Increasing climate authoritarianism in Canada; United States trends following close

In the political landscapes of Canada and the United States, a heated debate is unfolding as governments push for ambitious climate policies. However, concerns are rising about the erosion of personal freedoms and the suppression of free speech.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has been vocal about the "climate crisis," proposed a carbon tax increase in late 2020. The country has since imposed a carbon tax, banned coal power plants, subsidized electric vehicles, and heavily regulated methane gas emissions in the oil and gas industry.

Mark Carney, a climate politician active in the Canadian government, has been appointed to focus on climate-related economic policies. He has been involved in discussions on Canada's environmental and climate strategy, and recently announced a study worth more than $8 million to examine the supposed connection between "democratic decline" and climate change.

However, critics argue that these policies reach into every crevice of society, restricting personal freedoms. For instance, climate policies are increasingly impacting the types of cars one can drive, where one can live, what one can eat, and how and where one can travel.

This controversy reached a boiling point in early 2022 when the Canadian truckers organized a large, days-long protest in Ottawa. The government invoked the Emergencies Act and imposed Martial Law, breaking up the protest.

The erosion of freedom is not limited to Canada. In the U.S., under the Biden administration, censorship has been a reality, despite the Constitution's First Amendment right to free speech.

Some members of the European Parliament have condemned Prime Minister Trudeau for wielding his "quasi-liberal boot" against the protestors trying to protect their rights. Ronald Reagan once said, "Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction. It must be fought for and protected."

The October Crisis of 1970 in Canada, during which Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (father of the current PM) invoked the War Measures Act and suspended civil and democratic rights across Canada, is a historical reference to government suppression of dissent. More recently, during the truckers' protest, the Trudeau government blocked electronic donations to support the truckers and seized protesters' bank accounts.

Canada is embarking on a plan to achieve "net-zero" carbon emissions by 2050. However, some question the correlation between increased carbon emissions and global temperature, as recent data suggests no palpable or corresponding effect.

The study aimed to support climate change policy advocates in other countries and human rights defenders working on climate and industrial issues across the global south. It aims to provide evidence for the potential connection between "democratic decline" and climate change, but critics question the methodology and potential political bias.

As these debates continue, it is crucial to strike a balance between addressing climate change and preserving individual freedoms and rights. The source for the information about the October Crisis is PeoplesWorld.org.