November 11, 2001

Canadians can expect new money for border security and the military, but not much else.

That's the word on the coming federal budget and, if true, it's too bad because taking some active steps to protect the environment would not just help the natural world, they would also improve public health and increase Canada's security as added benefits.

The horrific Sept. 11 terror attacks on the U.S. have Canadians understandably shaken. The threat of bioterrorism is very real and people are on their guard. Without a doubt, we are living in a disturbing new world, where what was once unthinkable has become reality.

BEYOND BORDERS

But we have to remember that improving national security doesn't end with adding more border guards and airport police, or buying new helicopters and other equipment. Maintaining public health, safe food and water, and a secure energy supply are also vital to national security. And that could be bolstered with a budget that looks at issues of security beyond just the defence of our borders.

Consider public health, for example. Although anthrax and other terrorism concerns are certainly legitimate, we have to keep them in perspective.

POLLUTION KILLS THOUSANDS

Sadly, 24 Canadians died in the World Trade Center attacks. Yet federal government statistics show that up to 16,000 Canadians die prematurely every year as a result of air pollution. These deaths may be less dramatic, but they are no less traumatic for family members who see the lives of loved ones cut short because of dirty air.

Having safe water and reducing our exposure to toxic substances are also national security concerns.

The tragedy in Walkerton, Ont., that resulted in seven deaths, and the hundreds of boil-water advisories across the country have made Canadians acutely aware of the connection between ecosystem health and human health.

Medical professionals are all too aware of this connection. The Canadian Institute of Child Health, for example, says that exposure to toxic substances in the environment has likely contributed to a 25 per cent increase in childhood cancer over the past 25 years.

The financial costs of treating people affected by environmental pollution are very high. The Ontario Medical Association, for example, says that health problems caused by poor air quality costs taxpayers $1 billion a year in Ontario alone.

Provincial governments have been hard at work lobbying the finance minister for more health-care money in the coming budget, but a focus on prevention, as well as on treatment, would help save money and have other benefits.

One of those benefits would be to reduce Canada's dependence on volatile global energy markets.

By reducing our consumption of polluting fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, Canada could become less vulnerable to fluctuating world oil prices. Improving energy efficiency in our buildings and transportation systems, and taking advantage of Canada's own renewable resources like wind would also cut air pollution and create new jobs.

Unfortunately, most of the generous tax incentives available to the fossil fuel sector are not available for renewable energy projects. Energy efficiency has been generally ignored in favour of single-site energy megaprojects that are capital, rather than job intensive. Canada would do well to start changing those policies now, because we have international obligations to meet.

CUTTING EMISSIONS

Under the Kyoto Protocol, we have agreed to cut our greenhouse gas emissions by six per cent below 1990 levels by 2008-2012. The sooner we start making those cuts, the greater the benefits will be in terms of job creation, improved public health and lowered overall costs of health care and environmental damage.

Those cuts are also important because global warming is considered to be one of the greatest threats of the 21st century. Experts say a warming climate could cause tremendous environmental and economic damage, which would greatly increase global insecurity.

On the surface, national security may just seem like a matter of policing and military defence, but it is much more than that. Public safety ultimately depends as much on a healthy environment as on secure borders and airports.

With the right incentives and allocations in the coming budget, we could have both.

David Suzuki is a scientist, environmentalist and host of The Nature of Things.