Deforest City Blues: Our environmental efforts are embarrassing

For years London has been the centre of a region known for its ability to degrade the environment faster than you can cough out the tune to Smoke Gets In My Eyes.


Who says our city isn’t number 1 in an environmental category?

(You don’t get the musical reference?

Well...

“They said someday you'll find
All who love are blind.
Oh, when your heart's on fire
You must realize
Smoke gets in your eyes.”

Our city is bad enough to deserve well-aimed punches from local newspapers.

For example, Joe Belanger wrote the following in the Jan. 23 issue of The London Free Press:

For decades, London has “raced” at a glacial pace to catch up to the rest of the world on environmental issues, especially as it relates to household garbage, transit and roads.

(Punch. Well deserved).

If this city doesn’t soon get its act together on these basic environmental issues, taxpayers aren’t just going to be saddled with enormous costs to catch up. This city could very well find itself sitting on the sidelines when the federal and provincial governments look for green-friendly homes for the emerging green industries.

(Punch, punch. Again, well deserved).


Though our city lags behind, much blame must be carried by our provincial and federal governments.

For example, the lack of an environmental message from our federal Conservative government is deafening.

This from the same issue of the Free Press:

Canada may have a lousy reputation for fighting climate change, but Environment Minister Jim Prentice insists he is a “passionate conservationist” who takes the issue seriously.

“Personally, I believe the wise and prudent thing for us to do as a society in Canada is to reduce our carbon emissions,” Prentice told a Sun Media editorial board meeting. “And I personally...believe there’ll be significant consequences on a planetary basis if we don’t.”


(Though the above message sounds pretty good for a party that is a Johnny- or Stephen-come-lately to saying ‘carbon emissions’ and ‘significant consequences’ in the same sentence, Mr. Prentice tells us, likely without realizing it, the depth of our government’s commitment to the environment).

Prentice, who bills himself as a keen recycler who doesn’t own a car, says every Canadian must make an effort to cut their own emissions by unplugging their flat-screen TVs, recycling and turning off the lights.

Though our country has no clear plan to reduce emissions, perhaps we could all help by turning off the lights.

Embarrassing isn't it?

.