To the Editor,
Recent news that the entire community of the Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario has had to evacuate their community, due to high levels of water pollution, was appalling.
It is outrageous that similar problems have existed in this community for 25 years and successive federal governments have failed to rectify the situation. This problem, and many others on reserves around the country ,seem totally incomprehensible when juxtaposed against the government’s $4.5 billion investment in the Trans Mountain Pipeline.
In the present climate emergency, it seems so unwise for the government to be investing in a pipeline that will only exacerbate our climate problems when thousands of our citizens are having to carry water from lakes and streams to wash in and use bottled water for drinking.
The issue here is whether our governments will support and continue to invest in unsustainable fossil fuel industry jobs or green, life-enhancing jobs such as water infrastructure.
A list of green jobs could fill up this entire page, but just to make clear what types of jobs we need to concentrate on in order to survive in the future, consider the following careers: health care, seniors care, child care, education, journalism, sustainable and affordable housing, environmental clean-up, renewable energy, sustainable transportation, soil enhancement and renewal, sustainable food production, sustainable transportation, sustainable urban planning, enviro-packaging development, arts and culture, cultural sensitivity training, addiction research and treatment and scientific research for a sustainable and more humane future.
Directing the economy towards the development of green jobs now can help us address urgent present needs and create a better future for tomorrow.
John Mayba,
Port Alberni