[Note: In his first post for Red, Green, and Blue, Stephen Boles gives a brief description of the unique perspective he hopes to bring us. -TH]
I am a dual citizen of Canada and the USA. My two older children are also dual citizens, but my youngest one is Canadian only and wife Jenni is American only – it is great fun explaining this to border agents when we travel between our two countries!
What this means is that I have a unique perspective when it comes to climate change issues (or political issues in general) having spent a significant amount of time on both sides of the Canada – US border. I find the subtle and sometimes not so subtle differences and nuances between the two nations fascinating and I hope to convey a lot of my observations in this area to the RG&B readership.
Americans tend to view Canada as the peaceful and friendly country up north, and they know that Canadians have trouble saying ‘out’ and ‘about’. But other than that Canada is not often on American’s radar screens except for the rare occasion that there is a major Canadian news event that actually penetrates the American media.
On the flip side, Canadians are understandably very interested and knowledgeable about American affairs – this is inevitable when you are a relatively small country (in terms of population) sharing a long border with the most powerful country in the world. This pre-occupation that Canada has with the USA has reached a new zenith in the last few months with the election of President Obama. Obama is idolized and adored by an astonishing number of Canadians, and his recent 8-hour visit to Ottawa was the dominant media event for the better part of a week.
This difference between Canada and the USA is also very evident in how their citizens view themselves. Americans grow up with an ideal of what it means to be an American – this identity has been shaped and promoted over hundreds of years since the Revolutionary War. In many ways Canadians shape their identity and the very definition of ‘what it means to be Canadian’ by identifying ways in which they are different from their American neighbors, whether it is cultural, political, or social issues.
Why are these differences important in terms of climate change? Because the descriptions that I have provided about individual citizens actually can be applied to the national or political level as well. As we move forward in the coming years towards a probable North American cap and trade market, it will be interesting to watch how the shape of the market evolves and how much influence the Canadian representatives have in its design.
There will be a lot of talk from Canadian politicians about ‘protecting Canada’s needs’ and the need ‘to recognize that our situation is different than the Americans’ (basically language used to ensure the oil sand projects aren’t crippled). Will their voices actually be heard south of the border during the design of the market? Or will they suffer from a similar lack of recognition that Canadians perceive at the individual level? Either way, it is going to be fascinating to watch.
