Ottawa’s new anti-environmentalists

As some of you may know, I’ve been extremely tough on the Bush Administration over its lack of concern for the environment, specifically for global warming and other facets of climate change. See here, for example, where I argued that America needs “a president who understands and cares about the environment, one who is willing to adopt far-reaching policies to deal with climate change”.

But let no one think that we’re doing all that much better up here in Canada. Stephen Harper’s new Conservative government is already setting the anti-environmental tone. Consider this, as reported yesterday in the Toronto Star: “A scientist with Environment Canada was ordered not to launch his global warming-themed novel Thursday at the same time the Conservative government was quietly axing a number of Kyoto programs.”

Harper’s minority government may not last for long, but the damage it inflicts on this country and the environment could be long-lasting. I doubt that the opposition parties will defeat the government over Kyoto, but hopefully we won’t have to put up with Ottawa’s new anti-environmentalists for too much longer.

Canada can — and must — do better.