Hon. Dowdeswell delivers lecture on environmental technology governmental policy
The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, visited the University of Guelph on Sept. 28 to meet with students on campus and to deliver a lecture on environmental politics and the role of the government in combating environmental issues. Hon. Dowdeswell discussed the interconnection between growing ecological pressures, and the expansion of the economic world, with environmental concerns becoming increasingly dire, as the global economy expands. The environmental movement of the new millennium, according to the Lieutenant Governor, was built upon “the politics of hope,” with governments tackling issues, such as holes in the ozone layer, as isolated problems instead of the systemic issues that they turned out to be.
Hon. Dowdeswell limited her lecture to four main observations, after affirming that environmental politics was too wide in scope to adequately discuss in the time provided. Discussing the role that technology has to play in dealing with contemporary—and future—environmental issues facing the world, and how policymakers can bolster these scientific advancements rather than hinder them, was the crux of the lecture. New technology and ideas, coming from the scientific community should empower those looking to solve environmental issues, and create connections between nations and not divide them, explained the Lieutenant Governor, as “sustainability is intrinsically holistic.”
“The environmental movement of the new millennium, according to the Lieutenant Governor, was built upon ‘the politics of hope’…”
Hon. Dowdeswell discussed the environmental challenges that nations across the world will need to overcome while remaining optimistic about the future.
“I have a great deal of confidence in science and technology, where some of our answers are going to come from,” said Hon. Dowdeswell, during an interview with The Ontarion. “Most importantly I have a fundamental faith in human beings, that they will ultimately do the right thing. They need to learn, and we need to have patience, until we actually understand real environmental issues, but ultimately people want to do the right thing, not only for themselves but for future generations.”
The Lieutenant Governor drew her audience’s attention to the issue of climate change, which she believes is the most important environmental issue facing the world today. Climate change will not be solved by changing one policy made by the Canadian government, but an issue that needs the entire world to adopt new methods that keep societies functioning, while being environmentally sustainable. To accomplish this goal there needs to be “a contract between science and society” which allows for new systems to come in place, and foster the technologies needed to combat the growing environmental concerns.
“We are so fortunate in this country that we do have a wealth of natural resources, but I think our worst enemy is complacency…”
While discussing the role of science and the difficulty in getting policy makers to implement new technology, Hon. Dowdeswell attributed challenges to the disconnect between the scientific community, policy makers, and the costs and benefits of advances in science.
“I think all technologies have positive and negatives,” Hon. Dowdeswell stated, explaining that the role of policy makers and scientists is to “Find ways in which we can benefit from these evolving technologies but also really understand, and as much as possible how to mitigate their risks.”
The Lieutenant Governor emphasized in her lecture the importance of every country doing their part in combatting environmental issues such as climate change. For Canada, this would mean, fostering new sustainable technologies, and harnessing the natural resources that are available, while making sure to preserve the land for future generations.
“We are so fortunate in this country that we do have a wealth of natural resources, but I think our worst enemy is complacency,” concluded Hon. Dowdeswell. “I think if we stop thinking about the care and attention in which we use and manage them, then very quickly, we’ll find ourselves in a position in which we too will be faced with some very uncomfortable consequences.”
Photo by Tanner Morton/The Ontarion.