Looking for leadership on the environment

It's disturbing that the government of Canada just isn't taking the needs of its citizens seriously. I'm talking about the environment, such a huge concern, with potential for real crisis. Yet we are one of the laggards at climate discussions, hanging back instead of taking the initiative, our government just not getting that people are ready to act because most of us realize how important this is.

I don't think they see that, apart from the looming environmental disasters that are already in motion, especially in the Canadian north, there is a new business model emerging with the environment at its core.

It's already taking shape. According to research done recently for ECO Canada, b y 2011, environmental employment is expected to reach 573,565—an increase of 8.1%. The national growth rate is estimated at 6.6%, meaning that jobs in the environmental sector are growing at a rate 23% faster than the national average. The provinces with the highest number of environmental employees -- right now they work in public administration; mining and oil and gas extraction; waste management; agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting; manufacturing --

are Ontario (42.5%), B.C. (17.6%) and Quebec (17.3%).

And there's much more to come. Because at this point most companies are considering the environment in some way, unheard of a decade ago. Restaurants are thinking about waste, hotels about water usage, and most businesses are turning off lights, recycling paper products, etc. In just the next two years, studies project, there will be a 14% increase in jobs in the air quality sector, 10% in restoration and reclamation, 8% in research and development and 7% in natural resource management.

We are moving ahead, growing new jobs, concerned about the environment in most areas of our lives. Maybe the Canadian government needs to learn a lesson from its citizens.