Several regions of Quebec have recently suffered the devastation of the climate crisis. Much of the Quebec population was on high alert following a severe thunderstorm warning issued by Environment Canada on all our mobile phones.
The Outaouais, Laurentides, Lanaudière and Capitale-Nationale regions were particularly hard hit: hundreds of trees uprooted, roofs blown off, dozens of downed Hydro-Québec pylons, power outages, electricity for more than 100,000 customers.
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The images of the storm’s devastation are eloquent. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of what climate change has in store for us if we don’t act now.
An irresponsible government
In the face of so much evidence, it is utterly irresponsible for the CAQ government to continue to carry out the old models of oil-based economic development. François Legault completely ignores the climate. It approves multi-billion dollar projects that, as the 3rd link between Quebec and Lévis, will significantly exacerbate the climate crisis.
He refuses to approve dozens of protected areas already planned at the regional level, just to satisfy the logging companies and their desire for endless logging. He refuses to change the balance of government spending to significantly increase public transport funding compared to road infrastructure funding. Etc.
We must face the facts, we will never succeed in convincing François Legault and his CAQ to take real action to combat the climate crisis. They will continue to provide us with greenwashing ads to cultivate an illusion of hope in voters, to continue to lull them with misleading statements. It’s time for us to emerge from this state of apathy together and wake up by rolling up our sleeves.
citizen power
As citizens, we have a responsibility and an obligation to do the maximum in our power to prevent the climate crisis from getting worse. Individual gestures are important, but they will never be enough. We must reclaim our collective tool, the State of Quebec, because it has unparalleled clout to make a 180-degree turn.
This requires a complete change of guard among our mandate holders, since they have failed miserably in recent years and with them all political parties
confused. So it’s up to the people to clean up by electing pro-climate MPs who don’t bow to the siren song of the big environmental lobbies. It’s too well kept a secret: the power of citizens is much, much stronger than the power of money, but it has to be exercised! 2022 is an election year and we as a people will have an extraordinary opportunity to change the future of Quebec and the planet this coming October.
Acting specifically at home to collectively clean up our own backyard with solutions that stick to our reality and territory is the only pragmatic route to the climate crisis. Political will is the only ingredient that is currently missing. Quebecers have the power to enforce that will and turn the tide.
Martine Ouellet, Quebec Climate Manager, former Minister of Natural Resources