In his book “A Good War”, Seth Klein demonstrates how wartime thinking and community efforts can be repurposed today for Canada's own Green New Deal.
He has found a politics of disconnect is hampering our progress in addressing the climate emergency.
"We elect governments that promise climate action, they deliver underwhelming and contradictory policies, and then get replaced by right-wing governments that undo what little progress we’ve seen."1Emma McIntosh writes that the Ontario Auditor General has issued a scathing rebuke of the Ford government’s environmental policies. Ontario has opened up protected wilderness areas for resource extraction, and two-thirds of the land in Algonquin Provincial Park can’t be considered “protected” due to commercial logging. The province also risks missing its 2030 emissions reduction target, in part because it isn’t reducing its use of fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, the Environment Ministry often does not comply with key environmental protection and public disclosure requirements, and Ontario Parks lacks the staff it needs to do its work properly, the reports found. "Any time there’s a law, the law needs to be followed," auditor general Bonnie Lysyk said Wednesday, calling the government's failure to do so "concerning." The auditor general is a non-partisan independent watchdog tasked with holding the government of the day accountable for financial responsibility and public transparency.2Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the government's actions are a threat not just to the environment, but also for the province's safety and economy. "I believe we have a moral obligation to our children to leave them a viable planet," he said. John Paul Tasker of CBC News reports that Prime Minister Trudeau has unveiled a new net-zero emissions plan to meet climate change targets. Tasker notes that some critics decry legislation that doesn't include penalties for failing to meet targets.
"Climate change remains one of the greatest challenges of our times," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Thursday. Just like with COVID-19, ignoring the risks of climate change isn't an option. That approach would only make the costs higher and the long-term consequences worse. Canadians have been clear — they want climate action now."
Trudeau described the bill as an accountability framework that will "ensure we reach this net-zero goal in a way that gives Canadians confidence." Environmental groups celebrated the government's push to enshrine the net-zero commitment into law — but raised red flags about the plan to make 2030 the first milestone year, saying binding targets should be implemented much sooner than that.
"To be effective, the legislation will need to prioritize immediate climate action by setting a 2025 target, and ensure that all the targets we set are as ambitious as possible. We will be looking to all federal parties in the upcoming weeks to work together to strengthen this bill," said Andrew Gage, a staff lawyer with West Coast Environment Law.3And that, friends, is my summary of the much-anticipated GHG reduction accountability act. This government does not appear to get the #ClimateEmergency We need a real emergency plan. pic.twitter.com/4mycazIMsG
— Seth Klein (@SethDKlein) November 19, 2020
Brad Wassink (he/him), Communications Coordinator, Citizens for Public Justice, has issued a response that celebrates Ottawa’s important move to net zero emissions.
“Through our campaigns over the years, CPJ has witnessed a real and active commitment among Canadian Christians to align their concerns and their actions,” says Willard Metzger, CPJ’s Executive Director. “People are making changes in their lifestyles that reduce consumption and emissions. Still, we know that the scale of reductions required needs an all of society approach. We are encouraged by the important step the Government of Canada has taken today.”4
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