The oil question

Neil Young is not ill-informed. Much of our economy is embedded with oil, gas and their products. But what will we do when the jobs end? What will we do when much of our fresh water is contaminated? What will we do when the oil runs out? When do we say “enough is enough?”

A recent poll showed support for Keystone XL in Canada is 52 per cent and dropping. The future being proposed is not sustainable past perhaps one generation.

Many Canadians want to build a future that has its economy re-embedded in the natural carrying capacity of this planet. There are as many or more jobs retooling our economy to reduce our carbon footprint. We want our rivers and lakes to be clean again, our food and our land not contaminated with pesticides and petroleum. We want active transportation built on an active lifestyle. We want our children to have a clean world to enjoy and give to their children.

When we shared this land with our aboriginal brothers and sisters through treaty, we made some obligations. It is time to stop telling lies and breaking promises and live up to our obligations.

It is far too easy to shoot the messenger of some truths that many don’t want to hear. I have heard from people who live downstream and downwind from this ecological disaster that politicians feel is the saviour of our economy.

The price is far too high. It’s time for system change, not climate change.

Jim W. Elliott, Regina