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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

ADAM OLSEN -- Fear is not the only driver of action. For many it's the fear that is causing paralysis

Green Party MLA Adam Olsen

Eco-anxiety is an increasing social cost of climate change. A lot of people are feeling it these days. The Maclean’s series on climate change is perhaps the most recent and comprehensive mainstream Canadian news coverage of the environmental crisis we are in. However, they are not the only publication covering it.

There is a daily flow of information, from a wide range of diverse sources. It's not just environment writers covering the beat, it's increasingly become part of everyone's beat.

The Maclean's articles thoroughly canvass global warming from an array of different angles. Some of it will certainly fuel anxious feelings about the future of our species and our planet. However, fear is not the only driver of action. For many it's the fear that is causing paralysis.

Alanna Mitchell is the author of a compelling part of the series called “Wait! There’s Good News.”

It's just that, the good news from the scientists, academics and activists who are working on addressing global warming. Jordan Health-Rawlings interviewed Mitchell on the July 11, 2019 episode of The Big Story Podcast called, “What does the world look like after we solve climate change”.

Admittedly, it's an odd angle to view climate change from. Yet, Mitchell quotes Neil Jennings, from the Grantham Institute, "Rather than talking about what we may have to give up, it's a focus on what we'll actually gain."

This shift in perspective is inspiring. It's an unsustainable approach to continue to only count the benefits of something while ignoring the costs, just as it is not psychologically healthy to only fear a future devastated world and not have a vision of what the world looks like when we address global warming.

I highly recommend the Maclean's articles but The Big Story Podcast is a great place to start.



Adam Olsen ... is a Green Party Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Saanich North and the Islands.

Born in Victoria, BC in 1976, Adam has lived, worked and played his entire life on the Saanich Peninsula. He is a member of Tsartlip First Nation (W̱JOȽEȽP), where he and his wife, Emily, are raising their two children, Silas and Ella.

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