Climate of distrust
Prime Minister Stephen Harper refuses to attend the UN climate summit (Ottawa Drops The Ball On Clean Energy, Report Finds – Report on Business, Sept. 22).
Meanwhile, the Rockefellers of Standard Oil lineage announce significantly increased divestment in their oil-related holdings, saying it is the right thing to do. And Clean Energy Canada releases a report stating that shifting to clean energy is the new economic engine. Despite this, Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq continues to iterate Mr. Harper's mantra that economic growth is tied to continued expansion of the Alberta tar sands.
This myopic ideological indebtedness to oil interests will significantly impede Canada's economic progress.
Steve Sanderson, Quispamsis, N.B.
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The world's population, fewer than four billion people in the 1960s, has topped seven billion. We can forever enact regulations curtailing harmful emissions. And we can forever march in protest against those who don't comply, yet never relieve worldwide pollution and its effect on climate unless we acknowledge the core issue of overpopulation.
Let's begin by stating the problem clearly, because only then will we be able to start any meaningful debate on solutions: We are overpopulated, the problem is worsening, the demand for goods continues to increase.
Vladimir Antonowych, Ottawa
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Blockadia's basics
Naomi Klein tells us that "Blockadia" – "the loosely affiliated network of social movements that is confronting the extractive industry" – is a moral imperative that is "keeping carbon in the ground" (A Change Is Gonna Come – Books, Sept. 20). The booming economies of Alberta and North Dakota beg to differ.
Ms. Klein's eco-moralist army is akin to America's War on Drugs, attacking the supply side of a market that has unquenchable demand. Like the moralist drug crusaders, they will fail miserably.
What it would really take to keep the carbon in the ground is a dramatic increase in the cost of energy, and a dramatic reduction in energy use and living standards by Canadians.
Christopher Price, Toronto
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There are in fact four or five main forms of capital – natural, social, human, economic and, in some models, built capital. Unfortunately our present model and its supporters see only one or two forms (economic and built capital), and they build these forms of capital by depleting natural capital, and also at times by depleting social and human capital. This is an unsustainable strategy that has brought us to the ecologically and socially unsustainable state we are in.
In the 21st century, we need a new form of capitalism, one that simultaneously builds all forms of capital. That is the challenge facing society, our business sector and our communities, and Naomi Klein does us all a big favour by pointing this out.
Trevor Hancock, Victoria
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Referendum gun
What should we really learn from the Scottish independence vote?
We should learn that politicians are scared by how engaged people become in referendums.
We should learn that referendums produce knee-jerk reactions by desperate politicians.
We should learn that there is little willingness to evolve the status quo without the threat of destruction by referendum.
We should learn that change promised through referendum campaigns only encourages another round of brinkmanship.
We should learn that referendums produce mostly losers, not winners.
We should learn how important it is to adapt and evolve our own Constitution through incremental, focused changes.
To prove the country works, we need to be able to make changes without a referendum gun to our collective head. That would be the Canadian way.
Mark Verlinden, Oakville, Ont.
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Britain's David Cameron, following his promises of reform, occupies a position similar to that in which Pierre Trudeau found himself after the 1980 Quebec referendum. Mr. Trudeau's promises of constitutional reform during that referendum led to the 1982 Constitution, which received the assent of all provinces, save the province that had held the referendum.
If in the end Mr. Cameron's reforms are acceptable to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but not Scotland, he will, like Mr. Trudeau, be leaving the problem to a successor and, like Mr. Trudeau, run the risk of breaking up the country.
Michael O'Shea, Outremont, Que.
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A simple concept for Britain would be to embrace the old adage about doing unto others as you would have others do unto you. This statement should be applied to all walks of life, situations and any rewriting of constitutions. For Britain, this means treat the Welsh, Northern Irish and English as you would treat the Scottish.
Walter F. Petryschuk, Sarnia, Ont.
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Pittsburgh? Really?
The suggestion that Pittsburgh is a model for Hamilton cannot go unchallenged (Pittsburgh A Good Model For Hamilton – Sept. 20). For each of the past three years, we've registered over a billion dollars in new building permits in Hamilton.
We have the lowest unemployment and youth unemployment of Ontario's big cities. Manufacturing continues to be the basis of a stable economy; it's our largest sector, with around 23,000 jobs. National Steel Car just hired 400 new workers.
Of the 30 blast furnaces operating in North America, three are in Hamilton, providing millions of dollars in wages and taxes.
Pittsburgh was designated a financially distressed municipality in 2003 and remains so. I would be happy to have our economic development staff share with Pittsburgh insights as to how Hamilton has revitalized and flourished during Pittsburgh's decade of decline.
Bob Bratina, mayor, Hamilton
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Step away, CRTC
After doing next to nothing to help consumers out with cable, cellphone or Internet service and huge bills, the CRTC wants to mess around with Netflix, the rare TV service that provides quality programing at an affordable price (Netflix Vs. CRTC: Streaming Giant Fires Back At Regulator – Report on Business, Sept. 20).
Controlling the Internet is a lot like herding cats – lots of fuss and it doesn't work. The CRTC needs to step away. The people actually like Netflix as it is.
Marty Cutler, Toronto
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How cool is that?
I sometimes wonder what our world would be like if Alexander Graham Bell had invented the telephone years after someone else had come up with e-mailing, texting, tweeting et al. (Just A Phone Call Away From A Silent Future – Sept. 22).
"What, you mean I can actually talk to someone directly instead of punching out all my little misspelled messages on this stubby little keyboard? How cool is that?"
Dan Turner, Ottawa