{"id":75713,"date":"2019-10-03T04:53:10","date_gmt":"2019-10-03T08:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=75713"},"modified":"2021-01-29T08:03:58","modified_gmt":"2021-01-29T13:03:58","slug":"it-is-foolhardy-to-consider-climate-change-as-a-single-dimensional-issue-nancy-osborne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/it-is-foolhardy-to-consider-climate-change-as-a-single-dimensional-issue-nancy-osborne\/","title":{"rendered":"It is foolhardy to consider climate change as a single dimensional issue ~ Nancy Osborne"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The environment, climate change, greenhouse gas, carbon emissions, climate emergency\u2026 We are bombarded by all these words every day but have most of us taken the time to look beyond the face of the words and the various proposed solutions?<\/p>\n

<\/broadstreet-zone><\/strong><\/div>\n

I am not an expert, but I do believe the experts. We are facing a climate emergency and we must act now. But most of the discussions I hear seem to look at our climate emergency as a one-dimensional problem with straight forward solutions. \u201cCut out the carbon and fix the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

But a look below the surface and logical thinking exposes critical factors missing from these discussions. Climate change is not one-dimensional,. It is complex and multifaceted and if we deal with it as a one-dimensional crisis, the solutions we put in place will fail and fail badly.<\/p>\n

When we talk about fixing climate change, we often think in terms of high-level policies and the price being managed by our governments through taxation and\/or savings from cuts to other programs. Green technology is expensive to implement, otherwise large corporations would already be green. Those long-term cost will have to be paid for by the consumer. We tend to forget about the ultimate monetary price to all of us, especially those living in or near poverty.<\/p>\n

Think of it as a pyramid with the Climate Emergency at the top and all our other social issues below, forming the structural base. If we do not set that top stone in place with consideration for the base, the base will collapse along with all our valiant efforts to fix climate change. The climate emergency we face today cannot be fixed by looking at it in isolation of other issues in our local and global society.<\/p>\n

We hear, \u201cClimate change\u2019s adverse effects mostly impact low-income communities around the globe\u201d but we rarely hear about how the solutions to climate change also affect those people at a disproportionate rate. If we don\u2019t have some holistic thinking, our efforts to alleviate the impacts of climate change will backfire.<\/p>\n

If we focus only on things like incentives to large corporations to improve technology, it is a short-term solution. The incentives might help temporarily displace some of the cost to the company and encourage them to change but ultimately the long-term cost increase will be passed down to the consumer. Who will that affect the most? The poor and impoverished. How much pressure can we put on people who are already struggling to survive before crime rates go up, riots take place and chaos ensues?<\/p>\n

<\/broadstreet-zone><\/strong><\/div>\n

Remember this is an emergency and we will soon feel the effects exponentially. If you think I am exaggerating, think again. Everyone has their limit before they will do anything to feed their children. Look at some of the countries with the highest rates of poverty. Often the price of the basics, such as the price of bread, are controlled by the government. When the government raises these prices, it is not uncommon for riots to ensue. When people live penny to penny, they have nothing left to lose. There really is a point when people cannot take any more.<\/p>\n

Other plans, like electrifying transportation, are also expensive and ultimately the cost will be borne by the people. Again, this will hit hardest the poorest among us who are just eking by now. And even a price on carbon, which proportionally puts more money back in the pockets of lower incomes, will still affect poverty rates in the long term if we don\u2019t also look at lifting people out of poverty.<\/p>\n

All these \u201csolutions\u201d have the potential to push those families on the edge into poverty and push those in poverty to desperation.<\/p>\n

<\/broadstreet-zone><\/strong><\/div>\n

That does not mean we shouldn\u2019t act urgently and aggressively to attack climate change. It means it would be foolhardy to consider climate change as a single dimensional issue. Poverty is intrinsically linked to climate change just as other social issues are. So, to tackle climate change we must also tackle poverty and in doing so, by default we must look at education, the economy, housing and so much more. And when we speak of those things, we must think of our seniors, veterans, homeless, unemployed etc. We must look behind the mask and realize that lifting people out of poverty is a critical aspect of climate change action.<\/p>\n

Many of us could do or pay more to save the planet but for those who can\u2019t, these changes can have a massive negative impact on their lives. It would only be a matter of time before the system collapses. Lifting people out of poverty must be a part of any plan for climate change or it will ultimately fail.<\/p>\n

And what about gender programming? There are reports written by UN and other experts explaining why empowering women is critical to reversing our climate emergency. Perhaps living the privileged life, that many of us do in Canada, makes this difficult to initially understand. However, when we remember that Canada is only responsible for 1.6 per cent of the global carbon emissions, we can better see how this applies globally and at home. To save Canadians we must think beyond our own borders. The German group Climate Justice writes:<\/p>\n