Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Our Federal Government is "Missing the Boat" on Climate Change
It's fair to say that successive Canadian federal governments, Trudeau's included, and most of our provincial governments, Christy Clark's included, have failed their people on climate change. We're still a petro-state ruled by petro-pimps who show no sign of turning the page to usher in alternative, renewable, clean energy. You'll know when they do. That'll be the day they finally cut off support, estimated by the IMF at $34 billion a year, to Canada's fossil fuel producers.
Now the Canadian Medical Association is warning that our governments' lack of action on climate change is putting Canadians' health in jeopardy.
At the CMA's annual general counsel meeting, keynote speaker, Dr. James Orbinski spoke of climate change as "the greatest global threat to health of the 21st century." He said Canada "has missed the boat" on climate change.
“There are direct impacts of the effects of climate change on health,” said Dr. Orbinski, past president of Medécins sans Frontièrs and a leading scholar in global health, referencing the catastrophic impact of forest fires, flooding and drought, the increase in certain infectious diseases and the effects of air pollution.
Another in a growing chorus, Mound, but I am doubtful whether the CMA will fork much lightning on this issue. Our political 'leaders' seem only responsive to the call of their masters' voices.
ReplyDeleteHe's only mentioning the externalities, really.
ReplyDeleteForest fires? Drought? Increased storms? Floods?
All terrifying. Well, they should be terrifying, and yet I suspect because they're out of sight, for our fearless leaders, then they're out of mind, for our fearless leaders.
Climate change will reshape our maps, when it all comes right down to it.
Today, we can ask, where's Doggerland? It's gone. Not on the maps any longer. All that's left on the maps, of what was once a vast swath of land, are some mere insignificant islands that no one cares about anymore (sarcasm in comment).
And what of the Incas? Their incredible empire, grown over by the Amazon rainforest. Only now are we understanding just how vast their power and wealth really was. And how insignificant it all really was when compared to the ravages change could quickly bring to a people. A once mighty empire of 50 million brought low by disease. Gone. Only remnants left. Whispers. Barely nothing.