Wanted: Leadership on the Environment

Last week, individuals and communities in countries around the world gathered together and celebrated Earth Day with festivals, prayers and eco-friendly activities. Celebrations in Canada were no exception, with Earth Day events held coast to coast.

However, while it seems that more citizens than ever are becoming engaged in living more sustainably, Canada’s record on the environment continues to be disgraceful. Today, the Globe and Mail reported that greenhouse gas emissions in Canada rose more this year than ever before, with Alberta’s oil sands cited as the source of the most growth in emissions.

A record 747 million tonnes of carbon dioxide was released this past year, bringing our total emissions to 26 percent above their 1990 level. When Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol, we pledged to cut our emissions to 6 percent below 1990 levels. To now meet Kyoto standards, we would have to cut emissions a whopping 32 percent by 2012, a goal that would be impossible to meet without drastic changes to our society.

The recession, and the collapse of the auto sector that accompanied it, has brought difficulty and financial insecurity to thousands of people across the country. But in light of the environmental destruction our consumer economy continues to create, the recession also represents an opportunity to step back and question at a deeper level how our society is structured. How can we live more sustainably? How can our economic and environmental needs be reconciled?

Individuals and communities can become involved through joining activities such as KAIROS’ Carbon Sabbath Initiative, which encourages individuals and communities to reduce their ecological footprints using faith as a framework.

But individuals can only do so much. Now, more than ever, government leadership is needed to help reshape our economy in a direction that is greener and more sustainable. As the Obama administration moves closer to imposing limits on emissions, Canada will fall even further behind in the shift towards a green economy.

We must move forward from simply celebrating Earth Day once a year to living every day as if it is Earth Day. While we cannot undo the past, we have the power to make changes in our present lives to ensure a better future for both our planet and our society.