This election seems to have many Canadians scratching their heads: What’s it about? Who to vote for?  Why vote at all?  The answers to these questions depend on whether you think the environment – and more particularly taking action on climate change right now – really matters.

Let’s put this election in its real context:  We are currently facing the greatest threat to the liveability of our planet in human civilization.  Scientists like NASA’s James Hansen are telling us that our carbon emissions are already well into the red zone.  Other scientists are warning us about the relentless build-up of toxics in our environment and the snowballing extinction of species.

So it’s time to discuss something more substantive than which party has the best TV ads.  It’s time to talk about how we are going to remake Canada’s approach to living sustainably. It’s time to talk about how we are going to keep the natural world that is the foundation of our prosperity healthy and functioning.  It’s a big subject, but it is also one that we should expect any party that wants to form a government to have some big ideas about.

As the people who think, eat and breathe environmental issues on a daily basis, we have plenty to say about what Canada could be doing better and what it needs to be doing right now.  We’ve put these ideas down in a document called Tomorrow Today: How Canada can make a world of difference (available at tomorrowtodaycanada.ca).  It’s a call to action and an agenda for how to transform our country from an environmental laggard – ranked 28^th out of 29 developed countries by the OECD on a survey of key environmental indicators – to being a world leader. 

Let’s be clear: There are big changes coming, whether we are ready or not.   Unchecked climate change will devastate our environment and dramatically reshape our world.  A continuing loss of biodiversity is going to leave us more and more vulnerable to sudden and radical shifts in natural systems.  And continuing to dump toxins and pollutants into our atmosphere and waterways is going to leave us scrambling to cope with the massive health and economic impacts of dirty air and water.

So, as the politicians like to say, we need to get ahead of the curve.  We need to make the transition to a more sustainable economy by recognizing the false (in fact, insane) economy of allowing companies to freely pollute.  We need to protect far more of our forests, waters and wetlands because they are immensely valuable assets — assets most countries can only dream of once possessing — instead of treating them as an endless source of cheap resources.  And we need to recognize that we have the world-leading wealth, resources and know- how to be global leaders in sustainability – all we need is the will.

The place to start is with addressing climate change.  Climate change essentially takes all of our other environmental problems and puts them in overdrive.  So it is time for Canada to demonstrate some seriousness on this issue by putting a price on greenhouse gas emissions: a minimum of $30 a tonne (CO² or equivalent) by 2009 rising to $75 a tonne by 2020.   This would be a powerful signal sent across our society about the need to act now on getting our wasteful and polluting energy practices under control, to increase our productivity and efficiency, and to be innovators in developing new low-carbon technologies.

A number of provinces are already moving forward along these lines.  B.C. has introduced a modest carbon tax, Quebec has some carbon pricing and Ontario is gearing up for carbon cap and trade through the Western Climate Initiative.  But these efforts will be much more effective coupled with strong federal laws and policies that make it clear that we will act on our international commitments to reduce our emissions and that we understand the immense benefits of moving to a green economy in a planned and controlled manner, instead of in panicked response to a growing wave of environmental disasters.

Canadian voters get this.  They have told pollsters again and again that they believe action on the environment and the economy is not incompatible.  In fact, more and more, Canadians recognize that economic and environmental issues are really two sides of the same coin.

So don’t flip a coin when it comes time to vote.  Ask your candidates if they have a roadmap for a prosperous, sustainable future for this country.  Show them Tomorrow Today and challenge them to respond.  Let’s make this an election about an issue that matters – who can provide the leadership to take this country through some of the biggest challenges we have ever faced to a greener future.

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With it all but certain now that Canadians are heading into a federal election this fall, it will be critical for every voter to ask themselves - “with my vote today, what will we achieve in environmental security tomorrow?”

Our report “Tomorrow Today: How Canada can make a world of difference” www.tomorrowtodaycanada.ca outlines concrete actions the new government could focus on to ensure we significantly reduce our greenhouse gas pollution, produce and use energy more wisely, protect our wild spaces, fresh water and oceans, and reduce our exposure toxic substances.All of these actions will result in a much better tomorrow.

The question is, will NDP’s Jack Layton, the Conservatives’ Steven Harper, the Liberals’ Stephane Dion, the Bloc’s Gilles Duceppe and the Green’s Elizabeth May step up to make real and meaningful commitments during the election campaign that will address the major environmental challenges we face in Canada?

We have made it as easy as possible for all parties to incorporate the recommended actions in “Tomorrow Today” first into their platforms and then in action when they are sitting in the House. With eleven major environmental organizations representing thousands and thousands of members across Canada, and decades of experience in analyzing and finding solutions to environmental problems, we are very confident these are the right actions for Canada now.

There is no excuse. Every party in this election should have a robust platform on environmental action, and Tomorrow Today makes it that much easier.

Marlo Raynolds

Executive Director, Pembina Institute

Je n’ai jamais fréquenté ni lu un blogue de toute ma vie. Mais j’apprécie le fait qu’ils existent, particulièrement en ce moment où les problèmes de l’environnement sont de plus en plus importants pour chacun d’entre nous et non seulement pour les écologistes convaincus.

Bienvenue au blogue Demain n’attend pas ! Je suis la première des onze dirigeants de groupes voués à la protection de l’environnement et de la nature qui s’exprimera ici régulièrement pour discuter de questions qui, à notre avis, devraient figurer au programme du gouvernement fédéral, quel que soit le parti au pouvoir. L’environnement n’est pas un enjeu politique, ni un enjeu économique, ni un enjeu social. Nous parlons essentiellement de l’avenir de la vie (telle que nous la connaissons) sur notre planète. Et au moins quelques-uns d’entre nous pensent que c’est un enjeu très important.

Le changement ou le réchauffement du climat est extrêmement dangereux pour toute forme de vie sur notre planète, et nous DEVONS agir pour ralentir ce processus. Cependant, nous devons AUSSI nous préoccuper de plusieurs autres questions interconnectées, que ce soit les produits chimiques toxiques qui s’infiltrent dans notre eau potable ou dans nos aliments, la façon dont nous traitons nos océans (c’est-à-dire qu’ils NE sont PAS des décharges publiques) ou comment nous protégeons l’habitat d’une diversité incroyable de formes de vie sur notre planète. Toutes ces questions sont indissociables; notre gouvernement fédéral doit faire preuve de leadership et s’attaquer à tous ces problèmes simultanément.

S’il vous plaît, lisez notre document Demain n’attend pas. C’est le reflet d’une grande collaboration entre plusieurs groupes importants de protection et de défense de l’environnement. Montrez ce document à tous vos candidats à la prochaine élection. Appelez votre député et demandez-lui ce qu’il fait pour appliquer nos recommandations. Faites un don ou travaillez bénévolement avec un de nos groupes. Mobilisez-vous ! Nous avons besoin de vous.

Bienvenue.

Julie Gelfand

Directrice administrative

Fédération canadienne de la nature

I have never been to or read a blog in my life. I am glad that you are out there though, particularly at this time when environmental issues are increasingly important to each and every one of us, and not just to us “tree hugger” types!

Welcome to the Tomorrow/Today blog! I am the first of 11 different leaders of environmental/nature conservation groups that will appear here regularly to discuss issues that we believe should be on the agenda of the federal government, no matter which party is in power. The environment is not a political issue; it is not an economic issue; it is not a social issue. We are fundamentally talking about the future of all life (as we know it) on the planet. And at least some of us think this is a pretty important issue.

A changing climate, a warming atmosphere is extremely dangerous for all life on this planet, and we MUST take action to slow down this warming. However, we ALSO have to deal with several other issues that are all interconnected, be that toxic chemicals that are leaching into our drinking water or our food products, how we treat our oceans (i.e. they are NOT garbage dumps) or how we protect habitat for the incredible diversity of life forms on this planet. All of these issues are interlinked; our federal government must show leadership and address all of these issues simultaneously.

Please read our Tomorrow/Today document. It is a great collaboration between some great conservation and environmental groups. Please show the document to all your candidates in the next election. Call your MP and ask them what they are doing to implement these recommendations. Donate to or volunteer with one of our groups. Get involved. We need you.

Welcome.

Julie Gelfand

Executive Director

Nature Canada