Canadian enviro groups band together, seize momentum
This commentary, co-written by the executive directors of eight leading environmental groups in Canada and appearing in the Toronto Star, is a well-timed call to action. I say well-timed because the environment — i.e. concerns about climate change and pollution — has suddenly become a top federal and provincial election issue, and these groups are wisely seizing the momentum to force action, not just the same old promises we’ve heard year after year after year. The following sentences sum it up well:
Promises made but not kept don’t cut it. Half-hearted, so-called solutions that won’t get us where we need to go for another few decades don’t cut it. Timing is everything in politics. And now is the environment’s time. Public concern has never been higher. Canada’s economy is strong and ready to compete on global environmental performance. Everything is in place to quickly turn our country from being a global environmental laggard into a leader.
We have the technologies, existing and in the pipeline, to begin serious action today. We have examples to follow in Europe and elsewhere, at least to get us started. And we’ve got increasing public concern that has politicians taking notice. If we can’t get on the right path now then it’s difficult to envision it ever happening.
Tyler Hamilton is editor-in-chief of Corporate Knights magazine and a business columnist for the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily newspaper. In addition to this Clean Break blog, Tyler writes a weekly column of the same name that discusses trends, happenings and innovators in the clean technology and green energy market. This blog is a personal project started in April 2005. It is not an official blog of the newspaper.
