Leaders of nations worldwide know we are near more than one environmental tipping point. So they’ve met to hammer out agreements in crucial areas such as biodiversity loss and global warming.

Canada itself has acknowledged, through national planning and legislation, the importance of issues such as species conservation and sustainable development. Many of these agreements and strategies must be addressed during the mandate of the government we elect on Oct. 14.

In December 2009, Canada will meet with other nations in Copenhagen to adopt an international treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol on global warming. In 2010, the country will also have to report on the progress it has made regarding the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s targets for reducing biodiversity loss. Over the next few years, Canada’s government must also formally review its Species at Risk Act, implement a Sustainable Development Act, and tackle a number of other crucial environmental issues.

We need a government that will lead when it comes to caring for the finite world that gives us life and sustains us. We’ve already squandered 20 years since global warming was first recognized as an issue requiring immediate attention.

Even though the environment has at least been on the agenda during this election, pollsters tell us Canadians see the economy and health care as more important. But it’s not a matter of one or the other. The health of Canadians depends on a healthy environment, as does a healthy economy. Everything is connected!

We’re a bit behind, but we can start to catch up by recognizing that environmental initiatives can give the economy a huge boost. We can keep sucking every last bit of coal and oil out of the ground until it’s all gone, until it’s all been burned and its carbon released into the air, or we can create jobs and economic opportunities by developing renewable sources of energy.

Yes, we can all make a difference through our own individual actions by changing some of our habits, but we also have an opportunity to elect a government that will contribute to the kinds of large-scale changes needed for a sustainable world.

As Canadians, we must hold the politicians to account and ensure that, no matter which party wins the election, we will have a government that shows foresight and leadership at home and abroad. That way we’ll have a country that is thriving on opportunity rather than drowning in crisis.

If we keep stalling, we won’t have to worry about the economy, or health care, or anything else.

Take David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge and learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.

– Dr. David T. Suzuki is a Vancouver-based  award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster.