The Tory war on the environment continues with the definite slashing of 300 positions at Environment Canada. Initially, nearly 800 employees received letters stating that their jobs would be shuffled to other departments or eliminated, but since receiving backlash from the union and the public over cuts to the environment, the Minister has announced that only 300 of those positions will actually be eliminated. However, it does mean that nearly 500 positions will be thinned down considerably at a time when monitoring climate change is crucial.
To talk about the context of this cut, it is important to look at the minister who is in the portfolio and the priorities of the party in power. Peter Kent is a former television news anchor, and has no expertise in the area. He is an older version of Ron Burgundy who will say pretty much anything the government puts on the teleprompter.
Additionally, one of the first acts of the Parliament upon returning was to delay any environmental regulations being put into place for the tar sands. They blamed the opposition parties for delay due to the election and the spring budget negotiations, but the real story probably lies somewhere in the fact that Washington seems all systems go for the Keystone pipeline between Alberta and Texas. Earlier in the year the US was fudging on the pipeline due to the potential environmental impacts of the pipeline and the “dirty” nature of the oil itself.
Now, we’re cutting ozone monitoring stations and technologies. Hearing Peter Kent trying to defend the decision on CBC’s “As it Happens” was like listening to a verbal gymnastics routine. They’re not cutting the technology, just the people operating it. While it may seem like it makes more sense to have less people monitoring a computer, less eyes on the data means less analysis, and less proof for climate change. And the more they can discount climate change, the more the Tories and their friends can keep on pumping out dirty oil.
What can we do as citizens? Write about it when it happens. Write letters to the editors of newspapers, write our own blogs, and scream from our digital rooftops. That’s all we can do until the next election.
