COLLINS: The economy or the environment

You don’t need to be some kind of expert to see the armies forming, getting ready for the battle that changes the world. Not the one involving superpowers unleashing the nukes, but rather the one that will literally fuel the economy for a long time, or the one that will slowly kill the sources of food, poison our oceans and destroy the quality of the air we breathe.

Prime Minister Carney is suggesting he wants to see a new pipeline built across Canada. He feels the line will provide hundreds of new jobs and provide a line of income that will sustain the economy for years to come. The line will cross through much of Alberta, perhaps providing Alberta a chance to stifle those crying for separation. There could be a backlash if the various tribes don’t want the line. Getting all these tribes participating would be a major step forward.

While all this is going on, the climate crusaders are planning their attack to preserve our environment. It has been established the Indigenous peoples have rights to govern, in light of recent court decisions. But the record of following the court decisions has been abysmal and the federal government has run roughshod over the rights of Indigenous peoples for decades.

In short, we are facing a problem that will take years to resolve. Provinces will get upset with the feds, the Indigenous people will get trampled on once again – and 20 years down the road we will be fighting these same battles, but more desperately, as the clock winds down toward that point when we have to decide ‎whether big money or our atmospheric needs are the bigger concern.