PINDER: Canada's wildfires are fueling climate politics — and Alberta's independence movement

This round of summer forest fires has lit another opportunity for Prime Minister Carney to tout the imaginary climate crisis and President Trump to further bash Canada. This puts them again at odds and exposes the strange irony — two distinct and confident protagonists with vastly differing values, yet similar in their authoritative approaches to governing.Let's start with some inconvenient facts. Something we instinctively know: the former director of the American Forest Foundation, Robert Simpson, has stated that one of the biggest problems is the size of Canada's boreal forest — the largest intact forest on Earth and 14 times the size of California. He describes it as “a Herculean task.”Heather Exner-Pirot is the Director of Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a respected Ottawa-based think tank. She recently observed it is “preposterous to think you could manage the entire boreal forest,” much without access.There is a natural cycle whereby forests grow, mature, and decline just like virtually every living plant, animal, and we humans. Aging timber falls, providing fuel for fires; lightning storms and humans are usually the sources of ignition. Often even before fires burn out, new green shoots emerge, and the fire-induced cycle repeats.The prevalence of fires during warm periods is hardly unusual. According to Google, the 1930s featured “massive forest fire activity driven by severe droughts and the Dust Bowl.” With a very strong El Niño now sitting above Canada, enhanced fire activity should not be a surprise..It is disappointing how the climate crisis crowd constantly creates fear, overlooking that less than 100 years ago, similar and often warmer weather wreaked destruction throughout much of North America. The significant difference in the damage versus the current warming period is that, thanks to fossil fuels, technology, and human endeavour, the damage in this cycle will likely be mild. It is also worth mentioning for those who have studied the recent climate: following the Dirty Thirties, there was not one, not two, not three, but four decades of cooling such that there was scientific and media certainty that another Ice Age was nigh. Wrong again.This is the segue to our global climate leader, Prime Minister, responding to Trump’s ridiculous criticism about smoke with “We need a contribution from the Americans in the fight against climate change.” Neither powerful leader can alter Mother Nature.All of this illustrates the real problems that currently exist between our countries. The personalities and politics of Carney and Trump could hardly be more different. Carney, exuding calm and often superiority, is a smooth operator, organized and planned, notwithstanding the occasional outburst of temper and frequent dishonesty. Trump, by comparison, while also acting as a superior being, sees fit to comment on whatever is in front of him or seeps into his sociopathic brain, also often deliberately misleading. They clearly don't like each other. For many Canadians, Trump’s threats and provocative verbiage are unnecessary. But Carney has goaded Trump, especially his speech to his peers at the World Economic Forum, lamenting the new world order and urging that “middle powers” aggregate for protection..The dairy cartel is particularly disturbing for Trump as he thought that issue was dealt with when CUSMA was negotiated during his first term. The dairy issue also highlights their similarities and need for power and unfettered authority. Notwithstanding a strong consensus to eliminate interprovincial barriers, Canada's Prime Minister legislated to enshrine the Quebec-dominated dairy industry and the marketing boards in every province. This limits choices and increases costs and prices of milk, cheese, and chicken products. Carney understands the flow of power in our country and pursues it — the federal Liberal government grants special privileges to Quebec and in return gains its political support and majority governments. Ergo, the foundation of the Laurentian Elite.This pathway to power (sadly also supported by many Conservative MPs) is the basic reason that many in Alberta are seeking independence to gain the dignity of full participation in our current pretend democracy.Both Donald Trump and Mark Carney are power-crazed, top-down, authoritative leaders. But the Constitution and separation of powers in the US moderate those tendencies — already the Supreme Court of the US has limited some of his actions; likewise, the mid-term elections will likely further constrain Trump.Mark Carney saved the Liberal Party and dictates all policies, even with many of the same people in his cabinet. Bill C-5 allows the government — him — to disregard any standing legislation.Canada lacks institutions that are badly needed to limit power-hungry leaders. Carney is relatively more powerful than Trump but serves two masters — Canada AND his friends at the United Nations, the European Union, and the climate community.Albertans will have more success in resisting the ill wind from Ottawa than Trump in mitigating the smoke from the boreal forest. Independence is Alberta-bound — it’s blowing in the wind.

PINDER: Canada's wildfires are fueling climate politics — and Alberta's independence movement

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