Canada continues to be a ‘fossil’

Will Christmas come late for Canadians and the environment? The possibility of a coalition government between the left and the Greens offers the chance for a significant turnaround from the Conservative’s weak environmental policies, whether the coalition takes power or the Conservatives are scared into change.

One of the Harper government’s first actions was to announce that it would not bother to meet Canada’s obligations to fight climate change under the Kyoto Protocol.

We have attracted global shame for putting the world at risk of dangerous climate change. Canada just received another Fossil of the Day award for its backward climate change policy and for obstructing United Nations climate negotiations in Poland.

In stark contrast to the Conservative plan, the coalition is willing to set absolute limits on greenhouse gases through cap-and-trade, and to make steep cuts to emissions.

All economies ultimately depend on ecosystems, especially natural resource-dependent economies such as Canada’s. Yet Canada consistently scores at the bottom of developed nations in its environmental laws and policies. As the economy falters, we need to devote more attention to environmental protection, not less. A coalition with a pro-environment agenda offers a more secure future, economically.

So whether you voted NDP, Green, Liberal or Conservative, pro-environment policies serve our interests as Canadians. Without action on climate change, a white Christmas will eventually be only a dream.

Facts

• 64 per cent of Canadians disagree climate change efforts should be cut back due to the economic crisis.

• The Sierra Club ranked the Conservative party in last place with an F+ for its climate-change policy in the recent federal election.

• Canada has “won” 60 Fossil of the Day awards since 1999.

• A new report from the Pembina Institute and the David Suzuki Foundation shows that Canada’s economy can grow while tackling climate change.

– Kai Chan is an assistant professor and Canada Research Chair at the Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability (IRES) at UBC. Jordan Tam is an MA?student in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at UBC.