This week in the environment

The environment certainly seems to be building as a key issue for Canadians and rightly so. If you live in eastern Canada the absence of winter is a clear testament to climate change; in western Canada it is the extreme weather that BC has been experiencing with alarming regularity over the past two months.

Business may now be sitting up and taking notice now that it is having a substantial economic impact. The TSX fell by 445 points this week with energy (and the warm winter) leading the charge. CBC Newsworld has had multiple reports on the impact of the warm winter on ski resorts and tourism generally in eastern Canada. And the economic impact on Vancouver and BC has also been significant.

Waking up to the fact that his government is rightly being recognized for their abysmal record on the environment, Prime Minister Harper this week appointed John Baird as his new Environment Minister. But it's questionable whether Harper really intends substantive changes to his laughable Clean Air Act which he announced last October remains to be seen. Baird has no environmental credentials, and his primary role seems to be to continue try to defuse the situation by ramping up the attacks on the Liberals for their own failings on the environment and incorporate enough of Jack Layton's environment bill to make Mr. Harper seem greener. It's questionable as to whether Baird really believes there's a problem.

As for Harper, his motives are at least as suspect. While he seems to enjoy some bi-partisan support, appointing Jim Prentice as chair to the cabinet committee as on environment and energy security is also a questionable appointment, given his history as a proponent of new pipelines to support development of the tar sands. Mr. Harper has done nothing to date to convince me (or any other reasonable person for that matter) that he has changed his mind on Canada becoming and "energy superpower" as he announced last fall. Elizabeth May, who has impeccable credentials, contrasted Mr. Harper with former PM Brian Mulroney, calling him the worst prime minister in history regarding environmental issues in her interview with Peter Mansbridge on Mansbridge One on One this Sunday.

On a brighter note, Evan Solomon had a great interview with Worldchanging's Alex Steffen on Hottype. Nice way to end the week. Now let's all run out, buy the book and start coming up with our own great ideas to change our world before it's too late.