Yes, it is cool to be green these days. Everyone wants to do something to protect the environment, both locally and on a global scale.
Expect the environment to continue to be a dominant issue in the election campaign. Perhaps not as big as it was last year, when the economy and gas prices didn’t command so much attention, but it will still be a significant topic of conservation and debate.
Liberal leader Stéphane Dion is hanging his hat, and his politic fortunes, on his environmental policy, the Green Shift, which proposes a carbon tax which, Dion says, would be refunded to Canadians through income-tax breaks.
Prime Minister Harper and the Tories are skewering Dion over his environment plan, claiming it will ‘damage’ Canadians; the Prime Minister actually said it would "screw" Canadians.
But the debate over the Green Shift does beg the question over how far Canadians, who profess a desire for measures to protect the environment, are prepared to go.
Canadians, per capita, are among the worst polluters in the world, ranking somewhere around seventh among industrialized countries. Partly, that’s due to geography, as climate plays a large role in how much energy we waste. But it’s also a benchmark in our attitudes about our use of pollution-causing sources.
Are we prepared to pay significantly more for energy to ‘save the planet?’ It’s rather easy to recycle, reduce and divert household waste, especially when those programs are part of municipal services. It’s another story when the bank account takes a direct hit from higher energy costs.
The Conservatives are banking on voters being uncomfortable with the costs of big, comprehensive plans like the Green Shift. But if Canadians are serious about protecting the environment, it will take more than sorting waste between blue and green bins.
The debate over the environment, and how that plays out in supports, will go a long way to revealing how far Canadians are prepared to go to protect the environment.
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