As public interest environmental lawyers, we think that it’s important for BC and Canada to have strong environmental laws. And, at least when asked in polls, a large majority of Canadians agree.
The trouble is, when you start talking about different models of environmental assessment, or the legal definition of “critical habitat”, most people’s eyes just glaze over. Sometimes we feel challenged to explain – in plain English – why these technical words make a difference to our clean water and air and healthy wildlife.
So it’s always great when comedians weigh in about environmental law issues – explaining the significance of these critical issues, in a way that doesn’t seem too technical, isn’t too much of a downer and may actually make people smile. Even though the issues are serious, and sometimes sad, even environmental lawyers can use a chuckle.
Three great examples from just this week made us smile.
“There’s no challenge that we can’t make extinct.”
Alex Tindal, in this video column for the Toronto Star, defends – sort of – plans to make Canada’s Species At Risk Act more efficient. Pay special attention to this statement which could be straight out of an environmental law alert close to the end – but if we said it wouldn’t be funny:
What can we do? … We can erode environmental and wildlife protections though a serious of underhanded and vague legislative changes, while depriving the scientist and statisticians of the resources required to do their jobs, so that informed consensus about the issues disappears just as quickly as the animals.
Rick Mercer Sells the Omnibus
Canada’s favourite funny man, Rick Mercer, has previously explained why omnibus bills that gut environmental laws are undemocratic, and (just recently) why having scientists study water is important (“I’m biased … I’m a drinker.”) But here he is as a car salesman, selling the “Omnibus.”
International trade agreements for dummies
And then there’s this great piece from the folks at Deep Rogue Ram explaining the “benefits” of the Canada-China Investment Promotion and Protection Treaty. We’ve recently suggested that signing this international agreement might be illegal, but it never occurred to us to suggest that it was funny. Enjoy.
What are your favourite comic moments in the world of environmental law?
Sometimes if you can’t laugh, you may just end up crying.
What are your favourite comic moments in the world of environmental law? Tell us in the comments section, below.
Note: The fact that we find the above videos funny does not imply that we view them as 100% legally accurate or agree with every statement. Comedy should be taken as comedy, and not legal advice.