XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ab.politics   
   XPost: ont.politics, sk.politics, man.politics   
   From: "@nyet.ca   
      
   Oh, Canada, what will become of you?   
      
   Although I'm proudly Canadian, my early memories are mixed. After Japan   
   attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, our government unfairly deprived my   
   family of citizenship rights and exiled us to the B.C. Interior, even   
   though we were born and raised here. But my love of nature flourished   
   during that time in the spectacular Slocan Valley.   
      
   As a young adult, I moved to the U.S. for educational opportunities not   
   available in Canada. Disturbed by overt racism in the American South, I   
   eventually returned to my increasingly tolerant homeland. I preferred   
   Canada, which to me meant Tommy Douglas and Medicare, Quebec, the   
   National Film Board and CBC. I've never regretted my choice.   
      
   Canadians have strived to move beyond inequality and intolerance to   
   create an inclusive and caring society, where education, public health,   
   social programs and enlightened laws provide numerous opportunities.   
   We're not there yet, but we've come a long way in our relatively short   
   history as a nation.   
      
   We also understand our place in nature. Surrounded by the world's   
   longest and most diverse coastline, our mountains, forests, prairies,   
   rivers, lakes, valleys and skies define us and instill wonder and pride.   
   Canada is nature. And nature is life. We know this.   
      
   Lately, the tide has been turning. Instead of protecting the   
   increasingly precious and threatened natural systems that keep us alive   
   and healthy, our leaders are rushing to scar the landscape with mines,   
   roads and pipelines to sell our resources as quickly as possible to   
   global markets. From tar sands expansion to fracking, federal and   
   provincial governments are blindly proceeding with little thought about   
   long-term consequences.   
      
   In 2007, our prime minister called climate change "perhaps the greatest   
   threat to the future of humanity." Now he says, "No matter what they   
   say, no country is going to take actions that are going to deliberately   
   destroy jobs and growth in their country." Yet, many actions our   
   industries and governments are taking will hurt the ability to create   
   jobs and keep the economy prosperous. Clean energy and educated citizens   
   are healthier investments than an increasingly risky fossil fuel   
   industry -- and we can't hope for abundant jobs and a thriving economy   
   on a planet suffering the ever-worsening consequences of global warming.   
      
   Canada was once seen as a country where respect for each other and our   
   land, air, water and biodiversity were valued. Now, some government   
   leaders and their industry and media supporters threaten those who dare   
   question the mad scramble for short-sighted, short-term profits at the   
   expense of the environment, our health and the world's climate systems,   
   and label us "radicals".   
      
   If it's radical to insist on maintaining and strengthening values that   
   have long defined us as a nation, then we'll wear the label proudly. We   
   are radically Canadian! That means building on the progress we've made   
   over the years to create a society based on compassion, equity and   
   respect for the people and places we know and love.   
      
   Canada has long been known as a country that gets it right, that treats   
   its citizens well and cares for the land that gives us so much, and   
   plays a constructive role on the world stage. But now we're lagging in   
   many areas, our hard-earned reputation suffering. We're no longer a   
   leader in protecting the conditions that make Canada one of the best   
   places on Earth for citizens and visitors alike.   
      
   Enshrining the right to a healthy environment in the Constitution's   
   Charter of Rights and Freedoms would help get Canada back on track. More   
   than 110 countries have constitutional environmental rights. But not   
   Canada. It's not just about protecting birds, bees and trees; it's about   
   social justice and ensuring all citizens have the right to the   
   conditions necessary for healthy, fruitful lives.   
      
   What kind of Canada do you want? Do you treasure our spectacular natural   
   landscapes, clean water and air and abundant natural resources? Do you   
   value our commitment to fairness, enlightened social programs, education   
   and public health? Do you believe we should do all we can to protect the   
   things that make this country great?   
      
   Now is a good time to reflect on these questions, on where we are as a   
   nation and where we want to be. Happy Canada Day!   
      
      
   By David Suzuki with contributions from Ian Hanington, Senior Editor   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)