Satya Das Asks Alberta To Clean Up Their Own Mess

In the vein of yesterday’s post, Rabble’s Samantha Power reviews Satya Das’ Green Oil – a book that asks Alberta, Canada’s biggest (and most stubborn) contributor to the greenhouse gas/climate change problem, to take some responsibility and help Canada reverse (or buy off) some of the damage it’s done.

Unfortunately, Power writes, Alberta doesn’t really have a track record that lends a lot of hope to the situation. I know; I grew up there and escaped at the first opportunity. Albertans have a holier-than-thou attitude about their economic role within the nation and some delusion that that gives them the power to do whatever they like at the expense of not only the rest of the country but the entire fucking planet.

If I’m ashamed to call myself Canadian, I’m doubly ashamed to be Albertan, and I’m glad I escaped – but the “green flight” out of Alberta is likely part of the problem. If things are to be changed, Das’ book suggests, Albertans need to make those changes – and if all the activists in the province flee to the bike- and vegetarian-friendly coast, who’s going to do the work? It is vital now that Albertan activists team up and work together to change the prevalent view in the province. And they are. They have an incredible bond, those Albertan idealists.

I feel guilty for having taken the selfish way out and come somewhere that’s already a bit more enlightened. Someone’s got to do the dirty work.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 11th, 2009 at 3:21 pm and is filed under news, politics. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.