There is no doubt that we Canadians are facing many issues and concerns in our daily lives. That could be said by the citizenry of many countries. The prioritization of these concerns is not only newsworthy but of crucial importance to the wellbeing of Mother Nature. And be aware, that ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.’ Theoretically or plausibly, politicians are supposed to resolve the concerns of the electorate and they routinely consult the polls to identify these concerns.
Before I declare my misgivings about the ranking of one of the issues of public concern, I have consulted the recent polling data compiled by Abacus Data. This firm is a widely recognized and reliable Canadian pollster. The polls I referred to herein were taken in 2024.
The concern identified here is the ranking of climate change and the environment. Remarkably, the ranking of this issue in the minds of Canadians dropped 14 percentage points in 2024 versus 2023. This decline ranks this matter to a ninth place finish among thirteen issues of major concern among Canadians according to the pollster.
By far, the issue of the rising cost of living was the greatest concern held by Canadians. Fully 71 percent of the respondents reported this as their most crucial concern. This was followed by housing affordability (46 percent), healthcare (42 percent), the economy (27 percent) and immigration at (27 percent). All of these were above the concern for the environment, which dropped to 23 percentage points.
And here is my concern about the issue of global warming becoming less of an anxiety for Canadians and most likely our global neighbours. I will start with a question: When is the last time you heard about or read about global warming? I would contend that a large number of our number would answer ‘Tt’s been quite awhile.’ It appears that it has gone from front page news and is now buried somewhere after the funnies section of the newspaper or near the end of the nightly newscast.
And if any of that be near true, then it is likely the same for our conscientiousness about reducing our disrespectful pollution practices. Maybe we have become bored with the topic and the news media has detected that ennui and are pandering to our more recent issues of concern.
I believe the environmentalists once held our attention and we listened to their constant suggestions to save our planet. Listen to the import of those last three words: save our planet. If we don’t follow that advice then there are horrific consequences. We are on the path to continuing to destroy our planet.
Need further evidence? More frequent hurricanes, boil water advisories, floods, wildfires, polluted air and water, all just some of the warnings Mother Nature has displayed, showing her tolerance is nearly at her limit. If these disasters continue to increase in numbers and ferocity then maybe it is because we have shelved global warming to our own peril.
It seems apparent that many environmentalists and global warning activists have almost given up their efforts to save our planet when faced with such apathetic responses from our political leadership and citizenry. Hopefully, it will not be another weather or environmental disaster that reawakens us to the reality that global warming needs to be taken seriously in our daily lives.
