KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – Nova Scotia election pundits and journalists mindlessly measuring, politicians who have no awareness of the environmental crises already upon us, where is sanity in this?
This game playing by people who should know better is unconscionable. It sickens me that media engages in a game of predictions when what is really in charge – nature -is showing us right here and right now what the real issues are.
Just look at the massive costs and suffering caused by global warming. Droughts in the Annapolis Valley threatening local food supply, zero drinking water on the south shore, massive floods in Cape Breton, destruction, hardship and suffering from extraordinary snowfalls–all these as a result of unstable weather caused by burning fossil fuels and methane release. Where is the morality in this election?
A moral compass, a sign of real leadership, is completely missing among Progressive Conservative and Liberal leadership, panting all the way to the “We’re finished” line in their dead heat.
Jamie Baillie will frack Nova Scotia. Stephen McNeil is already “frucking” it (up). According to Metro Halifax the two parties are in a dead heat to control Nova Scotia’s environment. And neither of them have a clue that we’re all going to face a real dead heat from climate change if they come to power.
On top of the mess we have already created, Baillie will deprive all of us of clean drinking water. He will be able to come on your land and frack, whether you want him there or not.
Only the Green Party of Nova Scotia and Gary Burrill and the NDP have addressed the reality that nature is in charge and needs rights to protect it. The NDP’s implementation of an Environmental Bill of Rights could lead to a safer trajectory.
Dream of your children’s and grandchildren’s safe future, of clean air, water and soil, a stable climate. Vote with conscience.
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Sadly there is neither the political will or sanity which I believe is primarily a financial decision based on money and the amount that it will take to change our environmental crisis for the better. Corporations are in the back pocket of the mainstream political power. Ultimately we’ll pay a far greater price in the future increasingly as we are presently are seeing see this throughout the world.
I heard it said the other day on the radio, a good majority will be voting Green or seriously having to consider doing so, because if not, we’ll inevitably be faced with meeting our own demise.
The earth I’m certain will remain, but human beings will not be so fortunate I’m afraid. Regardless we’ll have to remain hopeful.
The elephant in the rom s he Carbon Tax we are going to be saddled with. The Talking Heads are silent on this and we all know the devil is in the detail.
My hope would be for you, Tom, to read up on revenue neutral carbon fee and dividend. We were paying $1.40 gas under Stephen McNeil two years ago with no rebate or lowered taxes to compensate for that high price. I’ve been a non-partisan lobbyist volunteer with Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada. Their website shows how we can price pollution (which we must do as we all own the air so making it dirty and a threat to all species is not negotiable at this time. But with c.f. & d. cheques on a quarterly basis go back to each person. We’ve had good support on this from federal Liberal MPs in Nova Scotia but not the provincial government. We never had any reply form the P.C. party. Thus we have a weak and costly, to the citizen, cap and trade system which is going to cost you and me. The NDP support carbon fee and dividend because it protects the low income households and spares the middle class. Research has shown that the highest quintile of society uses six times more energy than the lowest. So it’s a way to reward those using less and require that those using the most pay for it and be encouraged to reduce their carbon footprint. This plan implemented at $60/Ton in N.S. would generate $2.5 billion in revenue collected at the wellhead and mine, where the fossil fuel enters the province.raise gas and oil about 10-15 cents a litre, still way below what we were paying two years ago with no relief. Each person in a household would get approximately $200 back in rebates so a family of four would get $800. Id this increase by $15/T each year, after five years we would be at $120/T. with revenue back to the citizens $5 billion distributed perhaps proportional more to t low income if that is how the governing party would implement, perhaps also with grants to help people convert to a low carbon using household. I am convinced this is the way to go and this week all Post Media newspapers came out in favour of this strategy. Getting off coal, oil, gas and biomass gradually but adequately this way, will increase the health by reducing oair pollution which reduces our health care costs. I hope you will read up on it at citizensclimatelobby.ca and at the local Facebook site Citizens’ Climate Lobby Halifax.