Will the failure of the transit referendum result in a moral dilemma – one that is particularly acute for the Millennial generation, or the one after that?
On one hand, we would be saying to ourselves and those who follow, don’t expect that transit services will improve. Indeed, buses and trains will be ever more crowded and in worse shape – until enough people abandon them for the convenience of the car, no matter how much more expensive. And the Province will be expected to build more roads to accommodate them, as it is currently doing south of the Fraser.
We will also double-down on our carbon way of life, providing more oil and gas to fuel a high-energy transportation system, tapping those tar sands to fill up our cars as we become a carbon transfer point for the planet.
So, Millennials, don’t expect that we collectively or you personally will be able to do much about climate change. Indeed, we expect to make it worse, and ourselves comfortable and rich in the process.
And now with the Province putting the Agricultural Land Reserve up for review and building massive car-based infrastructure into its heart, Port Metro Vancouver overriding its protections and Tsawwassen First Nations literally paving it over, we intend to sacrifice food security to serve the need for jobs in the global logistics chain and develop our most vulnerable lands in the face of sea-level rise and climate change.
Given the impacts – geopolitically and locally – what does one do when confronted with that all that dissonance? Party on? Embrace nihilism? Go into deep denial? Fight back, or give up?
The combination of a no vote on transit, the opening up of the ALR and the aggressive embrace of a carbon economy- as much for its messaging as for its realities – could prove profoundly disruptive in ways that it is simply not possible to forecast.
Something has to give.
I would turn this around, and argue that the referendum is a great opening to talk about the defining ethical issue of our time in a positive way. Transit is an easy to understand and positive step.
Unless of course certain climate change denying politicians add billions in freeway interchanges in their municipalities on, and make it impossible for anyone who takes the climate crisis seriously to campaign for the yes side.
Aptly filed under “Generational issues”. The referendum will most certainly pit the baby boomers against the millenials. This will not end well.
It might just end better than you think, not all boomers are self-centered climate deniers. (Note, according to statscan’s definition I am a boomer)
Price for Premier! Please! The transportation problems and solutions you discuss have huge impact on quality of life for everyone living in Metro Van. How is it that the bozos in Victoria don’t get it?
Inter-generational warfare.