Monday, September 22, 2008

My Point of View: Canada, be prepared. We cast our vote in 22 days

Dear Canada,

The Emmy Awards have been handed out, it can be proven conclusively that no Canadian baseball team will play in the World Series and hockey season hasn’t officially started.

So, I think it’s a darn good time to get serious about the federal election.

Because...

our old, unsustainable economy is struggling

a greater effort to develop a new economy that isn’t dependent upon fossil fuels is required


reparations to our degraded environment must begin soon

smaller lifestyles must be encouraged at the political, educational and business level

our present government won’t address our country’s staggering environmental disasters or needs (How do you smell... er, spell ALBERTA tar sands?)


[Photo in context: Excellent article @ Treehugger]

and, there’s a good chance, if Canadians don’t vote strategically, that a clear-minded alternative choice won’t be elected.

Since the New Democrats, Green Party and Liberals haven’t yet combined to form the New Green Grits party as I earlier suggested we must take things into our own hands.

Vote Liberal this time round and I’ll get Jack, Elizabeth and Stephane to sit down at the same table and hash things out.

Really, it’s on me.

Respectfully Yours,

GAH

.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Something I've never been clear about. If it takes more energy to take the oil out of the tar sands than the end product actually produces, why are they doing it?

G. Harrison said...

Hi Jesse,

I just got back from posting a reply to your last comment re Pooh sticks.

re 'why are they doing it'?

you may be approaching the equation in too logical a fashion.

The Treehugger article (link via 2nd photo) says a bit about that.

I don't think many industries consider, especially when cheap oil, water, hydro (etc.) are available for production purposes, how much energy is expended in producing, distributing, recycling, land-filling (etc.) a product as long as a profit is made and as long as many associated costs can be passed along to consumers and the natural surroundings e.g. recycling, dumping and land-filling, or never fully discussed.

and re tar sands project; even if it costs $40 - 50 per barrel to produce, the province of Alta., with the blessing of the federal government, will be in business until water and natural gas (needed in production) run out.