The True Cost of Business Introduction
Canada is undoubtedly beautiful. The country is so vast that the landscapes span over many biomes and unique geological features. No matter where one lives in the country, there is an ability to look outside and see the varied natural landscapes. Canada is a stunning part of the world, but it is not as pristine as publicly presented. Often as citizens, we are soothed into not participating in the conservation of the natural resources in the country by industry and government information—eurocentric-capitalist spin blinds us of the ecological destruction as reframes it as economic growth. Economy comes before ecology in Canadian policy through blatant exploitation of the country’s resources.
Some will fight that the land is strictly economic, extracting from every nook and crevice to create jobs and build GDP. In our current system of governance, it is hard to argue this point. Others would say that nature is a gorgeous natural resource, primarily publicly owned, and we should find ways to keep it as pristine as possible so people can enjoy the outdoors. Campsites, fishing spots, wild game hunting in seasons, nature walks, conservation walks, shoreline cleanups, picnics, natural parks and the like should be maintained and instituted so humans can appreciate what’s around them and take an edge off of life with a vacation. Most of us benefit from both sides of that argument. All of us reading this have only participated in this structured system of governance in this country. Whether you are a miner, forester, farmer, tech worker, or service industry worker, you’ve benefited from this system in many ways. It is hard to think about how it could be any different.
This introduction starts the series of discussions that scrutinize extraction industries and unwind the spin. This series will then flip the narrative by reviewing the hidden costs by looking into the science and decolonizing the process.
Here’s the first story which starts off with an introduction to arctic mining.
