Missing the Circus for the Clowns

The first time I saw the haze was on Monday, from my Kingston apartment. I had read that there was a forest fire by Centennial Lake, and noticed the overcast having a strange tinge to it. No one else noticed, at least, not that I could tell. The dread crept in slowly, as I stared out at the possibly overcast sky. The slow dawning enveloped me that I was seeing something dangerous that no one else was. As the people on the streets went about their days, I kept my eyes upward. It reminded me of other things.

Then, Tuesday morning, the orange air was thick. Not as stark as what would come to New York City days later, but impossible to ignore. That’s when I learned that Quebec was dealing with over 100 out-of-control fires. The dread didn’t leave, in fact, it was growing bigger by the minute. The eerie glow of the toxic smoke filled the room as it filled my mind.

Wednesday brought Kingston the worst air quality in Canada, and possibly North America. My partner had a Zelbuck Dustproof halfpiece, while I only had an N95. I insisted they wear theirs when they went out, and when I left to drive outside, I wore my N95. I was still feeling the effects of the toxic air when I got to my destination. I knew the air quality would improve eventually, but I also knew this wouldn’t be the last time I’d need something stronger than an N95. It only catches particulates, not toxic fumes or gases.

I bought a Zelbuck halfpiece for myself that morning.

About two and a half hours away, on that same Wednesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre attacked Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for politicizing the wildfires during Parliamentary Question Period. Trudeau’s response has been shared wildly for his passionate rebuttal. “[Poilievre] refuses to put forward any real plan to fight against climate change and he does nothing but fight against our plan to fight climate change.”

“He has no plan to fight climate change.”

Then Thursday came. The fires continued, but the air quality had slowly lightened up, at least in my area. But the gut punches hadn’t stopped. The Narwhal reported that Suncor, one of Canada’s largest oil companies, worked with the federal government to draft a climate change strategy.

Their vice-president of regional development, Chris Grant, was just one of a 13 member advisory group that included a manager from Shell, executives from BMO and Scotiabank, many other representatives from lobby groups and “clean technology” firms. One of the pillars of this plan is to use $10 billion in public funding for carbon capture, a dubious use of resources.

This is ontop of Canada’s long history of failed climate targets. A 2019 promise by the Liberals to plant 2 billion trees by 2030 has not even come close to what’s needed to hit the goal by 2030. Pipelines and their revenues have been justified by saying they will help fund the fight against climate change. The carbon tax, much politicized by the right as it is, is nowhere close to the necessary changes needed to combat climate change. The federal Liberals and Trudeau have concretely failed to prevent, or even address, climate change on any level.

This isn’t new. In Alberta, the provincial NDP and UCP have both been cutting forest fire budgets as intensity ramped up. Ontario Premier Doug Ford cut 67% of funding from the Emergency Forest Fire Response budget in 2019. This claim upset Natural Resources Minister Graydon Smith, despite there being a shortage of firefighters and a myriad of other issues.

The obvious trajectory of our governments is clear for those who have the proper frame work. This is not a mistake. Canada’s economy is reliant on climate change. There is no incentive to actually tackle and reduce its effects under our capitalist system. Solutions, instead, are pushed to the realm of PR. Trudeau schooling Poilievre feels good, and is also correct. Poilievre has no cohesive plan to speak of when it comes to climate change. But that’s not the point. Trudeau’s plan is an abject failure, yet we’re seeing this spicy exchange on our social feeds. We see it on Global News, as the roused liberal caucus raises to clap for Trudeau.

The actions of the Alberta NDP or UCP, or the Ontario PCs and Doug Ford show a unity across the political spectrum. This is not a failure of Trudeau, or Ford, or Smith, this is a failure of the system. Even focusing on the barbs thrown between Poilevre and Trudeau obscures the fact they’re both, effectively, on the same team. One is just more charismatic about it.

When I started writing this piece, I hoped it would be a concrete examination of the distance between reality and that heated Conservative/Liberal exchange in Question Period. Whether our leaders are right-wing, centre-right, or “centre-left,” they are all capitalist, and all prefer domination of business interests over our lungs, our air, and the land. I hoped I would write something to explore that deeply. But instead, I’ve just depressed myself. I don’t know how much more I can write.

I am tired of these people. I am tired of being caught in the tangle of their lies.

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