Premier’s alarmist rhetoric not helpful
The reality of climate change has little resonance with Alberta’s government. The premier’s petulance in dealing with the federal government is wearying. The doom and gloom full-page ads predicting blackouts is petty, a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money.
The default mechanism, ad nauseum, with most that ails Alberta, is to blame Ottawa. We need our premier to take responsible action to deal with our own problems. Exercising statesmanlike leadership without spewing alarmist rhetoric would be a refreshing change.
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Kochia has become a significant problem for Prairie farmers
As you travel through southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, particularly in areas challenged by dry growing conditions, the magnitude of the kochia problem is easy to see.
Instead of total intransigence, the premier could simply say, “we will endeavour to meet the goals of the 2030 Emissions Plan.”
This plan outlines a sector-by-sector path for Canadians to reach those goals. There’s no downside to cleaner air. The upside is providing hope, something that is in short supply.
When we rally family members to help clean house and it doesn’t get completed, what’s the downside? Simply, there’s more to do. The upside, the house is cleaner. Following the same logic, let’s get started in cleaning up our world.
The federal government is not dictating oil and gas be shut down; fringe groups eagerly share the untrue messaging. There is no punitive threat by the feds to any of the provinces if goals aren’t met.
Let’s step up, Alberta, with a “can do” attitude. We’ve got nothing to lose.
Jacqueline L. Chalmers
Claresholm, Alta.
Canada needs better fresh-water leadership
A new report says a national agrifood water strategy is needed. The need for a national water policy comes from the fact that there isn’t one, despite numerous attempts to link water management approaches over the decades.
Future success flows from water planning. Manitoba’s water policies, stewardship initiatives and regulations are spread across multiple portfolios, creating jurisdictional confusion. Now we have a new government committed to building bridges that connect divided communities.
Canada needs to become a leader in fresh water protection. Today, our waters suffer from ignorance and denial, for we have entrusted the care of our water sources to the wrong people.
With a mere 0.5 percent of the world’s population, Canada has jurisdiction of over 20 percent of the global fresh water supply, a vast and valuable resource that is largely taken for granted by those who use and depend on it.
Canada and the water issues in provinces needs attention, not rhetoric.
This is the result of governments’ wishy-washy policies and the illogical practice that agricultural and commerce operators have a right to run the show.
Whatever happened to the public good as the guiding principle?
What Canada so desperately needs is a federal water commissioner, someone with the courage and resourcefulness — and clout — to lay down appropriate regulations — which are yet to be put in place — to protect all the waters within our nation.
The present mishmash of every province doing their own thing with an out-of-sight, out-of-mind attitude is not acceptable, as we have well experienced and recognized in the past.
Let’s get serious about water consumption, caring for and protecting all our water sources.
Let us work and look to the future, for the sake of our children and future generations — a future that isn’t filled with disaster and water hardships.
John Fefchak,
Virden, Man.
