So, here’s an idea for dealing with ways to protect our natural resources. And, just to be clear, I am talking about wild spaces, as opposed to taking trees, or the extraction of oil and gas, or any other minerals we might like to mine.
Our natural spaces are among the MOST valuable things in the entire world.
Without sufficient natural spaces, our planet (and, by extension, WE) will die.
Canada has a very large portion of the entire world’s remaining natural spaces.
We should be PROUD of that.
We should cherish it.
We should want to protect that.
CANADA is SPECIAL.
First, we need to begin to educate people to accept that the health of the planet relies on having healthy wild spaces. If the planet is not healthy, WE WILL NOT SURVIVE.
That’s not even opinion.
It’s just a fact.
Yeah, it’s all well and good to talk about our natural resources (in our country, that usually means oil & gas, trees, and other minerals (nickel, gold, silver, etc.).
There is a MUCH larger natural resource that we typically don’t see as such:
namely our wilderness.
Natural spaces on the planet (including, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ones on land AND those on various coasts) are ABSOLUTELY essential to the continued survival of life on this planet – INCLUDING OUR LIVES.
The planet is like an organism, and the natural spaces are its vital organs and systems.
WE are (currently) like a virus infecting the planet.
Keep that in mind.
If we preserve sufficient natural spaces on our planet, it will adapt to anything we do to it.
The natural spaces on our planet are its filters…
they are the planet’s way of moderating any assault it may have to endure.
If there are sufficient natural spaces, nothing we do will have a lasting impact.
If we protect the natural spaces, we will be free to do (almost) anything we like.
OTOH, If there are NOT sufficient natural spaces, then NOTHING we do will save life on earth.
We WILL kill it – AND OURSELVES.
I’ll say it again:
If we don’t preserve sufficient natural spaces on our planet, WE will not survive.
I have absolutely no doubt that some kind of life on our planet will survive us, but it almost certainly will NOT include us.
I equally have NO doubt that we have the means RIGHT NOW to make the planet incapable of sustaining human life.
of fixing things to sustain human life indefinitely.
It’s our choice.
OK, the point:
We need to preserve our natural spaces.
The world (at least right now) is driven by profit and $$$.
The (A) solution:
We need to educate and convince people that natural spaces are worth $$$$$.
In Canada we have this goofy, self-defeating idea that we are only valuable for our raw materials, and then only if we sell those raw materials to others.
WE ARE SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
Our natural spaces are – potentially – the salvation of the planet and all of humanity.
This is true in other countries too, but as the 4th largest country in the world with one of the lowest population densities, we actually have SO MUCH MORE than most other countries.
We need to create groups/ people/ organizations/ communities that are capable of protecting and preserving our natural spaces.
OK, so here’s step three (and please forgive me for suggesting this, as I am NOT First Nations):
We need to establish resident, natural communities of people who are willing and able to preserve and protect our natural spaces.
AND, who better to do this than willing First Nation volunteers?
LOTS of details to work out so that it is respectful and acceptable to BOTH the FN volunteers AND the gov’t, but I see this as WAY possible…. AND it would cost WAY LESS than the pipeline we recently bought.
The start of the idea:
We find FN volunteers to establish traditional, native communities on current ‘Crown Lands’.
They will be paid a salary. That salary should be enough to compensate for whatever they need that they can’t get off the land.
They will have the right / freedom to live and hunt on the lands where they will live. They will be given a specific territory to protect / control / manage.
They can settle, build, move, trade, and migrate within that territory as they see fit.
They can NOT gather resources for resale (they will get a salary to make up for what they might have earned through what was once accomplished through trading).
Their job will be to manage, maintain, and protect the natural spaces on the territories defined.
Yes, I know that this is an entirely NEW way of looking at traditional land rights and stewardship. It would not be something imposed on anyone – it would be entirely optional, but ONLY open to FN folks.
IF you want to create a traditional community – here is ONE way to try doing this. Move on the land as you see fit.
Build structures (or not) as you see fit.
Live as you are moved to live.
Canada will pay you enough to buy the things you cannot hunt, trap, or make.
BUT, you can NOT take from the land to sell for cash.
Your job is to protect the land, to keep it safe, to honor and live WITH the native plants and animals.
We are at the point in human and technological development that creating effectively mobile communities that are “off the grid” is not only feasible, but practical, so, let’s do it.
Know anyone who’d want to turn this into reality?