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Social Policy in Politics

The Depolititization of Climate Change: An Avoidable Catastrophe

Rory Fisher
Thompson Rivers University
Word Count: 1317

Social Policy in Politics

The Depolititization of Climate Change: An Avoidable Catastrophe

Until now, nations all over the world have ignored the harsh reality that the worlds most
popular energy source (oil) is causing irreversible damage to the atmosphere. In fact, scientists
have proven that burning fossil fuels like oil has substantially increased the amount of Carbon
Dioxide (CO2) in the air consequently affecting climates all over the world. For example, in
recent years the climate in Canada has been destabilized resulting in a noticeable change in
weather patterns ranging from shifting precipitation patterns to extreme heat events that
consequently threaten the well-being of Canadians and will continue to do so at an increasing
rate (Source). In an episode of Cosmos a Space Time Odyssey, Neil deGrasse Tyson, an
American astrophysicist, states that nations all over the world are dumping carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere at a rate the earth hasn't seen since the great climate catastrophes of the past, the
ones that led to mass extinctions (Source). Consequently, the effects of climate change will
drown our coastal cities and wreak havoc on the environment and our ability to feed ourselves
(Source)In spite of this, there has been an ongoing historical debate on the causes of climate
change that has created a false dichotomy between politics and scientific fact.
Even though scientists like Tyson are continuously providing the public with concrete
evidence on the effects that CO2 emissions are having on the atmosphere, skeptics still believe
that climate change is a swindle, a [political] conspiracy, [and] an attempt to undermine our
way of life (Source). In response to skeptics, a team of scientists examined the abstracts of 11
944 scientist who had previously written about the effects of climate change (Source) As a result,
scientists determined that an overwhelming percentage (97.2%) of those papers reinforced the
scientific consensus that CO2 emissions are in fact changing our climate (Source). In spite of this
data, many other studies show what is called a "backfire effect" (Source)In other words, the

Social Policy in Politics

backfire effect refers to how skeptics will not be swayed by facts, finding all manner of
rationalizations to ignore the overwhelming evidence of climate change (Source)In Canada,
many of these skeptics are government officials who have the ability to help reduce the effects of
climate change. In particular, this essay extrapolates on how the New Democratic Party, the
Liberal Party, and the Conservative Party plan to address climate change through their own
independent ideologies.
In Canada today, it is the Conservative government who is power and serves as the
dominant ideology. One of the key aspects of the Conservative ideology, pertains to maintaining
the status quo on Canadas free market economy (Source). In brief, a free market economy
pertains to an economic system in which private business operates in competition and largely
free of state control (Source). For example, the oil and gas industry over many years has
brilliantly delayed any implementation of federal regulations [on carbon emissions] in one of the
most concerted and successful lobbying efforts in modern Canadian history (Source) Ironically,
the Conservative Party website states that the government should promote alternative energy
(such as wind, solar, geothermal), transitional fuels (such as biodiesel, ethanol, natural gas), and
the development of hydrogen as a fuel (Source). Yet, Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper
neglected the opportunity to work with other leaders and reduce Canadas carbon emotion output
when he decided to skip out on the 2014 UN Climate Summit (Walkom, 2014, p. 1). Indeed by
skipping the UN Climate Summit, Harper was able to avoid any international pressure that
proposes him to regulate carbon emissions being released into the air by the Canadian oil
industry (UN Climate Summit, 2014, p. 1). Namely because regulating the oil industry would
disrupt the industries status quo, which currently serves the best interests of the Conservative
Political Party.

Social Policy in Politics

In contrast to the Conservative party, the Liberal Party is more likely to take the side of
the scientific consensus and proclaim that global warming is real, [and] human-caused (Dunlap
& McCright, 2011. p. 180). Also, the Liberals acknowledge that a free market economy is flawed
and accordingly assumes responsibility for fixing any problems that may occur (Hulko, 2014).
Justin Trudeau, the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, believes that the Conservative
government has made the oil sands have become a poster child for climate change (McCarthy,
2014, p. 1). In response, the Liberal party plans a national climate policy that would target both
consumers and industry, including regulations aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions from
the oil sands (Source). In other words, the Liberals plan to explore a more socia(Source). lly
responsible approach than the [Conservatives], without breaking the oil industrys back
(Toronto Star, 2014, p. 1). In the end, not only has Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of
Canada acknowledged the scientific evidence that burning fossil fuels is affecting the
environment; they also plan to regulate the amount of greenhouse gasses that are being emitted
by the oil sands in hopes of restoring the industries reputation.
Finally, the New Democratic Party is unique because they incorporate Environmentalism
into their ideology (Source). In particular, Environmentalism pertains to the advocacy of the
preservation, restoration, or improvement of the natural environment; especially: the movement
to control pollution (Source). NDP Leader, Tom Mulcair, accuses the Liberal party of failing to
take action on climate change claiming that it was a willful, not accidental inaction (Source).
In response, members of the NDP party have re-introduced the Climate Change Accountability
Act (Source). Furthermore, the Climate Change Accountability Act sets a national greenhouse
gas emission targets for Canada that align with scientific assessments of the emission reductions
needed to have a chance of avoiding a dangerous climate change (Source). In order to avoid

Social Policy in Politics

catastrophic climate change, Mulcair plans to meet the science-based targets [and] reduce
greenhouse gases to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 (Source).All in all, the NDP party plans on
reducing CO2 emissions by directing infrastructure stimulus spending in a strategic way to focus
on public transit, retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient and following urban
design to make [Canadian] communities more energy efficient (Source). Thus in contrast to the
Liberal and the Conservative parties, the NDP uses scientific evidence to implement legislative
policies aimed to reduce Canadas carbon emission output.
In conclusion, the NDP is the only party that doesnt focus on the oil industry while
addressing the impacts of climate change. In contrast, both the Liberal and Conservative
ideologies tend to address climate change by focusing their perspectives on sustaining and
preserving the Canadian oil industry. The Conservative Party tends to be so obsessed with
protecting the status quo of the oil industry, that they are willing to ignore concrete scientific
evidence that burning oil is causing irreversible damage to the environment. Whereas, the
Liberal Party believes that climate change can be addressed responsibly without completely
destroying the oil industry. Personally, I believe that the NDP has a more effective strategy to
address climate change because they place less emphasis on the status quo of the oil industry and
more on the ideology of Environmentalism. However, one things that the NDP, the Liberal Party,
and the Conservative party fail to address in their agenda is how they plan on addressing climate
change as a social issue. If Canadian politicians fail to regulate the oil industries CO2 emissions,
they will further destabilize the worlds climate consequently contributing to a social problem
that cannot be fixed by politics.

Social Policy in Politics

References
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Social Policy in Politics

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Social Policy in Politics

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_by_skipping_un_summit_walkom.html#

Social Policy in Politics