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The following letter was sent to the Globe and Mail on August 27, 2007.

Massive sell off of natural resources is causing major social and environmental disruption

August 27, 2007

Dear Editor,
                                                                      
It is sad to read that Canada’s major daily appears to endorse the go-slow approach to the climate change crisis that our irresponsible Federal government is pushing.

It isn’t called “the climate crisis” for nothing and every poll that is done shows the same, extremely high levels of public support for solid action. The public seems to “get it”, as do all the opposition parties. Scientist are totally unanimous, if only peer reviewed literature is taken into account and the few, industry sponsored, former tobacco apologists, are ignored.

When so many eminent people are telling us the situation is critical and action must be taken immediately if we are to avert CO2 doubling, isn’t it prudent to risk a small drop in our overheated economy? The word “risk” is appropriate since there are just as many economists saying action will be beneficial as there are pleading imminent recession.

This is true in spades here in Oilberta where the massive sell off of our natural resources is causing major social and environmental disruption. A little cooling off of the tar-sands rush would be heaven sent for most of us. Instead we give ridiculously generous resource royalty rates and demand virtually no ecological concessions from corporate oil giants who are making record profits.

Imagine how different history would have been if the wise counsel of then British prime minister, Winston Churchill, had been ignored. Saying that the climate crisis is somehow different, is tantamount to burying one’s head in the sand. The only difference is that the full impact of our action, or lack thereof, to the climate crisis, will not be felt by us but by those not yet born. That fact does not make our reticence to act any more defensible.

Sincerely,

David J. Parker
Edmonton, Alberta