the art of influencing human behavior...

This week Premier Campbell and the BC Liberals were issued a "warning" by a group of labour, environmental, aboriginal and religious "leaders" stating that they must set tougher standards for greenhouse gas emissions. Given the announcement by the United Nations that concludes we are "very likely" to be the major contributors to global warming this seems appropriate I guess. We should expect leadership from our governments.

This coalition of leaders (including BC Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair) issued a letter warning that "there can be no doubt that bold and immediate leadership is required of governments around the world to combat global warming". No doubt! Despite the fact that the Campbell government has done more in the interest of environmental sustainability than any government before it, I agree that there is still a lot of work to do. Moving forward, governments at all levels must recognize the key role that they will play in guiding all of us to make the right decisions to ensure a future for our planet, never mind our children and grandchildren. The challenge will be in guiding those that don't want to be guided and in ensuring that we all recognize our own roles.

The people making up this so-called coalition, those seeking leadership from our premier are supposedly leaders themselves. While it may be appropriate that they seek guidance from government it should also be expected that they come to the table with their own suggestions and solutions. As a manager, I don't wait for my boss to tell me to lead, more often I report to him on the steps that I have taken to improve the operation of my department. At the risk of singling one member of this coalition out, Jim Sinclair presides over a membership of almost half a million people. One should assume that he himself is in a great position to demonstrate some "bold and immediate leadership" of his own, guiding a significant portion of the population as to ways to minimize their own contributions to global warming. Yet... when I took the time to search the BC Fed's website I found nothing that provided me with any kind of direction or suggestions at becoming a better environmental steward. No policy, no recommended best practices, no position, not even a link!

As the debate heats up, along with the globe, people are going to need leadership and they are going to be looking for it in a variety of places, from many different people (like this coalition perhaps). We should expect leadership from our governments for sure, but its also incumbent upon every single person that calls them self a leader to provide a bit of their own.