City Of God 14

We are in the midst of our civic and municipal elections in my part of the world, Gentle Reader. There are tonnes of candidates, more than a hundred, vying for twenty-seven positions: one mayor, ten councillors, nine school board and seven parks board trustees. We have independent candidates and at least ten different parties representing every single shade and tone and economic, social and political position and preference, from some real loony toons, and everything left right and centre. The wealthy neighbourhoods where I like to go walking--not because they are wealthy, but because they are tranquil and leafy, are festooned by mostly purple and red, white and blue signs for the pro-business and right of centre candidates. They have no time for the politics of compassion and social justice that drive the engines of the more progressive parties. Rather than concern themselves with the lack of affordable housing for their less fortunate brethren, they simply are going to dig in and protect the excessive wealth that they have already hoarded for themselves. In the meantime, they continue to drive carbon emission-spewing cars, expensive ones of course, but almost everyone is still driving carbon emission-spewing vehicles, except perhaps people like me who can neither afford them, nor care to participate in this particular dance of death on wheels. One particularly obnoxious right-of centre candidate, a Hong Kong transplant named Wei Young, actually is campaigning on the promise of dismantling many of the bike lanes that the outgoing administration had built in Vancouver. Even though the bike lanes are being used more, and not quite as many people are driving cars now (keep the champagne in the wine-cellar, darlings, the vast majority of commuters still drive and pollute). There is no significant threat that that horrible woman is going to get elected, but never say never, and, yes, so sue me Wei Young! I attend a church full of older, middle class, mostly white parishioners. It is not easy having a conversation with people there about climate change, not when I am the only one attending who doesn't drive a car to church, not when they are getting ready to repave the parking lot, not when one of the older middle class white parishioners is getting ready to give his fifteen year old son driving lessons, no conditions that the kid is going to drive an electric car, and the priest of course is nodding in polite cheerleader agreement. It seems to me that one of the baptismal vows for Anglicans is to help safeguard and protect our dear mother earth. (Who knew?). In the meantime this dance of death continues and we are all participants. I just voted, two days ago, when the advance polls opened. Naturally I picked only progressive, left of centre candidates, without even a tincture of assurance that any of them are going to get elected. It's the least I can do. We have another ten years left before this planet really starts to get flushed down the toilet, and all because there are too many powerful and influential interests at work on the planet to prevent real solutions and real measures to be taken to help halt global warming. And no one seems interested in giving up their precious cars. Most people would probably get by very nicely without those polluting death machines, but there is something hardwired into the brains of most Canadians (and people in other countries) that views car ownership as an entitlement, and satisfying the fragile ego is always going to be given priority over saving the planet. Does it have to be this way? I really hope not. I still am optimistic that enough of us are going to wake up, perhaps a bit too late to reverse some of the disasters, but perhaps just enough to turn things back before we are all tumbling into the abyss. I only wish I could see more evidence in my church, in my city, in my neighbourhood, that we are all going to start caring enough, that we are all ready to make a few sacrifices, even if they hurt a little, before we are all sacrificed on the altar of death, greed and selfishness. It isn't too late, Gentle Reader, but we have no time to lose.