Ever wonder how people can afford to take time off work to lobby on behalf of Suncor and Enbridge? Investigations have uncovered the fact that lobbyists are being paid by multinational corporations to try to influence government.
How ironic that Colin Mayes’ attempt to paint environmentalists as jobless urchins living off the public purse and funds from foreign puppeteers, appeared in the paper on the same week it was announced that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have reached a sobering 400 parts per million.
Mr. Mayes’ article makes many allegations but provides little detail. Who are these paid demonstrators? Which charities have gone past the 10 per cent they are allowed to spend on advocacy?
Environmental groups are hardly the only beneficiaries of American interest group largesse. The NRA was involved in the campaign to end the long-gun registry in Canada. Was Mr. Mayes similarly outraged when those foreigners were “undermining democracy” in “a sovereign country?”
Global warming is a problem that extends beyond our borders. In order to forestall this looming ecological disaster, we need to stop building more petroleum-based infrastructure like pipelines and bitumen refineries, and we need government investment into energy technologies, efficiencies, and new energy systems that do not continue to raise CO2 levels.
Small ‘c’ conservatives tend to pride themselves on claiming the moral high ground yet the Conservative party seems indifferent to the human suffering already apparent from global warming. Climate change is today causing crop failure, starvation and ‘climate refugees.’
Atmospheric pollution and climate change is not just an environmental issue; it is certainly a moral issue.
Even fiscal conservatives should have obvious reason to be concerned about global warming. The cost of preventing and repairing damage to infrastructure from ever more powerful storms, extreme weather events, and pest infestations will necessitate higher taxes and hurt commerce.
In subsequent columns, I would like to see Mr. Mayes address the issue of climate change head on, rather than attacking those who want to see our government take action to deal with global warming.
Larissa Lutjen