Now what? Many people in the United States and around the world are dismayed that a bigoted, misogynistic, climate change denier has been elected to the highest office in what is still the worldB次元官网网址檚 most powerful nation.
His party controls the House and Senate, meaning pro-fossil fuel, anti-climate action representatives who reject overwhelming and alarming scientific evidence will hold the reins. It will be a government firmly in the pocket of the fossil fuel industry. But global warming isnB次元官网网址檛 going to pause for four years. ItB次元官网网址檚 going to accelerate. Do we give up?
No way. Governments move slowly at the best of times. People were filled with hope when Barack Obama became AmericaB次元官网网址檚 first black president. Sure, there was progress in some areas, but the fossil fuel industry continued to expand as the world got warmer. Here in Canada, after a decade of watching our political representatives backtrack on environmental and climate policies, Canadians elected a party that promised climate leadership.
Despite many progressive and positive initiatives, our government is still encouraging, subsidizing and approving fossil fuel projects and infrastructure.
We canB次元官网网址檛 count on governments to make the changes we so desperately need. ItB次元官网网址檚 up to us. We must be the change. We have our work cut out for us, but work we must. Perhaps this is even an opportunity, albeit one fraught with great challenges.
The election exposed nasty currents in U.S. society, but it also revealed a profound and rising dissatisfaction with the status quo. ThereB次元官网网址檚 good reason for that.
The gap between rich and poor has grown, globalization and changing technologies have left many people behind in an outdated economic system, we witness racism daily on social media and television, education standards have declined, traditional media is breaking down, war and violence continue, and the effects of climate change worsen every day.
The answer isnB次元官网网址檛 to throw more gas on the fire. Many Americans just did that. Now, itB次元官网网址檚 up to those of us who believe in a brighter future to bring the fire under control without killing the flame.
Despite Donald TrumpB次元官网网址檚 promises to overturn progress made on environmental and climate policies and initiatives, thereB次元官网网址檚 no stopping the wave already underway.
As Foundation Quebec and Atlantic Canada director Karel Mayrand wrote in a blog after election day, renewable energy investments have surpassed fossil fuel investments every year since 2010 and the gap continues to grow; American states and cities are putting a price on carbon, investing in renewable energy and in transit; electric vehicles will achieve price parity with gas vehicles by 2022; and the global movement against climate change is not going to stop.
We canB次元官网网址檛 be complacent. We canB次元官网网址檛 let fear and despair stop us from working to make the world a better place for everyone, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, physical appearance or limitations, country of origin, political leanings, education or social circumstance.
And letB次元官网网址檚 face it, the planet isnB次元官网网址檛 in trouble, humanity is. EarthB次元官网网址檚 natural systems always find balance, but the corrections they make to overcome the damage weB次元官网网址檝e caused B次元官网网址� from putting too many emissions into the atmosphere to destroying habitat to make way for mining, industry and agriculture B次元官网网址� donB次元官网网址檛 favour our species and the path weB次元官网网址檙e on.
ItB次元官网网址檚 time to stand together to work for justice and human rights, for equity, for liberty, for a cleaner environment, for governments that serve the people rather than corporations B次元官网网址� for the values the United States of America was supposedly founded on. We must listen to each other and promote dialogue rather than debate.
The U.S election has brought things to a head, and the boil is erupting. ItB次元官网网址檚 more important now than ever before to come together to heal the wound.
