Green Hypocrisy
April 22nd is Earth Day, the day when we are supposed to keep in mind or demonstrate support for environmental protection. We celebrate this day since 1970, after one year anniversary of the environmental catastrophe when more than three million gallons of oil contaminated the coast of Santa Barbara, California, because of the Oil Platform blow-out. Every year Earth day has a different theme to focus. This year is Invest in Our Planet and features five primary programs: The Great Global Cleanup, Sustainable Fashion, Climate, and Environmental Literacy, Canopy Project, Food and Environment, and the Global Earth Challenge.
Photo source: saobserver.net
On Earth Day, April 22nd, 2016 was signed Paris Climate Accords, as an international treaty on climate change. It covers climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance. The main goals are reducing carbon dioxide {CO 2} and slowing down global warming. Canada is one of the leaders to follow the Paris Climate Accords, or Paris agreement. Canadian politicians and bureaucrats brought courageous plans to achieve goals, the Emissions Reduction Plan 2030 and Canada’s plan to reach Net- Zero by 2050.
Emissions Reduction Plan 2030 was established in March 2022 by the Minister of Environment and Climate change to put input to provinces and territories to reduce emissions by 40-45% from 2005 levels by 2030. Canada’s plan to reach Net- Zero is supported by The Canadian Net- Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which became law in June 2021, enshrines in legislation Canada’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
These days, we are doing everything possible to be “environmentally friendly”. We are recycling, buying electric vehicles {EV}, installing solar panels, building wind turbines, and wave power stations. Governments all over the world are spending billions and billions of dollars to support “environmentally friendly “policies through various grants, subsidies, and rebates. Thousands of climate change activists, environmentalist groups, and non-profit organizations were created to change make a happen. All from taxpayers’ dollars with almost zero control.
Does it really matter if recycling in a lot of scenarios creates more pollution and the worst ecological footprint than new productions? Doesn’t matter if a one-tone of lithium mined, needs 500 000 gallons of water, and lithium-ion EV batteries cause water, soil, and air pollution? Doesn’t matter if solar panels, wind turbines, and wave power stations are super expensive, ineffective, and on the final count bad for the environment?
What about air, water and soil pollution, deforestation, chemical pollution by agriculture and forestry sectors? Just in British Columbia B.C. forestry spray over 37 000 acres per year with herbicide, containing the highly dangerous chemical glyphosate. How many gallons of Roundup {ingredients glyphosate} have been used in Canadian agriculture and worldwide per year? What about hundreds of thousands “ghost planes” flying all over Europe every year without passengers and goods just for keeping the landing slots? What about pollution created by military sectors, the pharmaceutical industry, and professional sports? What is the Planet of the Humans?
What is the solution? The solution is to change our habits. From global to local. From big to smart. From rich to happy. Or as Ian McCallum a South African physician and naturalist wrote about environmental intelligence:” our planet seems destined in the years ahead for shifts in weather that threaten our fragile niche, the planet itself can continue long after our species has gone. “ He continued:” We don’t have to fix the planet but rather our relationship to it”. We have to stop speaking about the Earth being in need of healing. “ The Earth doesn’t need healing. We do”!
– DB
