BUILD BACK ETHICALLY

PM Justin Trudeau’s throne speech prioritizing and promising billions to "build back better” in this COVID-19 recovery is necessary; but success is conditional and we also need good luck. A tragic moment could be etched forever in history if Canadians and their businesses (who may agree to put "people before profits") become indebted from visionless, unethical and dysfunctional recovery decisions; short-sighted decisions that don’t address deep underlying systemic problems while in a climate emergency.

Our chance is now, a final pivotable hour to insist for future generations’ prosperity, and we must really mean “build back better“.

Governments who support a declining, destructive oil and gas industry add real suffocation to this task. Burning more dirty fossil fuels including “natural” gas (to fund a burning earth recovery) is anti-science, anti-logic, and ecological and economic suicide.

Political “elites” must not be beholden to “Big Oil“, whose unethical and systematic antiscience climate change denial program have contributed to delays in climate action while fuelling an acceleration of the climate emergency.

A resilient economy invests in all people, their healthcare, education, jobs, homes, in the environment and sustainable energy. Acknowledging ignorance from our past century's destructive use of fossil fuels which has created a climate emergency should move us to smart, timely and ethical decisions for equitable, resilient and sustainable economic and climate recoveries.

Only then can we breathe, knowing our life support systems will be respected and will be available for future generations. We need this now, urgently, for all of us, and for those yet unborn future generations.

Douglas Carmody, MD Summerside