Personal Letter to the Prime Minister - Essay Example

A Personal Letter to the Prime Minister A Personal Letter to the Prime Minister Mr. Prime Minister Government action regarding the climate changes in Canada Mr. Prime Minister, Being an honored citizen of Canada, the growing climate change has been one of the most important issues I have been thinking about lately. I am not only concerned about the problem but I am eager to research about it and find a solution to this problem which has affected Canada in several ways which are continuously being ignored by us or rather hidden. It has affect country’s economy as well as matters of daily life. I am writing this letter with concern about my country and hope that you will agree with the urgency of the matter. I hope that you will take necessary steps to ensure a healthy and comfortable life for the citizens of Canada as well as save the economy from the devastating effects of this global issue. The issue of climate change or global warming in Canada has become the most significant and talked about issues in the country. The increasing level of pollution has disrupted not only the personal lives of human beings on daily basis but has also created a long lasting problem for future generations of Canadian; by the depletion of the ozone layer. Pollution remains one of the main reasons why Canada is facing extreme climatic conditions in the last few years. Being a country which has a huge appetite for the consumption of energy the emission of greenhouse gases is also leading to some drastic changes in the climate of the region. I would like to quote a few statistics to support the claim that Canada is indeed using a large amount of energy and is producing tons of greenhouse gases. According to an article on the website of David Suzuki Foundation, a foundation that is helping Canadians “Canada makes up less than one half of one percent of the worlds population, but is the worlds eighth largest producer of greenhouse gases, 702 million tons in 2011” (Canadas emissions, 2014). The organization revolves around the proposed solution by the general population to government in order to help finding better solutions to the environmental problems that are at rise in Canada. It is essential that the government of Canada takes an action on this issue as large areas of the country are being affected that in turn are affecting the economy of the country. Alberta, fourth most populous province of Canada for example is facing extreme hot summers with almost no summer precipitation due to which this province is facing serious drought. In 2002 Alberta faced a serious drought, the driest summer in 133 years, which destroyed most of its agricultural sector and had serious consequences on the economy; it proved to be so serious that Ontario had to provide the province with hay. These scarcities also lead to an increased price of hay in the province (Diaz et al, 2010). Another example of the disastrous effects due to excessive pollution and climate change is of British Columbia, a province which experiences extreme weathers from heavy rainfall and snow to heat waves and droughts. Due to the extreme temperatures British Columbia faced some of its worst fires which destroyed thousands of acres of forest land; in 2010 almost 330,000 hectares were lost in fire (Summary of Previous Fire Seasons). High temperatures have also made forest areas more susceptible to mountain pine beetle, which lead to 18 million hectares of dead forest that directly affected many forest related industries (Long, 2004). Not only the land related industries are being affected by this change but the fishing industry is also being affected by the ongoing climate change. An article published in ‘the star’ highlights how the niche of trout will be affected by the warming up of climates. It is disasters like these which the government should address while making appropriate decisions and policies that can help to boost the economy of Canada. It is not only the disasters but the up roar in public regarding this matter, that the government should take this issue seriously, These statistics show how important it has become for the government to take action on this matter (Berkes & Arctic Institute of North America 2005). Researching on this topic, I found that most of the problems due to climate change in Canada can be traced back to an increased amount of pollution in the country. In all of these factors the emission of greenhouse gases has been the main concern for the climatic changes. Many steps and initiatives are being taken in order to control the pollution by various provinces. But I believe that the fast deteriorating climate condition in the whole country makes it a matter of federal importance. I believe that the federal government should take up the charge of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases to ensure a better tomorrow for its citizens. The ever increasing amount of greenhouse gas emission is indeed worrisome for the country, an article in ‘the guardian’ states that in 2009 Canada was ranked at number 7 out of 216 countries in terms of per capita greenhouse gas emission (Furgal et al, 2006). This data shows the urgency of the matter and how the federal government should take up this matter and allot funds to entities that will help in the reduction of greenhouse gas emission. One of the most basic solutions I would like to propose Mr. Prime minister is to look for alternative energy resources. Most of the air pollution is being produced by the burning of fossil fuels like gas, oil and coal. If we were to look elsewhere for energy, like wind energy or solar energy we would be able to cut back a lot on the emission of greenhouse gases. There are many foundations that are working on projects like installation of windmills and solar panels that would reduce the emission of carbon. The government should take such projects at a federal level and work alongside such foundations to ensure that these initiatives are carried out on large scale. These policies can be implemented in the industrial sector to ensure the minimization of greenhouse gases at a large scale. I believe that government should make policies and laws that would enforce large industries to install projects like windmills and solar panels as their source of energy. It should also make a law where all the other entities (such as schools and offices) should also install these projects which in turn would reduce the burning of fossil fuels, gas and oil as a source of energy. I believe that the government should help large organizations in setting such projects up as it would be beneficial for the Canadian citizens. The government should also provide extra money to sectors that are involved in the emission of greenhouse gases. Such projects might face opposition in the beginning due to the high costs of installation but if we were to compare the advantage down the road it will give us the cost of installation and it would be apparent that using alternative sources of energy would benefit the country in the long run. It will not only reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the environment but will also lead to a healthier environment. This can further boost the economy of the country as the country would not face extreme climatic conditions which give rise to disasters like floods and forest fires. I feel honored to be a part of this country and being a citizen of this country I consider it my duty to take a step towards the betterment of its economy and living conditions. I believe that during this research I have found out that although the problem we face due to the high amounts of pollution and climate change are of extreme nature, we still have a way out of it. I believe in the system and have faith in our government that it would take essential steps that are required to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emission. The recent losses the country had to face due to these climate changes will soon be neutralized by the steps this government. In the future the Canadians would face a lesser threat than it faces now from pollution , as the article states that right now almost 10 million Canadians are at risk from high exposure of pollution due to traffic (Ubelacker, 2014). Thank you Yours sincerely (Name) References Berkes, F., & Arctic Institute of North America. (2005). Breaking ice: Renewable resource and ocean management in the Canadian north. Calgary: University of Calgary Press. Canadas emissions. (n.d.). David Suzuki Foundation. Retrieved January 29, 2014, from http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/climate-change/science/canada-climate-change/canadas-emissions Conservation management of rivers and wetlands under climate change. (2011). Collingwood, Vic: CSIRO Publishing. Diaz, H. P., Kulshreshtha, S. N., Sauchyn, D. J., & University of Regina. (2010). The new normal: The Canadian prairies in a changing climate. Regina: CPRC Press. Furgal, Christopher, & Seguin, Jacinthe. (2006). Climate Change, Health, and Vulnerability in Canadian Northern Aboriginal Communities. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Long, D. (2004). Global warming. New York: Facts on File. Ubelacker, S. (n.d.). 10 million Canadians at risk from exposure to traffic pollution: researchers. CTVNews. Retrieved January 28, 2014, from http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/10-million-canadians-at-risk-from-exposure-to-traffic-pollution-researchers-1.1506719 Read More