Accidental governance begs adaption

Everybody knows that Donald Trump is the accidental president.

Andrew Cohen, Ottawa Citizen, 2018 October 10

The Kyoto Protocol was an accidental agreement for Canada. It became obvious to Ottawa Citizen cartoonist Camⁱ within a very few years that the Canadian government simply did not understand — it was not competent.

The Paris Accord is equally an accidental agreement. Even the governments of Canada that subscribe to the targets still do not understand the nature and extent of the economic, social, and technological pathways involved. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have already hit the 30% target. But this country of ten provinces and three territories cannot as a whole in practice meet the commitments made in Paris and subsequently, not close and certainly not by 2030 ⁱⁱ.

Canada is not alone. Even countries that have made better progress are struggling. Since Canada and other nations are failing, the number one issue becomes adaptation to inevitable change. In fact, it should have been the number one issue from the beginning. It is the strongest possible political driver for reduction of emissions, appealing initially to local and national interests.

Many citizens of Canada have observed the failure to date of their governments to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. A conference of the Group of 78 in Ottawa in October 2018 is but one example of the understanding and competence of these citizens and organizations. These citizens also grasp the looming consequences of this issue for younger Canadians and future generations. The Group of 78 has now in October 2021 addressed this side of the equation: how to deal with the consequences of inevitable global warming, at home and abroad.

One cannot expect any change in the scientific and technological literacy of parliaments, but one can demand attention to this existential issue. The question for informed and concerned citizens is how to connect to decision-makers and influencers, so that governments understand that global warming is indeed an existential issue — a matter ultimately of survival — and address the matter competently.

Canada has missed the train on reducing emissions in a timely manner. It may not be too late to begin making substantial efforts to adapt, on Canadian territory and in Canadian support to other nations.

John Hollins
2021 October 4