Contrary to a common perception, ignoring climate change wonB次元官网网址檛 make it disappear. Global research going back to 1824 in fields ranging through physics, oceanography, biology and geology have confirmed human activity B次元官网网址� mainly burning fossil fuels, raising livestock and destroying carbon sinks like forests and wetlands B次元官网网址� is increasing greenhouse gas emissions and causing global temperatures to rise rapidly, putting humanity at risk. Every legitimate scientific academy and institution and every government, except the current U.S. administration, agrees.

Yet the disconnect between that reality and government action to confront the greatest crisis humanity faces is astounding. Nowhere is that disconnect more profound than in the United States, where the attitude is B次元官网网址渙ut of sight, out of mind.B次元官网网址�

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt, appointed by President Donald Trump, told staff to scrub the agencyB次元官网网址檚 website of information about climate change and the Obama administrationB次元官网网址檚 Clean Power Plan, aimed at reducing CO2 emissions from power generation. According to B次元官网网址week, B次元官网网址淧ruitt ordered edits that would modify search results for B次元官网网址楥lean Power PlanB次元官网网址� to link to a page promoting TrumpB次元官网网址檚 executive order, with a photo of the president and the EPA administrator posing with coal miners.B次元官网网址�

ThatB次元官网网址檚 just one among many moves by the administration to reduce environmental protection and overturn measures to reduce climate change and shift to a clean energy economy. Pruitt has also suggested climate change might be beneficial! Trump, as with many issues, is both confused and ignorant about global warming.

B次元官网网址淭here is a cooling and thereB次元官网网址檚 a heating,B次元官网网址� Trump told British journalist Piers Morgan in an ITV B次元官网网址 interview. B次元官网网址淚 mean, look, it used to not be climate change, it used to be global warming. That wasnB次元官网网址檛 working too well because it was getting too cold all over the place.B次元官网网址�

His comment shows the president doesnB次元官网网址檛 understand the difference between climate and weather or the history and basics of climate science.

Although Canadian governments sound more reasonable, their actions demonstrate a similar disconnect. The Alberta and federal governments talk about reducing emissions but somehow believe expanding oilsands production and shipping dirty bitumen around the world to be burned are compatible with their climate plans.

B次元官网网址淲e need to make sure weB次元官网网址檙e both protecting the environment and growing the economy at the same time,B次元官网网址� Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told CBC in defending Kinder MorganB次元官网网址檚 Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which would triple the amount of bitumen shipped.

The economy and the environment arenB次元官网网址檛 equal considerations. We invented the current economy and can change it, as we often have, when it no longer suits our needs or realities. Demanding constant growth on a finite planet is suicidal. And extracting, processing, selling and transporting polluting, climate-altering fossil fuels isnB次元官网网址檛 the best way to ensure economic prosperity.

The oil and gas sector emits 26 per cent of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 greenhouse gases (almost 10 per cent from oilsands) B次元官网网址� not including emissions from burning the product B次元官网网址� yet only contributes about five per cent of GDP, with the oilsands contributing about two per cent. The industry employed around 178,000 people in 2017, with fewer than 30,000 in the oilsands. ThatB次元官网网址檚 significant, but clean tech employs more people, often in more widely distributed, high-paying jobs.

TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 claim that reducing direct oilsands emissions is enough is also disingenuous. Canada isnB次元官网网址檛 on track to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement, and he ignores the fact that countries buying our bitumen will burn it, further fuelling global warming. Assurances that Canada has adequate plans to protect the B.C. coast from a spill, with an increase in crude oil tankers through Burrard Inlet from 60 to 400 a year, are absurd.

No matter what lengths politicians, corporate interests and others take to avoid, downplay and obfuscate serious issues around environmental degradation and our economic systemB次元官网网址檚 destructive path, we canB次元官网网址檛 deny reality. Studies show we must refrain from burning most fossil fuel reserves to avoid catastrophic warming.

In little more than a century, the human population has more than quadrupled to seven billion and rising, and our plastic-choked, consumer-driven, car-obsessed cultures have led to resource depletion, species extinction, ocean degradation, climate change and more. ItB次元官网网址檚 past time to open our eyes and shift to a more sensible approach to living on this small, precious planet.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation Senior Editor Ian Hanington.

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