SHAUN TRAINOR
Canada is a land of natural beauty from coast to coast to coast. It is also a land that is already experiencing the effects of the climate and ecological crisis from coast to coast to coast.
This is highlighted in the wildfires that have ravaged the west coast, the increasing number of storms that batter the east coast and the melting sea ice in the north that is completely changing the way of life of the Inuit and other northern residents.
The climate and ecological crisis is not a distant threat of the future. It is happening right now.
It is not too late, though. We still have a chance to address this crisis, to mitigate the worst effects and adapt to those we can no longer mitigate.
The science is clear: we must act now. We can no longer sit back and wait. We cannot put our hopes in future technologies. We already have the knowledge and technologies needed to address the crisis. All we lack is the will — specifically the political will.
Since the solitary skolstrejk för klimatet of Greta Thunberg that sparked the global movement known as FridaysForFuture and the Declaration of Rebellion that began Extinction Rebellion in 2018, there has been a revitalization of the climate movement, a new awareness of the urgency of the situation. This new life that has been injected into the movement has been largely that of youth, especially young women and girls who have taken leadership the world over. They have shone a light on the complacency of the world. They have taken to the streets and demanded climate action. They have demanded climate justice.
Governments around the world — and Canada is no exception — have told these youth how inspiring they are, while continuing to simply make grand statements and failing to take bold action to address the crisis we are in. And so, these young activists — many too young to vote and thus unable to have a say in electing those who will make decisions that will affect the rest of their lives — are turning to the courts. They are arguing that government inaction is violating their rights.
There is currently a case before the courts here in Canada, La Rose et. al. v. Her Majesty the Queen. The case argues that the government is violating rights to life, liberty and security of person under section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and that, in not addressing the climate crisis, the government is failing to protect essential public trust resources.
The government has argued that this case should be thrown out before it is even heard. At the time of writing, Justice Michael Manson was deliberating on whether or not it would be heard in federal court.
The current government is both fighting in court to uphold its right to implement a carbon tax to address greenhouse gas emissions and stating in the throne speech that it will work to address the “extreme risks from climate change” while fighting to have the La Rose et. al. case thrown out. This is a serious contradiction — one which highlights this government’s focus on ensuring it is in control and in a good position to be elected again.
This politicking is detrimental to life on Earth. We must do away with politicking and the shortsightedness of simply looking ahead four years to the next election. We must look ahead to the future. We must address the climate and ecological crisis and we must do so now.
We must begin to think in a way that Indigenous peoples have always thought, a way that colonialism sought to destroy. We must — as Bob and Cynthia Joseph note in Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips and Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality — think seven generations ahead. We must think of our impact on this Earth and what it means for those growing up now and those yet to come. We do not inherit this Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children and grandchildren. Let’s move forward, together.
Shaun Trainor lives in Valley, Colchester County, N.S.
