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| "Sold Out" There's An Understatement. |
The Petro-Pimps of Parliament Hill, pose as stewards of the environment but they sure like to tell a lot of lies. Trudeau says he's fighting climate change but then sweeps aside First Nations and other environmentalists obstructing his best efforts to flood world markets with toxin-rich, high-carbon bitumen. The guy is either schizophrenic or he's a manipulative liar. I don't think he has a disease of the mind.
Trudeau's petro-policies, like his predecessor's, need to be seen in the context of what's happening in the world and what's happening is not good.
The level of climate-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is forecast to rise by a near-record amount in 2019, according to the Met Office.
The increase is being fuelled by the continued burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of forests, and will be particularly high in 2019 due to an expected return towards El Niño-like conditions. This natural climate variation causes warm and dry conditions in the tropics, meaning the plant growth that removes CO2 from the air is restricted.
Levels of the greenhouse gas have not been as high as today for 3-5m years, when the global temperature was 2-3C warmer and the sea level was 10-20 metres higher. Climate action must be increased fivefold to limit warming to the 1.5C rise above pre-industrial levels that scientists advise, according to the UN. But the past four years have been the hottest on record and global emissions are rising again after a brief pause.I detested how the Harper government made Canada a climate change "pariah," the subject of well-deserved ridicule and mockery in other countries. I detest how the Trudeau government has picked up the bitumen ball from the Tories, determined to run it into the end zone. We're still a pariah only one that is more determined than ever to do its bit to make everything that much worse.
No matter. Come this fall, some 70 to 80 percent of the voting public will cast ballots for the Liberals or the Conservatives who, thanks to first-past-the-post, have an electoral sinecure, their gnarled fingers firmly around the throat of this once proud country.
There's a curious thing happening. Harper and crew got dumped for their nastiness and Sheer has been unable to set a new course. Trudeau and Libs won big with promises for change and have disappointed deeply. Singh has been leading the NDP further into la la land. Many voters are looking for a None of the Above box on the ballot and that box may be painted Green.
ReplyDeleteThis was discussed in the latest Maclean's but I don't have a link.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Toby, I read something to that effect. However, to me, the only sensible vote is Green.
We have only one chance to get this right, and only a decade to do it in. Failure leads to human extinction. You'd think that would focus the mind. But no, it's business as usual.
ReplyDeleteAs 16-year-old Greta Thunberg told the Masters of the Universe in Davos,
"Some people say that the climate crisis is something that we all have created. But that is not true because if everyone is guilty, then no one is to blame. And someone is to blame.
"Some people, some companies and some decision-makers in particular have known exactly what priceless values they have been sacrificing to continue making unimaginable amounts of money. And I think many of you here today belong to that group of people.
"I want to challenge those companies and those decision-makers into real and bold climate action. To set their economic goals aside and to safeguard the future living conditions for humankind.
"I don't believe for one second that you will rise to that challenge. But I want to ask you all the same. I ask you to prove me wrong."
Well, JT, what are you waiting for?
Cap
.. Canadians have the opportunity to become the world leader ..
ReplyDeleteYes that's right.. that's what I just said.. 'the world leader'
I could list what I believe we should not strive for
and try instead to note what I believe we must strive for..
but bottom line, for us, for our children, grandchildren
we need to recognise where we fail and wher we must change
aha, Mound.. we must find 'the upside of down'
and head there with our hair on fire..
NOT STRIVE FOR ? Start with evergrowing economy when we need to start by stablizing the one we are mired in.
STRIVE FOR ? Start by demanding and reducing the stranglehold existing tired corrupted old political parties with the old custesy media knicknames. Andrew Scheer is no 'tory' and Trudeau no 'grit'
& so on and so forth.. we can identify our problems.. we can also identify our dreams, needs and wishes.. but the analogies I would choose to make this idea clear would be farm related, or sailing along a dangerous shore. To many such ideas and analogies will seem either simplistic or 'too complicated' .. well Amen !
As usual, your topics and illuminations trigger internal thought.. they make me wonder. How did we come to this? How do we 'unravel' what we have done? What to do? Where to go? Is anybody out there? Synapses zingle & tingle.. Who's in charge? Can an election change a damn thing? Why are we so hardwired to partisanship? Why are so many people so creepy.. or just plain blind? Or stupid?
Its possible an effective list of STRIVE NOT and a list of STRIVE FOR.. will be a useful tool or measuring stick.. or compass. Will be ruminating on this.. and perhaps start with the most clear and obvious ones.. It essentially what you're doing.. but I am thinking of how to codify.. or illustrate.. if not by photos or other imagery - very iconic, by intensely brief or condensed phrasing of words.. they for sure won't be Make Canada Great Again.. or Strong Steady Hand On The Tiller via Andrew Scheer .. or FOR THE PEOPLE - Dough Ford