- Introduction
My wife and I are in our seventies, still farming on one of the Thousand Islands.
I am a (volunteer, unpaid) researcher with the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Canadian Association for the Club of Rome (CACOR).
I do not speak for either organization in this submission. I merely offer my personal observations on a deeply troubling situation.
My intention is to provide information that is not likely to be provided by others.
The following 15 sections are submitted in a spirit of constructive criticism.
- Treadmills and silos
- Treadmills
My first request is for your sustained attention, please.
I acknowledge two things that get in the way of any citizen’s ability to receive sustained, thoughtful attention from legislators: first, the volume of issues faced by elected representatives and their staff.
Understandably, issues that are imminent and ‘near-term solvable’ take priority. Consequently, issues that are incremental and complex often get deferred… partly because they can be deferred; partly because they cannot be resolved by any MP alone.
However, systemic problems cannot be deferred forever.
- Silos
Siloed responses are another barrier, one that is frequently mentioned in Auditor General/CESD reports and in departmental publications.
When problems are particularly complex, such as emissions & climate change, issues are necessarily broken apart and addressed by separate ministries, divisions, committees, etc.
Subtopics, such as a Plan to reduce emissions, may become circumscribed and narrowed. Information that is contextual may be rejected as “out of scope” despite its relevance, impacting overall outcomes.
As frequently mentioned in Government of Canada (GC) documents, complex issues often require multi-disciplinary consideration. This is one of those moments: Reducing emissions (and therefore, reducing combustion) is a formidable challenge that requires “whole of society” participation.
Although I have specific observations to offer re. the Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) I appeal to Members to please consider the broader context and not deem that content “out of scope.”