Dear Editor:
Both major political parties will engage in conversations on how each won the recent federal election, but it’s clear to me who lost: the environment!
A lot was said about global warming and how the carbon tax was going to be the saviour of the planet. Very little was said that if Canada cut all emissions, it would affect less than 1% of the problem of global warming. Without India, Pakistan, China, the U.S., etc. on board, there is precious little Canada can do to minimize the crisis.
Sadly, political parties of all stripes neglected to understand that a simple solution that every Canadian can do to rejuvenate the planet is to simply plant a tree! Consider for a moment all the benefits trees provide. They devour huge quantities of carbon dioxide at the same time as provide life-giving oxygen, so vital to all forms of life on the planet.
They are homes for diminishing species of animals and birds, and reservoirs for storing huge quantities of water. Their roots stabilize the soil from erosion, while their leaves provide a natural fertility base for future growth. Now consider if you will, environmental catastrophes such as what happened in Fort McMurray, the annual forest fires in B.C. and Ontario, the flagrant destruction of the rainforest in the Amazon, the wildfires of California, and the wind and ice storms of Eastern Canada. All of these have one victim in common: the destruction of trees and the diminishing supply of oxygen for the global environment.
Reforestation will not, on its own, correct the crisis, but neither will Trudeau’s carbon tax, the only environmental item discussed in the election. Canadians are left with the dilemma, “What can I do to address global warming?” The answer is fairly simple … plant a tree. It’s simply not good enough to pay the extra taxes without a second thought.
The word reforestation, given all the fires, floods and natural disasters, was never once uttered in any political campaign rhetoric that I heard. If our leaders refuse to act practically, then ordinary Canadians must. Forget attending rallies protesting climate change; take your money set aside for protest signs, gasoline, parking and lunch, and go to a nursery instead. Plant a tree! If you do not own a property, support your local conservation authority’s effect to improve the environment. Speak up, and urge local municipalities to do their part in maintaining a green space, even within the confines of an urban environment. Most of all, find somewhere to plant that tree.
Politics and the environment do not mix. The former is a lot of theatrics, while the latter is becoming more and more critical to survival of the planet. Be a realist, and do your part in understanding this crisis. It’s clear to me that Ottawa does not!
Ron Johnson,
|Mount Forest