Anthony Furey: Let’s Embrace Environmental Initiatives that Bring Us Together, Not Tear Us Apart

Commentary

I was pleased to learn that my children were expected to take a pair of gloves to school for Earth Day on Monday to help clean up the schoolyard and nearby parks.

These types of activities have several benefits. They help reduce screen time for students, which is increasingly prevalent not just at home but also in the classroom. It teaches them the importance of contributing to chores, even if they may be considered “dirty work”. It emphasizes the tradition of spring cleaning and extends it to the broader community beyond their homes and backyards.

It was refreshing to see environmental advocacy that is non-partisan and mostly apolitical. Cleaning up our neighborhoods brings people together in a time where many initiatives tend to divide.

Previously, some Ontario school children were assigned projects related to Greta Thunberg, where they colored pictures of her or presented her controversial statements. This type of activity is propaganda and does little to educate kids about the natural world. Hopefully, this kind of activism in classrooms is fading away.

It’s not just the classroom that needs a shift in our approach to environmental issues. We need it even more from adults and, particularly, our political leaders.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has spent most of his political capital heavily advocating for the much-disliked carbon tax. This has caused division and a national unity crisis.

While opposition to the carbon tax is understandably high right now, with many of Canada’s premiers calling for its removal, it’s important to remember that Trudeau fought against several provinces on this issue in the Supreme Court back in 2018.

Consider the resources, time, and emotions invested in the carbon tax battle. What has it achieved?

Reports from Trudeau’s own government show a decrease in per capita greenhouse gas emissions among Canadians. The slight increase in total emissions is due to population growth. Reports also indicate that advancements in technology driven by private sector innovation have contributed to the reduction in emissions, not the carbon tax itself.

The Liberals could have focused on more unifying environmental projects, such as their less successful tree-planting initiative, to bring people together. They could have engaged schools, community groups, and other voluntary associations, creating a positive environment where individuals with different political views could work together.

Instead, the current environmental movement tends to focus on vilification, targeting individuals, sectors, and organizations for alleged wrongdoing and making them pay for their supposed sins. This is essentially the underlying motive behind the carbon tax.

A similar narrative is unfolding at a United Nations Environment Programme meeting happening in Ottawa this week. Thousands of delegates from 175 countries are discussing plastics pollution.

While managing plastic waste responsibly is a legitimate concern, the activist rhetoric surrounding the issue runs the risk of demonizing an entire sector and downplaying the many benefits it brings to our society and economy.

Recently, I had a conversation with a friend who expressed his desire to make a positive impact in his community. He mentioned starting to clean up garbage around town because that’s one way he can directly impact and see immediate results. It’s a simple yet powerful message.

The saying “big government creates small citizens” also applies to environmental activism. People who simply post on social media in support of the carbon tax aren’t actually contributing to the environment. They are avoiding personal responsibility and initiative by thinking a tax will magically solve everything.

Let’s hope future generations spend more time cleaning up trash and planting trees rather than engaging in online debates over government fees and regulations.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.