We’ve just had our federal election and, if nothing else, the environment did become an issue. Unfortunately, global warming and other environmental issues were overshadowed by an economic crisis and, no doubt, by the fear people have of the word tax, so much so that they didn’t notice the word cuts was also in there.

Now it’s up to all of us to make sure the environment doesn’t get lost in all the noise about the economy. The new government has some important choices to make in the near future.

Although a few nations are putting plans to combat global warming on the back burner while they weather the economic crisis, many more are holding fast, realizing that protecting the environment makes good economic sense. The European Union has stated that it is committed to meeting emissions targets even as some Eastern European countries are getting cold feet.

Here in Canada, several provinces, including B.C. and Ontario, have taken the lead in establishing plans to combat global warming and to shift to a sustainable economy. But more needs to be done, especially at the federal level.

Continuing to rely on projects such as the Alberta tar sands to keep our economy afloat is a short-term strategy with long-term negative consequences for both the environment and the economy. Sure, we’ll be able to pull in some money while the oil lasts, or while it is economically feasible to extract, or until the rest of the world has switched to renewable sources of energy, but then what?

If we start now to shift from reliance on dirty and non-renewable sources of energy to renewable sources, and if we put more effort into conserving energy, we will benefit in so many ways.

Other countries have proven this, and continue to prove it.

Canadians may have elected a government that differs little from the one we had before the election — and they may have even shown, through the votes they did cast and through the disappointing apathy that many demonstrated, that it was difficult to connect with the parties that made the environment the top priority. But we shouldn’t conclude that the results of the election mean that the window of opportunity for government action on the environment has slammed shut.

A minority government such as the one we just elected has an even greater responsibility to listen to all our voices. We just have to speak loudly enough to be heard.

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