An Appeal to Canada’s Leadership to Help Save the Planet

 

These are my own personal thoughts on Canada facing the music of global warming and climate change.  Some thoughts are perhaps controversial although I consider it my right to express them in a democratic society. If you have any of the same or similar concerns about our planet, at least consider what I say.

 

As a fairly well known live music fan at www.ottawabluesjazz.ca  many times facing the music at a favourite live music venue can be great. I’ve enjoyed this kind of facing many times. This view involves a more serious facing that either now or in the future must take place in my view. Leaders who choose to wear both blinders and ear plugs to what our planet is facing do us no favours. They simply delay the inevitable.

 

There was a time when Canada was a leader more than a follower no matter the governing party and Prime Minister we had.

 

Canada was there and its Prime Minister recognized in his Nobel Peace Prize in spearheading the U.N. Peace Corps concept.

 

Canada didn't wait for ‘the giant of democracy’ to decide that South African apartide was wrong and do something about it. We spearheaded action that resulted in Nelson Mandela’s final release from his 27 year imprisonment.

 

Canada didn't wait for some president of some now uncertain democracy to decide it was finally time to fight for freedom while one of the most evil empires in world existence for then already two years by 1941 had enslaved countries and began its campaign of genocide or as the world in its current aversion to such ‘dirty word’ usage, calls it ‘ethnic cleansing' of 6 million European Jews.

 

Canada was there fighting from 1939 until the U.S.'s earlier ‘nine-eleven’ experience at Pearl Harbour finally woke the giant as it also did in 2001 spurring action however inappropriate involving an evil but fairly toothless dictator and world-effect wannabe the U.S. once funded for its own reasons in Iraq as other dictatorships have been supported in U.S. interests.

Canada didn't just sit back and follow the U.S. blindly into the obvious wrong headed, misdirected and self-destructive war against phantom weapons of mass destruction that's not only devastated Iraq and millions of Iraqi people but threatens to undermine the very principles of justice and freedom the U.S. itself was founded on by much wiser fathers.

 

Canada didn't wait for the 'beacon of democracy, life, liberty and pursuit of happiness' who incidentally is still a signatory hold-out although apparently complying when Canada got over 120 countries to commit to a treaty to ban land mine usage. We led the world there. Why can't we be a leader on dealing with climate change and global warming?

 

So far, we're helping lead the world as the U.S. is in undermining the Kyoto protocol. We refuse to commit to targets with the excuse that others should commit before we do. That's not the kind of leadership we've shown in the past. We need to lead by example; not by misdirection and obfuscation.

 

These are only some few examples of where Canada can take effective leadership as it has in the past and such action has invested in the well respected reputation we’ve earned from the world possibly now to be lost through leaderless inaction as a Bush follower rather than leader when the planet needs more leaders and fewer followers.

 

The planet needs some leadership in fighting global warming and the effects it will have on Canada, the U.S. and probably first the third world. So, where are we in the kind of leadership we’ve shown in the past? We’re a part of the Denial Duo and letting the Chief of Denial pull our strings in that country’s short-term myopic oil and energy interests.

 

We're playing follow-the-leader to a leader whose shown his country to be one that too often awaits disaster before acting and as in the case of nine-eleven not only attacks the wrong enemy but sets the stage for even greater disasters to be faced on its own shores by its own citizens in the years to come.

 

The War on Terror is a failure. The war in Iraq cannot be won. Millions of citizens leaving an essentially ‘occupied’ country to escape the effects of its would be ‘saviors’ is only one indication of a badly planned and executed international policy. Only by showing the better way is there any possibility of some hope if it's not already too late.

 

So, Prime Minister, the planet needs a pace setter, not someone who's bought into one of George Bush’s disastrous denial specialties. Let's lead! Following the U.S. is a recipe for disaster.

 

It's clear in Iraq. It will become even more clear in world consequences all too soon in George's legacy there and in the rest of the world.

 

The time is now!

 

Listen to the experts. Listen to those other countries that have already seen what there is to lose by denial and inaction. Accept the incontrovertible facts now known that have been denied too long in the past by people such as Bush and his oil and coal interest influentials and primarily short term financial considerations without regard to long-term planetary implications!

 

Take action before it's too late and Canada increasingly becomes even more a major part of the problem instead of a founder of the solutions that can save us and the planet. With effective leadership, we have all the intelligence and technology we need to show the world the way as we often have demonstrated before rather than contribute to an already most serious problem.

 

The ultimate cost will be much more than is being avoided now in the short term once the disaster hits.

 

With all of the ingenuity and inventiveness Canadians have shown we have so many times in the past, surely the answers are there and Canada can not only contribute but profit by the solutions that are waiting to be discovered.

 

Leadership is the answer, Mr. Prime Minister, in the kind of positive leadership Canadians have come to expect Canada can deliver.

 

Take the example of earlier Prime Ministers who took the lead. Be our own country; not a subsidiary of one who has made so many disastrous mistakes in the past and continues to make similar mistakes now.

Where Canada could show some leadership, where is 'B. S.' Baird in helping to become part of the solution instead of part of the problem with his 'you don't and we won't' philosophy when he could be supporting a Canadian entrepreneurial solution being sold internationally?

B.C., Ontario and Quebec are acting. 'B. S.' Baird says he is, but who believes him? He takes his direction from Harper who takes his lead from Bush. Actions speak louder than words as the old saying goes. John B. let's see what your actions be. We've heard your words, but so have the birds, one of the planet's species looking for leadership in keeping our planet liveable.

Click the link to see an example of what we could be doing. The content may be done humourously, but the impoct is serious if the needed leadership is abdicated.

http://www.slide.com/r/c0wMpv6r4j_i7hxOQ-t7tymGYVXSOpLQ

 

If anyone wishes to express their own personal opinion on this, for leadership consideration, please write whoever is your federal member.

 

http://www.canada.gc.ca/directories/direct_e.html#mp

 

You may just be able to make a difference here or by taking David Suzuki's Nature Challenge at
this link: Nature Challenge

 

Some other possibilities to consider:

 

International Action on Global Warming

 

World Wildlife

 

An Inconvenient Truth including 10 tips any of us can do ourselves without waiting for political action.

 

This critical problem that's not going to go away without some very committed political intervention
locally, provincially, nationally and internationally can be very daunting to anyone who cares for both
ourselves and those we pass the planet on to.

 

Our political leaders are no less daunted as we might be. Some in politics who may well normally operate on a short term horizon prefer to deny what we face rather than come to grips with it. Unfortunately, that's not
helpful to us and the future we face.

 

If our political leaders are so daunted, what can we do? It's best we do what little we can while those of us who can may be able to influence political commitment to more significant action. Small steps as suggested in the 10 tips in An Inconvenient Truth all will help and are a start from our own grass roots level.

 

Besides that, all we can do is come up with our own ideas, put them into practice and pass them on
to others and more than anything let our municipal, provincial and federal politicians know that we
consider the environment a high priority for our health, our children's, our survivors and the planet's
ability to support life as we know it.

 

Jim Roy
Ottawa Blues, Jazz & Swing Guide

bluesandjazzguy@ncf.ca www.ottawabluesjazz.ca

 

NOTE: I have no particular association with any of the links listed. They are provided merely as a guide to
the possibilities one can find by a web search of global warming and climate change as I did.