In this response to Terence Corcoran’s Suzuki attack earlier this week (Crude, Simple and Impoverished Thinking), University of BC Trudeau Scholar David R. Boyd dismsantles Corcoran’s argument that Canada’s poor environmental performance is an inevitable consequence of our strong economy. Boyd surveys the facts in the form of a host of embarassing OECD comparisons, and concludes:

It’s the 21st century economy, stupid. The nations that are outperforming Canada both economically and environmentally are strategically using public policies to spur innovation, investment, technological progress and behavioural change.

Corcoran’s opinions are outdated, like conventional incandescent light bulbs, which waste more than 90 per cent of the energy they consume to generate heat rather than light.

Canadians can only hope that Prime Minister Harper and his new environment minister, John Baird, genuinely understand that in the 21st century economic prosperity and environmental sustainability must go hand in hand.

Then Canada’s future – lit by LEDs and compact fluorescents – will be bright, clean, green, and energy efficient.