This week the IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its latest report on the state of the global climate. As you may have guessed, the report paints a dire picture of the current state of the environment and what could happen if we continue on our current trajectory of over-consumption, especially of fossil fuels.
The report is unequivocal: extreme weather events are rapidly intensifying, global temperatures and sea levels continue to rise because of us. Things will get worse if we don’t take bold and meaningful action to reduce emissions now, something the Greens have been calling for since decades.
The good news is that many countries have committed (in theory) to reducing their emissions. This is great, but we have seen country after country fail to meet their own targets. Promises will do absolutely nothing to reduce emissions. We need strong policies now, binding international climate agreements with penalties for not meeting targets, and drastic reductions in the consumption of fossil fuels, plastics, and consumer goods.
Our current trajectory is unsustainable. We must act now. The barriers to collective success in this fight are primarily the culture of consumerism and the weakness of politicians who claim to care about the environment but pursue policies that destroy it.
The main obstacle to progress on these issues is political. This is what led me to become politically involved rather than working on the environmental technology and science I studied in college and university respectively. Politics is where decisions are made. If you want to make a difference in this battle, do whatever you can to increase political pressure on governments to take concrete action before it’s too late. This can include getting involved with the Green Party of Quebec and/or running in next year’s provincial elections.
In solidarity,
Alex Tyrrell
Leader of the Green Party of Quebec
