As Canadians grapple with rising living costs, concern for the environment has taken a noticeable dip—highlighting a growing divide between economic survival and ecological responsibility.

A remarkable view from Niagara Helicopters shot by Owen Bjorgan. How many of these new households think—or don’t think—about the protection of the environment as costs of living soar, he wonders.

1 / 1 A remarkable view from Niagara Helicopters shot by Owen Bjorgan. How many of these new households think—or don’t think—about the protection of the environment as costs of living soar, he wonders. Advertisement

Economic times are hard, and that makes it hard on the environment

Let’s be blunt. When was the last time the economy was comfortable and good for the majority of the population?

There is a fascinating correlation between economic health and environmental care around the world. In terms of wealth, I’d like to narrow this term down to socioeconomic status. The more financial hardship and poverty exists, the more our values toward the environment diminish. The most polluted rivers in the world are found in regions that are overpopulated and poor. The countries with the least organized rubbish disposal and recycling programs are the most littered. However, when you’re living on less than $1 a day, why should and how could these people care?

On a less dire but appreciably similar scale, a similar situation is unfolding in the minds of Canadians as we plunge deeper into this decade and the associated affordability crisis. Yes, the environment has taken a back seat for sociopolitical reasons, but there is an affordability aspect to this story, too.

Listening to CBC Radio the other day, I heard an interesting yet unsurprising interview unfold. The host was analyzing data and polls on how Canadians have felt about climate change (we can presume that these are the same Canadians who are also concerned about the natural environment) over the last three federal elections. In 2015, it was the vast majority of Canadians who voted with climate change as a top three election issue. In 2019, it was still the majority of Canadians, but just a bit over half. By the 2021 election, the number was well below half. The theme was clear as I was driving and listening along.

This is not a shocker. Since COVID times, quite literally everything became more expensive. Looking at the timelines of affordability living in Canada and climate change interest, both indexes have fallen massively. This is the nature of us, as a species. However if you live in a relatively comfortable existence, that may allow your minds to remain open and energetic to considering the implications of climate change and environmental degradation.

However, the family that is living pay cheque to pay cheque may not be as concerned or connected to the climate and environment. When a family can’t afford a house and wishes they could eat better food as Canadians, they can’t experience luxury and aren’t likely to applaud their politicians or vote for the natural world’s protection, and as a self-described environmentalist, I totally get it.

From my observation, COVID was the pivotal point when we lost the plot on protecting the local and global ecosystems, which serve us all. We got embedded in self-preservation, respect for others, dealing with stress and identity politics all at the same time. In doing so, we went inward as a species, and ironically, we forgot about the very thing that sustains all of us – a healthy environment. We became humans looking after other humans while simultaneously ignoring the foundation beneath our feet. When someone wants to feel less stressed and feed their kids better food in this area of the world, it becomes understandably easy to forget about how nature provides for everyone in every age bracket.

This is why the voters caring for climate change and the environment dipped so severely in the 2020s. I feel like this period only took a few years, but that’s all that was needed to set our society on a trajectory of combating culture wars, petty issues, political bias and micro-problems that actually don’t massively influence the world.

Here is what I would say to the voters on either side of the perceived spectrum who don’t prioritize the natural world’s preservation. Whether you vote Liberal, Conservative, Green, NDP, Independent, Democratic, Republican, “Left” or “Right” (I despise those fabricated terms), I want you to think of society as a whole as it teeters in a delicate household. In our area of the world, every home needs water, electricity and solid shelter. At any moment, if any of these basic necessities fail, we are immediately in trouble. These essential amenities could become compromised because of our lack of care for the environment, both locally and globally.

Water restrictions, rolling electricity blackouts, extreme weather events (as seen in the Texas floods, which have killed more than 150 people recently), and other events, some of which lead to tragedies, could roll into a neighbourhood near you sometime within the next handful of years. Our unique geographical location may protect us from these things for the foreseeable future, but for how long?

To come full circle, I think it is up to elected officials and leaders at all levels of government to find a way to do the right thing for the environment in the upcoming years. Make living and housing more affordable, and you will see a healthy and comfortable society that can find the enthusiasm to protect the environment. Corporations should, in theory, get in on this, too. Stop asking regular folks for a donation to fight climate change or another latest issue of the day at the cash register —if you make enough, do it yourself.

To the powers that be, stop pretending that we’re the ones who are going to fix the issues of the global environment when you already have all the tools and means to do so. Meanwhile, many people would love to help, but are trying to afford a home and eat a decent meal with their loved ones.

Something to think about.