Dear Mr. Trudeau,
I am writing regarding the environmental issue that has recently been placed on the agenda of the Canadian economy and foreign policy. The connection between economy and environment is especially tight in Canada. Because of the rise in the air pollution rates that have been witnessed over the past few years, the quality of life and living conditions has been dropping significantly, leading to an inevitable reduction in the chances for a sustainable economy. Therefore, introducing a set of measures that will help address the environmental concerns is more than welcome. Even though the goals set by the Canadian government are sustainable and, therefore, rather sensible, it could use a better focus on the issues raised in the Paris Accords, such as the introduction of cleaner technology into the business and household environments.
Indeed, a closer look at the impact that the use of fossil fuels has on the environment will reveal that the subject matter contributes to large emissions of CO2 (Muldoon et al. 114). As a result, air pollution and the following threat of acid rains are the primary negative impact of using fossil fuels in the industry as a source of energy. However, a closer look at the environmental effects of fossil fuels will show that acid rains, when being introduced to a particular ecosystem, enter the ground, thus, contaminating groundwater and triggering inevitable water pollution (Trinh). Herein lies the necessity to focus on managing water pollution as well, which is not included in the course of actions taken by the Canadian government.
Economy vs. Environment
Economic issues are closely related to the environmental ones in Canada at present. As stressed above the pollution levels are bound to affect ecosystems on a variety of levels. Consequently, there is a threat of underproduction of certain goods because of environmental issues.
Furthermore, it would be wrong to deny that the use of fossil fuels is currently among the cheapest production options and, therefore, the easiest way for organizations to produce a significant amount of goods. A shift toward more sustainable practices is bound to affect the production levels to a considerable degree, reducing them and, therefore, hampering the economic growth of the state (McAllister 108). Thus, even though there is a need to meet the environmental obligations, France will have to make a tremendous effort in redesigning its industries.
Herein lies the reason for the Canadian government to be very cautious in the choice of measures. While his current decisions may have a comparatively small effect on the environmental situation, they also help maintain the economic stability of the state. Once a more rigid set of measures is introduced, the threat of an economic crisis will become rather tangible.
Paris Accords
A closer look at Paris Accords will reveal that the results of parties’ negotiations included the promotion of an overall more sustainable policy. The framework suggested by the Canadian government, in its turn, seems to revolve primarily around the CO2 emission problems.
One must give the current advances of the Canadian government credit for covering the rest of the requirements set during the Paris Accords. For instance, the significance of reducing the global emission levels has been embraced and addressed accordingly. It seems, however, that Trudeau’s strategy of balancing between the necessity to cater to the needs of entrepreneurs as far as the choice of fuel is concerned, and the requirements set in the Paris Accords. The steps that he has been taking so far align with the Paris Accords, yet the changes have been very slight. Therefore, a change in the approach toward resources management and the transfer to sustainable usage of resources must be viewed as a necessity at present. Furthermore, businesses will have to be supported financially so that the transfer could be carried out successfully.
Canada Jurisdiction
The environmental law is under the jurisdiction of several bodies in Canada (Government of Canada). Herein is the primary problem faced by Canada; with no uniform strategy toward the management of environmental concerns, the environmental standards have been rather loose. At present, the Canadian stance on the issue of sustainability, reduction of waste and pollution levels, and the associated environmental issues concerns reducing the levels of fossil fuel usage (Trinh). The identified objective is rather vague, which has been giving enough room for the choice of a resource management strategy to Canadian companies.
The introduction of a set of clear and cohesive standards of resource management, as well as active promotion of environmentalism, will serve as the foundation for making a change in the realm of the Canadian economy. As a result, the alterations to how companies operate and manage waste will be rapid yet not as drastic as they could have been without the appropriate guidelines.
Furthermore, it is highly recommended that EPA should establish a stronger bond with the Canadian government. Thus, the standards for environmental management will be set more carefully and elaborately (Muldoon et al. 105). Granted that EPA already cooperates with the Canadian government, the focus of the two has been on the external issues and global concerns so far: “The U.S. and Canadian government agencies that work on environmental issues held their semi-annual meeting on April 21 in Washington, DC before the two governments’ meeting with the International Joint Commission (IJC)” (“EPA Collaboration with Canada”). Consequently, the time has come for EPA to offer the Canadian government assistance in shaping an appropriate set of regulations that will allow changing the landscape of environmental regulations in Canada.
Trump: Response
A recent report indicates that Donald Trump avoids discussing the environmental issue with the Canadian government (Blanchfield). The identified change in the conversation about the environmental agenda between the two politicians can be attributed to the fact that Donald Trump has a different stance on the subject matter. According to the recent statements made by the new American leader, he does not believe in climate change as a phenomenon. To be more accurate, Trump does not consider climate change to be human-induced, in contrast to his former competitor, Hillary Clinton:
Most notably, she accepts climate change as a human-caused reality, while he does not. The scientific debate about climate change has ended, largely because it’s been an obvious, observable reality for decades now that humans are causing warming global temperatures — and the host of problems that come with them. (Harrington)
Therefore, there is a threat that the tremendous change which will have to be made to the French legal and economic field may not occur. Without the proper support from the United States and EPA, France may lose the battle with pollution and resource scarcity. Thus, it is imperative to make sure that the necessary steps should be taken to ensure further progress.
It could be assumed that France might not seek help outside, but, instead, focus on the development of its environment management tools. Particularly, the emphasis on research and development, as well as academic research, must be placed. Thus, innovative approaches allowing for a rapid drop in waste production, as well as the enhancement of sustainable use of resources, will become a possibility for the companies operating in France. Furthermore, the identified framework will help sustain the French business and, therefore, prevent an economic crisis (McAllister 59).
Recommendations
The current implementation of environmental policies leaves much to be desired without a focus on sustainability. The Canadian government is striving to meet the Paris Accords, yet it is unwilling to enter the domain of private entrepreneurship by affecting its access to the available resources. It could be argued that the introduction of a set of more rigid regulations could help France address the environmental concerns, particularly, the management of pollution rates in the state. However, the complexity of the problem and its connection to the French economy does not allow making rapid alterations to the current system. Furthermore, one must bear in mind that the French jurisdiction does not have a strong stance on the issue of environmentalism. Thus, investing in the search for the alternative management of resources and the transfer toward the usage of energy sources other than fossil fuels must be considered a necessity. Granted that the identified strategy will require a significant amount of time, it is bound to build the foundation for a responsible approach toward environmental issues, at the same time not interfering with the economic processes.
Thank you for taking your time to consider my suggestions. I am deeply concerned about the current environmental situation, and I hope that the climate change issue will finally be resolved. Furthermore, I am positively sure that you and the Canadian government will find the solution to the specified problem.
Works Cited
Blanchfield, Mike. “Trump, Trudeau Avoid Climate Change Talk, Use ‘Coded’ Language on Environment.” National Observer. 2017, Web.
“EPA Collaboration with Canada.” EPA, Web.
Harrington, Rebecca. “President-elect Donald Trump Doesn’t Believe in Climate Change. Here’s His Platform on the Environment.” Business Insider. 2016, Web.
Government of Canada. “Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Relations.” Government of Canada. 2015, Web.
McAllister, Mary-Louise. “Sustaining Twenty-First Century Canadian Communities in an Era of Complexity.” Canadian Environmental Policy and Politics. 4th ed., edited by Debora.L. VanNijnatten, Oxford University Press, 2016.
Muldoon, Paul, et al. An Introduction to Environmental Law and Policy in Canada. 2nd ed., Emond Montgomery Publishers, 2015.
Trinh, Teresa. “Justin Trudeau’s Environment Plan: End Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Invest in Clean Tech.” CBC News. 2015, Web.