- The Guardian
Big Oil has made Big Money from the American war against Iran. An analysis, published by The Guardian on April 15. 2026, found Russia and major fossil fuel firms are poised to make an extra $234 billion by the end of 2026, if the price of oil remains in the $100 range.
Earth Day has come and gone in 2026. As usual, initiatives were taken to clean up neighbourhoods. Lip service was paid to environmental concerns. However, now that April 22nd is over, many will forget about clean and water pollution. They will concentrate on paying their household expenses.
It seems as if environmental concerns have been put on the backburner by many. Few politicians, outside of green party candidates, have been making climate change a central issue in their election campaigns. In the 2024 U.S. election, Kamala Harris made little mention of the environment. Too many Americans agreed with Trump that climate change is a hoax and his promises to revive the fossil fuel industry.
It is understandable that people are greatly concerned about kitchen table issues such as inflation, jobs, pensions, the price of gas etc. Many feel that they have to choose between the economy and the environment. This is flawed thinking. The economy and the environment are not separate entities. Clean air results in better health and fewer respiratory diseases, which in turn lowers health costs. Green jobs can create employment and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Reliance on oil gives an upper hand to oil-producing countries that have unacceptable human rights records.
Climate change has resulted in wild fires and hurricanes. It has resulted to untold damage to people and to property. It has caused the extinction of many animal species. What kind of a future will we leave to future generations, if any future at all?
Sadly, in January of 2025, four of Canada's biggest banks abandoned the UN-backed Net Zero Banking Alliance, whose goal is to accelerate climate institutions. I am calling out those banks because they may think they have gotten away with it. They may think Canadians haven't noticed. I urge Canadians to take note of the fact that BMO, TD Bank Group and CIBC have confirmed that they have withdrawn their membership in Net Zero Banking. Shame on them! They followed the example of the six largest banks in the United States. which withdrew from the Alliance ahead of the presidential inauguration of notorious climate change denier Donald Trump.
in 2021, Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, was the UN special envoy for climate action. On stage at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, Carney proclaimed, "Right here, right now is where finance draws the line. That's when 160 financial institutions signed onto a climate finance super-group known as the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). The future prime minister described it as a watershed moment for energy transition.
When Carney became a politician and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, his fervour for the environment seemed to have dissipated. During the federal election campaign of 2025, the carbon tax was a major issue. The Conservatives, who are supposed to conserve, strongly criticized the carbon tax. It had become highly unpopular with Canadian voters, so unpopular that Carney promised to scrap it if the Liberals won the election. The truth is that they might have been voted out of power if the carbon tax had been retained.
When the Liberals won a minority government on April 28, 2025, the first action Carney took was to scrap the carbon tax. Until recently, he hasn't focused much on the environment. However, on Tuesday, March 31, the prime minister announced $3.8 billion in funding to protect nature. There will be new conservation sites in James Bay and Manitoba as the government intends to create national parks and marine reserves. The government is also seeking private sector investment to fund its conservation strategy, During his press conference in Wakefield, Quebec, Carney stated that creating conservation areas is ambitious and requires a great deal of funding. "We can't do it with public money alone," he emphasized.
On April 21 (the day before Earth Day), Prime Minister announced a Strategy to Protect Nature. His strategy is dependent on private investment and alternative money. The plan is to credit non-governmental efforts to conserve lands. But will businesses and investors put private funding into conservation? Canadians had better hope so because Canada has only four years remaining to achieve its goal of protecting 30 per cent of its lands and waters by 2030. Only 14 per cent of Canada is presently protected.
90-year-old environmental champion, Dr. David Suzuki told the CBC that it may be too late for humanity to escape the ravages of climate change, but he's not giving up the fight. He believes the future of the movement is through the actins of local communities.
- Joanne
