Canada, and the world, must adapt to the reality that our actions have pushed the environment to a tipping point, which threatens our economy.
In a letter (Penticton Western News, March 20, Conservatism needs to change) Elvena Slump states that “Canada is oil and gas. Without that, we cannot sustain the lifestyle we live today.”
We must do our best to avoid the worst effects of climate change. If we continue with the status quo, we will end up with an uninhabitable planet. Please read the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 C by the IPCC. If you go to www.ipcc.ch/sr15/, near the top of the page is a summary for policymakers.
The good news is that with the continually falling costs of renewables, energy storage and electric vehicles, they’re the economical choice. You can now buy an EV from even Kia or Hyundai. Every year the batteries in EVs are increasing in capacity while also getting cheaper. In the transition, there will be industries that suffer, but there are new economies that benefit.
Elvena Slump talks about conservatism and socialism. These terms can be understood in black-or-white extremes, or more accurately they can be viewed in a grey, nuanced way. Unbridled capitalism could be reined in with social democracy. The same type of democracy that created our health care system. Unbridled capitalism has played a role in some of society’s ills. You could debate how large a role, but it is worth considering. Big Pharma and the opioid crisis. Speculative real estate while underfunding public housing. The sub-prime mortgage crisis which leads to the ‘great recession’ of 2008. Big Oil actively undermining meaningful climate change policy.
Let’s not confuse authoritarian socialism with social democracy, the latter of which exists today in countries that have both economic success and high rates of income equality.
Paul Russo
Penticton
