I've been working on climate change policy, in one way or another, since the late 1990s. I've seen our government set Kyoto and Copenhagen targets and do little to meet them. In the last 4 years, we've seen more action on climate at the federal and provincial level than ever. 1/
We've also, in the last 2 yrs, seen new govts repeal important action provincially, here in Alberta and in Ontario in particular. Federally, we've got a choice: continued, concrete action on climate change vs promises that, while repealing policies, we'll still make progress. 2/
But, more importantly, we have a choice between visions of how to deal with this issue in Canada. On the one hand, we're offered a wink and a bet on a world not acting on climate change. On the other, policies which better prepare Canada for a world acting on climate change. 3/
We're also being offered promises of deeper cuts, faster, with little consideration of consequences. US Rep Inhofe said he believed in climate change until he found out how much the solutions cost. We see the opposite: solutions must be easy because the problem is serious. 4/
At one point, during an open house for our AB climate panel discussions, a man waited for about 45 mins to talk to me. All he did, when he reached the front of the line, was shake my hand and say, "I work at the Sheerness coal mine. I just wanted to meet you." He walked away. 5/
At another point, when talking about AB's coal phase out, I remember a senior official asking, "are we really prepared to do this? Are we going to be the ones closing and locking the gates at the end of the last shift and saying that there's no longer a job here for you?" 6/
These are not easy decisions. Policy is not rainbows, unicorns and green jobs. It's real people, not cells in a spreadsheet. We're not going to reduce GHGs and prepare Canada well for the future by burying our heads in the sand on climate. We must not do so on policy either. 7/
I hope that our leaders, whether they're speaking at #climatestrikecanada or elsewhere today, make it clear what they're betting on when it comes to climate change. Are they betting on a world that acts on climate in a coordinated way? A scattered way? Not at all? Not now? 8/
And, I hope you'll consider, today and when you vote, which party's policies will best deal with the real challenges that we face as a resource-based economy in a world that (I hope) is acting on climate change and where climate change impacts are felt more and more each day. 9/
Finally, congratulations and thank you to all the kids standing up for what they believe in today, both those striking and those not. We'll all be better off for your engagement, your interest, and your push for better policies. /end
