Not a day went by during the 44th general election without the leaders of the cartel parties stating that they have the solution to the climate crisis. Climate change is wreaking havoc on the peoples of the world, while also endangering island nations, coastal communities and all forms of life on the planet.

For many decades now, the scientific community has been studying the issue of climate change and has documented the link between the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere and the corresponding increase in the average global temperature. Fingers are being pointed at hydrocarbon emissions, in particular those created by fossil fuels.

All cartel parties in the House of Commons have come up with their solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They each have their own version of a plan to reduce over time the production of oil and gas. They quarrel over which party has the “best green plan,” echoed by local and national news media outlets, leaders’ press conferences, and even in so-called all-candidates’ debates.

One part of their plan that they all seem to agree on is replacing combustion engine vehicles with electrically powered vehicles (EVs). At first glance, it seems like a plan no one could disagree with, a bit of motherhood and apple pie.

Interestingly, these EVs are powered by high capacity batteries made mostly of lithium as well as nickel, graphite and cobalt to name but a few. Since 2017 the above are all part of what the U.S. administration has been defining as the 35 strategic minerals “critical to its national security”. These critical minerals are presented as part of the “green sustainable economy” and no discussion takes place on overall planned uses of these lithium batteries.

An article entitled “Viewpoint: Offshore Battery Production Poses Problems for Military” was published in the November 2018 issue of the U.S. magazine National Defense. Its author, Marc D. Gietter, a retired industrial engineer with the Tactical Shelters Branch of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM), had this to say:

“Lithium batteries – both rechargeable and non rechargeable – have become ubiquitous in almost every weapon system used by the Defense Department. Although it is a relatively small consumer of lithium battery technologies when compared to the commercial market, the importance of these technologies cannot be understated.

“Just about every piece of man-portable electronic equipment crucial to the success of U.S. warfighters on the battlefield is powered by some form of lithium battery. The reliance on them is expected to grow exponentially as the next generation of weapons – such as new tactical ground vehicles, unmanned systems and directed energy weapons – are designed around the high energy density and low weight of a lithium battery technology.”

This military use is worrisome to Canadians who aspire to end the climate crisis, see a new direction for the economy which does not permit pollution, clear cutting and all the other practices which destroy the natural environment and cause catastrophes of various kinds. They are also opposed to the exploitation of natural resources to benefit war production. On the basis of their own aspirations, Canadians question and challenge the environmental platforms of the cartel parties.

The natural and social environment cannot live in harmony unless the people oppose government pay-the-rich schemes, as are presently taking place from coast to coast to coast. By relying on themselves, Canadians know what is required for a sustainable economy that provides for all, respects their rights and is human-centered.