I think climate change is the big threat.
But the left wants to do all sorts of things which confuses the overall message.
Additionally thy want to expand the welfare state while also addressing climate change.
But to pay for the welfare state you need to consume.
As I kid I often wondered why ancient humans were dumb to deplete food sources like megafauna.
Well now I know.
Not to defend ancient humans, but they weren't exactly equipped to do aerial views, take a yearly count, or track specific animals to see what they eat (if they eat), which animal they reproduce with (if they do), and the number and health of the offspring.
But to condemn ancient humans... I'm a Roman history buff and belong to two Roman history/Latin language forums (found a Civ player on one of them the other day!). My point is that the Emperors and senators of the Republic and Empire should be reassembled from their ashes and executed all over again for crimes against the planet. The sheer number of each species they used in arena games, exhibitions, and executions is beyond appalling. And don't get me started on all the animals killed for "sacrifices" in their religious rites (and every other ancient civilization that did likewise).
I'm no vegan. But at least the animals I eat (chicken eggs and fish, mostly) are for the purpose of eating, not something pointless like games and 'sacrifices' (it's the animals that have the worst of it; the humans are not really "sacrificing" anything that meant anything to them).
I do not get this line. For a welfare state you need to ensure that everyone has housing, food and healthcare. For that you need housing, food and healthcare. That should be perfectly aligned with climate goals, which has to involve providing food, housing and healthcare in a sustainable manner, without excess consumption.
Yes, but it has to be paid for, somehow. It's the really frustrating fact that my disability benefit that keeps me alive is paid for partly because of the oil and gas industry here. This is why I can support people like Greta Thunberg on an emotional level, but on a practical level, there are times when she has no idea what she's talking about.
But there's a right way and a wrong way, and I want to slap the hell out of any right-wing politician who waves a hand and says the tarsands can be remediated back to a healthy environment within a decade.
It can't. Even if they stopped production tomorrow, packed up all the machinery, and never went back, that part of the province will need at least a century or more to recover. The tailings ponds killed thousands of birds that had no idea they were landing in a lake of poison; it looked like ordinary water to them. The fish in the Athabasca river have cancer. The indigenous people in that region have more cancer than is "normal" in any local population (cancer should never be 'normal').
As for "woke"... around here it means what side you're on about climate, the residential school situation (I've had to sort out where my sympathy and empathy lies, and it's not 100% on the side of the indigenous; I know they and their ancestors were treated horribly, but there comes a time when enough is enough), women's rights, promoting minorities into positions of authority, disabled people's rights, covid vaccinations, and so on.
I really don't know at this point if that word applies to me. I refuse to take the blame for the residential schools, I'm opposed to the rampant vandalism of statues, the churches that burned... did the arsonists check if anyone was inside, they obviously didn't care that some of their own people were supporters of these places, and they didn't care that the fire could have spread to the surrounding neighborhood or caused a forest fire.
The newest notion of renaming British Columbia because of the part of the name deriving from Christopher Columbus - not to defend Columbus' attitude and actions, but while it's one thing to rename a school or sports team, it gets to be ridiculous when renaming cities and provinces. You'd have to rename most of Canada if you wanted all place names to either be an indigenous word or the English translation thereof. I guess I should be relieved that Red Deer is already a translation of a local indigenous word (I lived in the subdivision that actually is that word).
On the flip side... yes, to covid vaccines and I am not opposed to restrictions for people who refuse to get them for any reason other than medical ("it hurts" is not a valid medical reason). It's infuriating how there are so many people opposed to simple things and procedures to help the disabled live as normal a life as possible. It's in the friggin' Charter of Rights and Freedoms that the disabled cannot be discriminated against, yet our own federal government does it.
So if it's "woke" to spread the word about that, and advocate for disabled voters' rights, I guess I'm "woke". But it's not a new thing. I've had to fight some elections for the past 20 years to have my right to vote as I'm allowed to (and qualify for) respected by the local Returning Officers. And that's with me knowing my rights, as I used to be a Deputy Returning Officer. There are far too many who don't know their rights, and too many who have told me to my "face" either in person or on the phone that "I didn't know people like you could vote."