Many Canadians were pleased with the House of Commons’ declaration of a climate emergency on Monday, a motion put forward by Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna that follows in the footsteps of several Canadian cities. As the CBC reported, this declaration requires that

“Canada commit to meeting its national emissions target under the Paris Agreement and to making deeper reductions in line with the Agreement’s objective of holding global warming below two degrees Celsius and pursuing efforts to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

But the happiness lasted only until Tuesday. PM Trudeau jetted back to Ottawa from Toronto  and announced he was approving the Trans-Mountain pipeline expansion project. From the CBC:

“The cabinet has affirmed the National Energy Board’s conclusion that, while the pipeline has the potential to damage the environment and marine life, it’s in the national interest and could contribute tens of billions of dollars to government coffers and create and sustain thousands of jobs.”

Trudeau ‘reassured’ Canadians that every dollar made from the pipeline will be used to invest in unspecified clean energy projects. “We need to create wealth today so we can invest in the future,” he said. “We need resources to invest in Canadians so they can take advantage of the opportunities generated by a rapidly changing economy, here at home and around the world.”

So good news followed by controversial news and how that may affect nature and the Canadian environment.

But let’s focus on the success. Canada has declared an environmental emergency which allows Canada to focus on solving the problems together!