The environment is a topic at the forefront of the upcoming election.
With the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Keystone XL Pipeline, energy use and economic growth on the table, voters and candidates are paying more attention to ecology than ever before.
At the same time, the economy is an important topic, especially for students who are thinking about life after graduation and the job market.
In a recent poll, 29 per cent of Canadians aged 18-34 said that the economy was the most important election issue followed by 15 per cent who said it was the environment, making these the top two topics in this year's federal election campaign.
But is it necessary to choose one over the other?
Peter Victor, an ecological economist at York University in Toronto, doesn’t think so.
“If we don’t take care of the environment, then I don’t know what people mean by economic growth … you’re going to have economic growth, but when you turn the tap on the water is undrinkable,” said Victor.
The question of growth, he argued, must include awareness about how “the whole economy functions in relation to the whole biosphere.”
“Climate change and carbon emissions have been politicized … but every single person needs a climate to live in,” said Julie Van de Valk, a fourth-year geological engineering student and member of UBCC350. According to Van de Valk, environmental issues and the economy “are a split in today’s politics, but they’re not a split in reality.”
Most candidates in this year’s federal election are running on a platform of economic growth, but many students feel it is necessary to analyze this policy in the light of its environmental impact.
Cailean Harris, second year computer sciences student, says that he would vote based on environmental policy over economic.
“The economy is this human and societal construct,” said Harris. “The environment is more of an ecosystem which we inhabit and which we can change in ways that may drastically and negatively affect how we live.”
Many of the current economic initiatives being discussed in this election have negative impacts on the environment.
The Trans Pacific Partnership that Stephen Harper is seeking to finalize will end many international trade barriers and delocalize the production of many goods. Importing goods for cheaper from countries including the USA and China can lead to rising greenhouse gas production through increases in transportation.
Also, the Keystone XL pipeline will create jobs but will result in deforestation in northern Canada, use large amounts of fresh water and increase carbon emissions — all of which contribute to global warming.
“We’re bumping up on some really significant limits,” said Victor. “We’re taking more from the biosphere than can be sustained.”
Victor’s research indicates that economic growth should not be the goal because it will devastate our future. Instead, he claims we should work to create a more productive and less massively growing economy. In a steady state economy, he believes we would rebalance the distribution of resources to improve our well-being rather than using more resources.
“Having productive infrastructure means having a climate policy,” said Van de Valk. “We are going to have huge financial costs of ignoring climate change … really protection of our climate is protecting our economy.”
However, most students don't see it this way.
Nick Wong, a fourth year psychology major, is voting for the economy.
“I don’t feel like any of [the parties] have environmental policies strong enough to make that much of a change, so I’d vote on economy more,” he said. Once the economy is stronger, Wong said he would feel more free to think of the environment. Until then, he’ll be looking at fiscal policies.
According to Victor, students “are thinking about [environmental issues] as individuals … but that doesn’t solve the problem on a macro scale … how are we going to solve these problems as a group, as a community, [or] as people?”
UBCC350 will be hosting a discussion between the Vancouver Quadra Liberal, NDP and Green Party election candidates about climate change issues in the political agenda. The event, “Vote for Our Future,” will be held October 6 on UBC campus and intends to trigger more climate awareness and activism leading up to the election.
“This is our last chance to have a meaningful international policy … we need to address [climate change] with our eyes open,” said Van de Valk.