Climate Change and the Elections

Tomorrow is the big day where we once again (so soon?) get to have our opinion on who should be leading our country. I strongly encourage everyone to take the time to vote, no matter how busy or boring your day is, and vote for what you believe in.

In addition to all the typical key issues in the election (health care, economy, child care), I am also heavily weighing the candidates position on climate change. As someone who has seen and will see our government's actions first-hand at the international negotiating table, I want a leader for our country who will make decisions for the distant future, not just their elected term. Our Prime Minister should live up to their claims of leadership, and lead OECD countries in agreeing to policies and measures that will keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celcius. I want a leader who will agree to a range of 25-40% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 to help us stay below 2 degrees. I want a PM who remembers that there is no economy without an environment to produce the goods that drive it - and with this in mind, signs negotations that protect the stability and robustness of our natural resources. Our PM should believe that they must take leadership in cutting emissions (in a fair, equitable way that will not destroy our economy, of course), and will not bully developing countries into taking on targets prematurely - as Canada has been known to do in the past. I, for one, want my kids to grow up in the same comfortable climate as I have, without worrying about devastating storms, rising sea levels, loss of fresh water, or excessively high food prices due to droughts and forest fires.

I, for one, will not be voting strategically. I will vote for who I think will best represent my community and my beliefs, morals, and values. Fortunately for me, many others in Guelph agree with me, and provided they don't all vote strategically at the last minute, we have a good chance of electing another Green Party member to Parliament. For every seat that gets elected, aParty earns money for further campaigning initiatives. For marginal parties like the Green Party and the NDP, this helps support them in continuing to fight for what their supporters believe in. It also gives them more opportunities to counter Conservative or Liberal bills that would otherwise get by uncontested.

I hope this message gets across to at least a few, and that they might consider the implications of their vote, both in the short term, and in the long term.