It’s hard for me to imagine what life must be like for young people today. Once again, this month — along with older allies — to call for action on the climate crisis. Yet, here in Canada and elsewhere, politicians are campaigning on whether or not to maintain effective climate policies such as carbon pricing. We need more policies and regulations to address global heating, not fewer!
It’s heartbreaking to see this critical issue being politicized and polarized, to see how little some politicians care for the children and grandchildren and those yet to be born — or for the planet and its life-support systems. Appallingly, some appear to have no understanding of the crisis or deny that it’s even occurring. It’s especially sad when are at hand. Whether it’s out of ignorance or avarice, backtracking on necessary climate policies hurts everyone.
The argument that we should elevate the human-invented economy over the natural systems that keep us alive and healthy didn’t hold much water to begin with, but now we’re seeing clearly that they’re interconnected. The climate crisis is .
Longer periods of intense wildfires, fuelled by drier forests and hotter weather; droughts affecting agriculture and food costs; increasing numbers of ; as climate-related disasters increase; rising sea levels swallowing homes and flooding coastal areas; pollution affecting health and causing death — all come with steep and increasing costs.
On top of that, and rising gas and oil prices are causing inflation and price hikes for everything from groceries to fuel. Meanwhile, industry executives are as .
Renewable energy with energy storage — wind, solar, geothermal and more — are now far , and prices are quickly dropping. And although no energy source is without problems, renewable energy doesn’t cause nearly as much damage to land, water, air and human health as coal, gas and oil.
A from fossil fuels to cleaner energy (along with greater efficiency and reduced energy use) creates good jobs, spurs innovation, moves us away from boom-and-bust resource economies and gives everyone greater independence from greedy oil and gas profiteers and their politician puppets.
There is no valid economic argument against getting off fossil fuels. That said, the economy shouldn’t even be a factor. Those who study climate disruption and its many impacts have been that pumping more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and destroying carbon sinks and natural systems will push us closer to and beyond which the hope of resolving the crisis dwindles.
The potent greenhouse gas for hundreds or thousands of years, so even if we stopped burning fossil fuels today, the planet would continue to heat. But we can slow and eventually reverse the heating by heeding the warnings and ending our addiction to the fuel creating the crisis.
With so many important issues to contend with — housing, health care, affordability and inflation, pollution, overpopulation, crime, violence and war — focusing election campaigns on whether or not to maintain effective climate policies is insane. Our children, many too young to vote, deserve better. We all deserve better.
Much of the problem is that we’re still living under an that prioritizes profit and encourages greed and waste. It’s a system that was designed when “resources” or “natural capital” seemed abundant and built capital scarce. That’s no longer the case. In shifting to cleaner energy sources and creating greater equity by removing the ability to hoard energy wealth while so many suffer, we must also rethink our economic systems.
Elections should be about things that matter to people, including those too young to vote. They shouldn’t be about scoring points through fear-mongering and propaganda in the service of a dying industry that threatens our health and survival.
I’m a grandfather nearing the end of my life, but I worry that greed, cowardice and ignorance will make life worse for those with lives ahead of them.
Young people are speaking up because their future is on the line. Do they matter to us or not?
David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington.
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