Immediate Costs of Climate Change in Saskatchewan

An email I sent to my MLA today, August 23, 2011.

To:

Joceline Schriemer

Saskatchewan Party

MLA

Saskatoon-Sutherland

From:

Larry Waldinger

Green Party of Saskatchewan

Candidate

Saskatoon-Sutherland

Joceline:

For a while now I have been thinking about the costs in Saskatchewan of recent flooding and other extreme weather events. My understanding is that the effects of global warming are hitting us hard already. This is not some far off fantasy that we shouldn't concern ourselves with. This is a real problem with real consequences affecting us now.

When I started to read your August 17 Legislative Report I was hopeful that you had come to the same conclusion about the immediate impact of global warming. I quickly realized that no such connection was made in your report.

Today I called your office to request some figures for damage in Saskatchewan. I spoke with Danielle and she indicated that she would pull some figures together. I think it is important for us to begin to understand the current and growing costs of global climate change and to begin to take proactive measures to address the issue.  The F3 tornado in Goderich is a good, recent reminder of what is going on, and I think many other citizens are also starting to put the pieces together. I hope you can help.

Regards,

Larry Waldinger

Extreme Weather Events

"The poor and weak will be swept away (figurateively & literally) by extreme weather events." Larry Waldinger August 20, 2011.

Canadian Consumers Are making the Environment Less of a Priority

"Canadian consumers are making the environment less of a priority" This quote is from the Edmonton Journal, August 17, 2011. The story is about a survey which indicates a change in the spending behavior of Canadians. But is this a bad thing? It's not all bad.

This shift away from green products is significant only because the products consumers are switching to tend to be less expensive. Big Business (which includes Big Media) feel a big impact when their customers choose less expensive products. It affects their bottom line, thus this trend is alarming to them. This story which on the surface appears to be about damage to the environment is instead about damage to the economy. This is because Big Business is more interested in the economy than the environment.

Our twisted economic system is obsessed with increasing the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). In fact GDP growth has become the most important indicator of the health of our society. Using GDP in this way is like using body weight as the most important indicator of our personal health. More is not always better. Greater spending on and consumption of consumer goods will increase the GDP, but it will also increase green house gas levels, the toxicity of our environment, the depletion of our natural resources, and the mass in our land fills. One of the acronyms I have created for GDP is "Garbage Domestically Produced" which points out the consumptive nature of our current economic system.

There is an old saying that applies to this situation: "If you are in a hole and you want to get out, stop digging." Virtually any consumer product available on the market today is not good for the environment. Buying more consumer products therefore is never going save the environment, so we should stop digging to get out of this hole.

The encouraging thing is that Canadians were concerned enough to do something about the environment. That altruism seems to be very sensitive and fleeting but it was there. Consuming less is a vastly more effective way of addressing environmental issues than simply switching labels. If we can get Canadians to realize this and consume less we can make a difference.

Green Washed Products

The use of environmental labeling on consumer products gives big business more opportunities for fraudulent and deceptive advertising.

Michael Ignatief's Mistake

Many who voted for the Conservatives were voting more against another election than for the Conservatives.

Majority Power

Power corrupts. Majority power is a major corrupter.

Saskatchewan Economy On Steroids

The economy in Saskatchewan is on steroids.

Conservatives Slash Environment Workers

Conservatives slash environment workers. The Green Party would prefer to slash oil industry subsidies instead. This clearly demonstrates the Conservative disregard for the environment and well paying middle class jobs.

Saskatoon Sheep Dogs

How about them Sheep Dogs!

War

The Green Party of Saskatchewan opposes wars of aggression and the use of torture. The US decision to go to war in Iraq was based on false information cherry picked by an administration determined to go to war. The lobbying of military contractors probably influenced that determination. The US also dragged the progress of civilization  backward, years by twisting the definition of torture and using torture in its wars (Iraq war & "War on Terrorism"). Canada should avoid hyper-aggressive US style wars and should not be complicit in any way with the use of torture.

This may be considered off subject for a provincial campaign, but it is important. Below are a couple good videos to get people thinking, again about war.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19u4JR_55b0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-CpCUOygqU