For the record... I voted Green Party. None got in. :(

In my opinion, the Conservative "win" demonstrates the continuing shameful ignorance and apathy of many Canadians.

Those outside of urban centers exposed their tunnel-vision focus on single issues, their xenophobia, and their primitive/superstitious/fundamentalist view of life, while disenfranchized citizens nationwide voted solely to counter this regressive groundswell, not because they truly favoured the power-corrupt Liberals.

As usual, issues of broad impact - including Canada's disintegrating standing in the world community as a peace-maker and mediator, global environmental disasters-in-the-making, etc. - were drowned within the competitive power struggles and popularity contests. Struggling thoughtful voices and parties found little exposure through the corporate-controlled media, and little growth in Canada's unfertile imagination.

It seems to me that education should be a priority in this new frightful era: an education to fight ignorance and primitivism; an education of global perspective, of tolerance, of critical-thinking; an education of the true value of material things and how precious and rare life is in this universe, and; an education of the failures of modern political representation and the positive changes which could be pursued.

If Canada's is a respectable democracy, one for new democracies to emulate, then civilization has far to go and the survival of life on our planet remains in peril.

The silver lining is that the NDP grew in popularity quite a bit, 60% (if my math is correct). And the NDP is far more environmentally aware than the Liberal party. So by the next major election, the NDP may well finally be stong enough to get a (minority) Prime Minister elected.

Not only did the NDP get more seats and a larger popular vote, but they are considered by many (Greenpeace, Sierra Club) to be just as green as the Green Party. In fact, in the last election, less than 2 years ago, the NDP were considered greener. Their platform also takes a much more progressive stance on issues such as social justice than the Greens who are decidedly conservative in the non-environmental areas of their policy.

Hey cool! No Borders got a comment through that completely disregards item a) to be noted when posting.



This treatment from those on the left that those of us with traditional values are somehow "primitive/superstitious/fundamentalist" and xenophobic is what causes a lot of more coservative people to stop listening to some of the more valid points you might wish to make. granted, I believe most people on the left try to be respectful of others' beliefs, but all it takes are a few vitriolic comments, like those No Borders makes, to cause people to discount everything you might have to say. Likewise, someone who exposes similar values will be dismissed as people categorize them in with "that one nutcase who attacked my belief."



As a conservative concerned with the environment, fuel efficiency, alternative sources of energy, I beg of you not to be so hateful in your assesment of those on the right in the same breath that you preach tolerance. After all, I don't want efllow conservatives I direct here in search of inspiration in with their purchasing choices to assosciate the whole environmental movement with some leftist wacko.

On the saintly NDP: PUuuuuuuukkkkKKE!

Arrrrrgh! how sick i get of hearing about how this group which has NOT BEEN IN OFFICE IN HOW LONG--- since before Avi Lewis's Dad was a VJ:p are just soooo great and soooooo green. Sure Alexa used to say a lot of great green stuff (So did Mulroney's enviro ministers Bou and Charest) and yes, Jack did, as city councillor helped get the ONE wind generator installed in Toronto. but that is piecemeal. to begin with Jack nutroned Ralph Goodale, and if Jack cared jack-all about green as opposed to power, he would not gone after Ralphs jugular! Have you any idea just how much RG has done for the environent over the past 12 years?? CANmet ? hello? they have only asisted nearly every green technology out of canada from our healthy FuelCell markets to the vertical wind turbines, triple pane glass... if there's a green technology around, you can be sure that it has had CANmets assistance and Ralph's fingerprints... they've been present and active in so mamy national and international green conferences and trade shows, and were no parriahs.

In fact we'll see how green we fare when mr harper decides to pull out of kyoto (and personally i think that kyoto is not even a drop in the bucket but still) will the NDP have helped the environment then??

((one last thing: how can we call it a democracy when we have 5 parties on the left and one on the right??))

Old Wolf, i think you have to look at what the right has been doing in terms of misinformation, obfuscation, name-calling and dirty politics [we now get FoxNews here, thankyouverymuch](not to mention perhaps an assessment of the right's envrionmental record both in canda with Klein in Alta and what harper has said he'll do, and usa) beofre reprimanding some one for not wearing the kid gloves.

And you know what? your friends who decide to judge the entire treehugger on the grounds of one (or even five) COMMENTS IN THE COMMENT SECTION.. know what? a) that's not a very open minded person, hair trigger really... ((i read right wing info i despise, but if the stats are real and the research has been done, I'm not an idiot)) b) not only that but the person who runs away from TH because of the (very few) political comments probably would have found other reasons to discount the site and what it has to offer...

lastly that sounds like a threat. to tone it down or lose the moderate conservative readership... is that really fair to do to treehugger because of a comment made by some one (like you or I) who is free to comment?

expat_in_ecotopia,


I, of course, am not threatening anyone, just voincing my concern that the level of political discourse is reduced to "you disagree with me so you're stupid." I am glad you can rise above snap decisions about a topic, but the moajority of people on the left AND right do not. I think that many in the center can to a greater degree, as the center is often made up of people who have points of view that actually span the political spectrum and so they may not have such a visceral reaction to political statements because they have less of an emotional attachment to the parties involved.


The truth of the matter is that I ignore most of the politcal comments I find offensive, and actually enjoy the opposing views of people who are respectful. It concerns me when I see the offensive comments here because I believe in the overall concept of the site, and most of the time controversial subjects are presented in a manner that is informative for those who want to follow the advice, while not attacking those who are not interested/ready in doing such (going vegan comes to mind).

Please understand that my comments were not made in anger. I could have read your comments to be very harsh, but I prefer to assume they were made with the best of intentions. That is the problem with writing, a lot is left to the reader to interpret. That is the reason this post is so long, as I am trying to clarify my postition. The reason for my post was the number of pejoratives in the post made by No Borders did not leave much doubt for his view of conservatives, and was hurtful and hateful. I am thick skinned, and not driven off by rude, or simply taunting comments. After all, I am still the same person whose science project in school included; modular casings for solar panels so that installations could be expaneded on a simple sliding rail system, growth and survival rate for plants rapidly grown under artificial light to transport and replenish displaced vegetation (and foolowed up with erosion control), and coating air conditioner condensors with catalytic materials in order to reduce air polution (short story is that it only makes sense on the most efficient a/c as the material is so expensive that you get a better polution offset by spending the money on a more efficient unit). All this, and I still vote Republican, and drive a small car (unfortunately I commute until I can find a better job closer to home), buy compact flourescents, have shifted to upgrading my computer less often as I am concerned about e-waste, am currently setting money aside for a solar electric installation on my house, and plan low water usage plants.

In other words, I try to actually do what I can to help the environment, unlike any of the politicians on either side in the USA.

As a former Young Progressive Conservative member, and a former Roman Catholic, I feel that I have some insight on conservatism, and definitely a right to "raise my hand" and make critical comment. My anger is visible in my comments, and I'm not ashamed of it - I don't tolerate fools lightly. Criticizing ignorance and superstition though doesn't mean I don't tolerate the religious - just those bullying types who threaten to send Canada back to the Dark Ages. I believe Canadian moderate conservatives have sold out to the Devil in their lust for power. "When you dance with the devil, the devil don't change - the devil changes you!" Like American Republicans, Canadian moderate conservatives are being led by (and will be accountable for the actions of) those eager to meld church and state. At the heart lie hard-core regionalists intolerant of a bilingual nation who'd be happy to see Canada divide, and Bush-admirers eager to take the North out of North America and make us all one big gun-loving nation. A wolf in sheep's clothing, the Conservative agenda has nothing to do with Canada's former moderate conservatism - anyone can research the many extremist comments and affiliations of their currently-muzzled members. In my opinion, the Liberals are the moderate conservatives, while the NDP and Greens are definitely liberals. Conservatives certainly can't boast of their environmentally-friendly record or policies, either as Reform/Alliance members, or as the former PC's. Canadians are ignorant, too, to think that this election was truly democratic, "the will of the people"...after all, aren't Harper and his western team just the most likely to be friendly to American oil interests in Alberta's potentially mega-lucrative tar sands? "Too many environmental restrictions, you say? We can fix that!"