Thinking Bigger Than Yourself

Here’s an interesting (and disturbing) juxtaposition to start your morning: take a look at these two news items and see if you can spot the flaw in logic.

Canada ‘in position to be listened to’ in secretive world food-aid talks

Canadian budget includes 59-per-cent reduction in spending for “climate change and clean air” and a 51-per-cent cut to substances and waste management - Day

If you scratched your head and thought “how the hell can Canada talk seriously about the world food crisis, which is significantly affected by climate change, while simultaneously slashing 59% from its already-shoddy climate programs?”, then congratulations! You’ve officially joined me in the Who Do They Think They’re Fooling camp!

While Peter Kent, Minister for the Environment, assures us that he’s asked the Finance Minister to renew several large programs that are due to come to a close this year, the federal government’s track record does little to give me any hope. We’re already on track to miss our own weak 2020 targets, which are much less stringent than the international standards which are proving to be far too low themselves.

Climate change isn’t going away, though, and while that change may be an easy pill to swallow in Canada, the adverse effect of climate on the global food crisis means that every year, more and more people worldwide are going to go hungry. You’d think that, as a major source of international aid, Canada would see the problem with their conflicting policies. They don’t seem to care about the climate for moral or ethical reasons, but from an economic standpoint? More starving people does not lead to more economic stability for anyone.