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Over-reliance on fossil fuels

For centuries, markets failed to account for the costs of emissions. Now, societies are overly dependent on fossil fuels and unsustainable. Transition from fossil fuel societies will be a massive, disruptive undertaking.

The U.S. bears an extraordinary responsibility to respond to the climate crisis. It produces an excessive amount of emissions and has an unequal share of resources.

However, the U.S. shirks its responsibility.

The success by newly elected Democrats to establish the Select Committee for a Green New Deal points to a hopeful change. The purpose of the committee is to develop a plan for the United States to transition to a sustainable future.

The U.S. effort at a Green New Deal is led by young women of colour like Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. Contrast this with the recent Macleans’ magazine cover featuring five middle-aged, white Canadian men opposed to carbon pricing.

Macleans labelled these men “The Resistance.” What they’re resisting, of course, is an extremely modest, market-based approach. For Canada to become leaders in the necessary transition to a sustainable society, carbon pricing is just the beginning.

Canada has an opportunity to lead in developing sustainable technologies, as well as green business, consumer and community practices.

‘Quick transition’

At US$19.4 trillion, U.S. GDP is more than 11 times the size of Canada’s. With much greater economic clout, a quick transition toward a carbon-neutral economy by the U.S. would shape the path of innovation for the rest of the World.