Apparently on a few private citizens are signaling that they are willing to donate enough funds to keep #OntarioScienceCentre open for 2024, and folks are treating it like good news.

What kinda fucked up dull dystopia are we living in that we have to rely on crowdfunding to save public spaces FROM THE GOVERNMENT. Taxpayers effectively paying twice to save services that they are owed by this government.

Honestly, we ought to pull down the gates and occupy the grounds of OSC.

#Ontario #DougFord

Imagine thinking that “freedom” is being allowed to make others around you sick, refusing to mask.

Imagine asserting that trans youth should not have the freedom to choose their own pronouns or express their gender identity without parental consent.

Same politicians, often.

This is *exactly* what carbon taxes are for.

“New research using the latest figures for Canada’s methane emissions concludes it would be much cheaper for the energy industry to meet reduction targets for the potent greenhouse gas than it would be to pay carbon taxes on it.”

Paywall-free link: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/3ea4966050c35ffba89ed214e147a72950752d76f39de03e133b057e2cf29dd4/AV3LLHTAWFBVVPKEQRRZ4SNQG4/

#Methane #Carbon #CarbonEmissions #CarbonTax #Climate #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #CdnPoli #Canada

My view at this point, 3.5 years into the pandemic, is that we're on our own with no guidance or support from leaders or public health, minimal information to make decisions, and surrounded by folks who have decided that no further precautions are needed.

People who are still COVID aware are tired. Very tired. If they have medical vulnerabilities or long COVID, that's amplified massively. Many have no choice but to take every possible precaution without exception. They are justifiably angry at being abandoned.

COVID aware parents are exhausted and torn, trying to keep their kids safe while also worrying about their mental health, social development, friendships, experiences, education, and opportunities for joy.

People dealing with other health issues are facing unsafe healthcare settings and delays in getting treatment.

Healthcare workers, teachers, and essential workers have been ground down, burned out, and fed to the viral wolves.

We have been given no choice but to make difficult choices. We have limited information on which to base our decisions. We are among the very few even trying anymore.

The only way forward that I see is to push for structural improvements to make shared spaces safer and more inclusive. Clean indoor air, monitoring wastwater, and genomic surveillance have to be major priorities. Voluntary masking and variant-chasing vaccines won't save us.

I also think that we have to get past all-or-nothingism. Masking 100% of the time indoors is better than 75% is better than 50% is vastly better than 0%.

People need to find balance in order to continue being among the "holdouts" (thanks, media).

Everyone is dealing with things the rest of us don't see. People who are doing their best in an impossible situation deserve grace, empathy, and support. Many folks are doing things I am not comfortable doing, but if they're still making an effort in other ways, I'm grateful.

I recognize that some folks do not have the health situation or other privilege to ease up. I want very much for them to have support and for their input to drive our public health policies and investments moving forward.

There are others who are fortunate to be able to make some decisions and legitimately need to recharge and reconnect in order to continue running this forced marathon and to be able to keep pushing for the major change that will improve conditions for everyone.

In short, this all sucks for all of us in different ways. Anyone who is still doing their best at this point gets a ton of respect from me. Please keep being awesome, and do what you need to do as safely as possible in order to make your awesomeness sustainable.