Your voice matters, now more than ever.
Has anyone ever thanked you for reading a blog? Today I’m going to. Because, chances are, if you’ve taken time out of your day to check in with WWF, then you are a friend and supporter of our cause. More importantly, chances are, you are a voice for nature in Canada. The newspaper headlines over the past months are a good indication of why now, more than ever, your voice matters. You’re likely aware of the troubling rhetoric that the environmental sector has faced recently. Even more concerning is the omnibus Bill C-38 currently in front of parliament, which if passed will make drastic changes to the laws and policies that protect our environment—rules that Canadians of all political stripes have supported for decades.
As an individual who cares about nature and conservation, you will want to know what we’re doing in the face of these challenges. Challenges that directly confront efforts to conserve our rivers and oceans, secure a healthy climate and a thriving Arctic.
First and foremost, we are pushing forward more passionately than ever on the conservation courses of action we’ve charted with your support. We’re advancing sustainable fishing and shipping practices with industry partners. We’re bringing new science forward to help protect the acoustic ocean habitat of whales and porpoises and the most resilient ice habitat for polar bears and narwhal. We’re helping map Canada’s renewable energy potential to demonstrate an alternative energy future for our country. And we’re demonstrating in key watersheds, like the St. Lawrence, that it’s possible to re-imagine and put in place a healthier future for our rivers.
But today, as I write, business as usual isn’t enough. To achieve the ambitious conservation goals our nation requires, we need our country’s decision-makers to understand, as one US Senator explained so eloquently, that “the economy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the environment.” We owe it to our communities and future generations to invest in the long-term, sustainable future of the lands and waters that make our quality of life and our Canadian livelihoods possible.
Over the past weeks and months, we have raised our voice. We’ve spoken before the Joint Review Panel about the risks of major oil pipelines through the Great Bear region. We’ve stood before the House Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development to advocate for a National Conservation Plan for Canada. And we’ve offered testimony to the Standing Committee on Natural Resources to reiterate the necessity of thoughtful, science-based planning for responsible Arctic development.
We are, in other words, doing exactly what you would want and expect WWF to do. However, in this watershed moment for nature in Canada, we’re also going beyond our historic approaches. On June 4th, as a partner in the Black Out Speak Out movement, WWF will darken our website in solidarity with our colleagues across the environmental sector. Together, we will sound a single, unified voice calling on our government to respect our Canadian values of nature and democracy. And, as our fellow-travelers, friends and supporters, we’ll provide a platform for you to do the same.
To join the effort and learn about the actions you can take now, I encourage you to visit www.blackoutspeakout.com. Again, I want to thank you for all you do for WWF and for our environment. Your commitment to the future of nature has never been more appreciated or important.
