Merry Christmas Mother Earth

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In the 1970s and 1980s, environmental and conservation concerns were hot-button election issues. The media made environmental and conservation stories a priority. As a child at school, I remember learning about air and land pollution, the negative effects of big industry and urban development on waterways, clear cutting of our forests and the destruction of wildlife habitats. Many of us schoolchildren saw people like David Suzuki as our hero. He and many other Canadian scientists were standing up for the environment with the message that we all wanted to leave Mother Earth as a better place for future generations.

This focus on ecological issues became a threat to huge corporations that prefer reaping windfall profits from publicly owned resources with as few regulatory impediments as possible. All of a sudden they were being forced to deal with government restrictions on harmful industrial practices.

Over the past 20 years, however, things have changed for the worse. Now governments and industry refer to environmentalists as terrorists. Massive amounts of money are spent to drown out the voices of the people who are trying to protect our air, water, land and wildlife. Years-long PR campaigns are conducted to discredit environmentalists and scientists such as my hero Suzuki.

It is sad to think that money is viewed as more important than the air we breathe, the water we drink and the land we live upon. As in many other countries, Indigenous people are now the last line of defense for the wilderness, along with dwindling allied groups of environmentalists, against the sustained attacks of government and industry. First Nations across Canada are very active in a last-ditch stand against industrial projects and policies that are deadly for our air, water, land and wildlife.

It can be argued that First Nation people are also reaping the benefits of resource-extraction developments on our traditional lands. But my people are generally very concerned about developments and policies that threaten the health of our environment. Many of us still live very close to the land and our ultimate survival depends on a healthy natural environment.

But governments are eliminated legal protections of our lands and waterways. Government is also muzzling or cutting scientific research that could alarm the public about corporate developments. Industry and government are shamelessly working hand-in-hand to remove anything that might stand in the way of short-term profits.

I am not saying that we should always oppose industry and economic growth. But we have to make changes in a way that provides our children and their children with a safe and positive world to live in. I am very proud of our First Nation leaders and organizations that put a lot of effort and expertise into lobbying and working with government and industry to maintain environmental standards. It gives me hope for Mother Earth when I see our First Nation people across Canada and environmentalists join together to fight for a better world. Go to www.davidsuzuki.org for more information.

Christmas is a time of giving, sharing and renewal. Like the birth of a child over 2000 years ago and the celebration of the winter equinox from the dawn of civilization, we need to be reminded that we as people are good and noble. We need to remember that power and money cannot deter us from making this world a better place. Merry Christmas.

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