- Seth Klein discusses the need to deal with climate change with the same sense of urgency and common purpose we've historically associated with major wars:
Canada’s experience in WWI and WWII serves to remind us that our society has managed a dramatic restructuring of the economy before. During both world wars, our economy had to be entirely re-tooled for a new common purpose: scarce resources were deployed for the task at hand, Victory Bonds were sold, profits were restricted to prevent war-time profiteering, new taxes were levied, household consumption shifted and quotas we applied on some goods, core industries were directed to produce the goods and services needed, people grew “Victory Gardens” and dramatically switched their transportation from private automobiles to public transit –– coincidentally, actions that also reduced emissions. And in the process employment grew dramatically.- But Tyler Hamilton reports on the billions Canada continues to hand to the fossil fuel industry in subsidies, while Charles Mandel points out that the Trans-Pacific Partnership is designed to limit what we're able to do to rein in climate change. And John Klein exposes the Saskatchewan Party's disappearing promises when it comes to greenhouse gas emission reductions.
While the threat today may move in slower motion, is the climate crisis we face really all that different?
Only now, we need a federal government that can lead us not into battle against other nations, but rather, into the fight for our collective future.
- Meanwhile, Thomas Walkom notes that Justin Trudeau doesn't have the same sense of urgency about the global problem of climate change that he's expressed when it comes to his promises on refugees - which is a problem however important (and beneficial) the cause of helping today's refugees. And so we probably can't expect Canada's failing grade on climate change to improve anytime soon.
- Finally, Paul Waldman points out how the U.S.' Republican presidential candidates are ignoring the facts as what's actually produced economic growth in the past in order to pitch yet more faith-based tax giveaways to the rich. And Pete Evans reports on David Madani's finding that the hope of a secure income is little more than an illusion for an increasing number of Canadians, while Andrew Prokop discusses how the TPP may only make matters worse (despite some spin about labour protections which likely won't be enforced).
Yes, we do need something akin to a Marshall Plan effort on climate change. The best voice on this subject is probably Hans Joachim Schellnhuber of the Potsdam Institute, climate advisor to both Angela Merkel and Pope Francis. He says this is still winnable but it will require nothing short of an "induced implosion" of the global carbon economy. In other words, the major emitters, Canada included, will have to shut down their carbon economy including fossil fuel production, especially the high-carbon fossil fuels, i.e. bitumen, and pour massive resources into an accelerated transition to an electric, alternative energy economy. I wonder what Rachel Notley would make of that idea?
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