[Opinion] The time for environmentalists will come

The last few days have not been the happiest for the planet. A Minister of the Environment stresses that it is impossible to do more for the climate cause, while the second passes us through the throat the Bay du Nord project, two days after the IPCC report. According to this same report, it is possible to do more, but we must stop producing and consuming oil. Our governments have it all wrong.

Bay du Nord has shaken up the environmental community. Personally, I felt it was a betrayal. I have always had the principle of remaining neutral vis-à-vis politics. But not this time. I believed in Steven Guilbeault. I said to myself: “an ecologist Minister of the Environment, that would be incredible”. So I volunteered my time; I went so far as to put up signs on a Sunday evening.

I remember when he was sworn in as Minister of the Environment. That morning, I exploded with joy, the joy of yet another victory for the environmental cause. A victory that opened the door to dream big. I even shed a few tears. Tears of hope. The hope I had in Steven Guilbeault, but above all for the message he conveyed. Here we are: the environment belongs to an environmentalist. Canada has spoken. The environment prevailed.

Unfortunately, I swallowed this joy crookedly with Bay du Nord. When I saw the person I admired so much selling Bay du Nord as carbon neutral… I was disgusted, sad and angry all at the same time. I wanted to lower my flag.

But you don’t have to. On the contrary, it’s time for action!

The truth is that this project passed only because the liberals had more political gains to accept it than to refuse it. Nothing more. Thousands of lives put at risk – not to mention the marine fauna and flora – for vulgar votes.

The tyranny of the majority has claimed new victims. Literally.

However, if more mobilization existed, this project would not have succeeded. The best example is GNL Quebec, which was stillborn by hitting the wall of Quebec social mobilization. Although the environmental movement is still a long way from having won the war against the climate crisis, it must be remembered that the only defeat that exists is when we stop fighting.

Each GHG avoided is a step in the right direction: a marathon is just a combination of steps. It’s just like the climate crisis. When we add up all the steps and all the victories that the movement has achieved in recent years, there is still hope!

Consider the carbon tax that is now in place in Canada — despite being an oil state — just like in several European countries. Let’s look at the progressive wave that has knocked on the doors of our municipalities. It brings the blue line, the REM and even the tramway to Quebec! Our actions have results.

I would even say that the pace is accelerating! Between 2012 and 2022, the phrase “Climate Change” was mentioned seven million times in newspapers, three times more than the previous decade.

The tyranny of the majority works against the environmentalists… For now.

But our time will come. It must. Until then, let’s make ourselves heard. Let’s act!

Let’s consume sparingly, create sustainable organizations, businesses and committees, communicate with our MPs, invest and transport ourselves sustainably, etc.

I will close with the words of Hugo Séguin. Let’s be radical; a solution is radical when it attacks the root of the problem. When she rips it out to rebuild something else.

Yesterday’s radical idea is often tomorrow’s common sense.

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