord that will move the planet towards a solution before runaway global warming takes effect.

 

Where does Canada stand on the issues?

 

THE HARPER GOVERNMENT'S POSITION:

"The federal government intends to harmonize its climate change policies with those emerging in the United States in the hope of creating an integrated market to restrict greenhouse gases and allow polluting companies to trade emission credits with greener firms. Canada is also sticking to the goal of cutting emissions in 2020 to 20 per cent below 2006 levels, despite the urging of environmentalists and many other countries who have tougher targets."

 

Excuse me while I bury my head (and my Canadian citizenship) in the sand. 

 

I remember the world I was born into. 1982 was a different time when Canada at least pretended to be a world leader in important issues such as human rights, peace, and the environment.  There are days when I honestly feel embarrassed to be Canadian because of the actions of our Prime Minister, such as Harper’s recent statement at a G20 meeting of “Canada has no history of Colonialism”.  What cloud is he living on? 

 

The attendance by world leaders at Copenhagen will be crucial for reaching an agreement, but to make matters even worse for Canada’s reputation, Harper’s planned attendance at the talks has been on one day, off the next.  It now seems our esteemed Prime Minister has made his decision, and will be attending the talks, but this is only after the American and Chinese presidents confirmed their attendance.  Canada has gone from ‘world leader’ to ‘follow the leader’. 

Although Harper has now promised his attendance, he will not be receiving a warm welcome from the international community.  Canada’s position in the negotiations is perceived as a severe threat to the success of the Copenhagen talks.

 

In his November 30th editorial in the Guardian, George Monbiot, author of the bestseller Heat, tellingly writes: “Until now I believed that the nation that has done most to sabotage a new climate change agreement was the United States. I was wrong. The real villain is Canada. Unless we can stop it, the harm done by Canada in December 2009 will outweigh a century of good works.” 

 

Read George Monbiot’s full editorial titled Canada's image lies in tatters. It is now to climate what Japan is to whaling. At this link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/nov/30/canada-tar-sands-copenhagen-climate-deal

 

The simple reason behind Harper’s shameful attitude in the face of climate change is that Canada is developing the world's second largest reserve of oil—the tar sands.  Saskatchewan is fully implicated in the process.  Tar sands exploration (itself a destructive process) has been going on in Northern Saskatchewan for some time now.  Never before has the need to elect Greens to Government been more imperative. 

The United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen is the last major chance the world has to decide on a concrete and effective plan for reducing carbon emissions.  It’s time to turn a new leaf.  Copenhagen, also called Hopenhagen, is an amazing opportunity for humanity and the planet to come together to build a better future.

What is Hopenhagen?

“Hopenhagen is a movement, a moment and a chance at a new beginning. The hope that in Copenhagen this December – during the United Nations Climate Change Conference – we can build a better future for our planet and a more sustainable way of life. It is the hope that we can create a global community that will lead our leaders into making the right decisions. The promise that by solving our environmental crisis, we can solve our economic crisis at the same time. Hopenhagen is change – and that change will be powered by all of us.” 

Sign the petition, learn more, and spread hope at www.hopenhagen.org. 

Larissa Shasko,

Leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan.