A look at our ‘progress’ - Opinion - J. Fefchak

[Oscar]

A look at our ‘progress’

[ https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opini ... s-dec-9-10 ]

Re: Finding sewage treatment money a necessity (Think Tank, Dec. 3)
QUOTE: "If this isn’t a wakeup call for urgently prioritizing upgrades to this biosolids “Phase 2” portion of the sewage plant overhaul, then I don’t know what is.

John Fefchak - Winnipeg Free Press - December 9, 20224

I am a first generation Canadian, born and raised on a Manitoba farm in the early 1930s. I did not take up farming as my livelihood, however I did learn to recognize that farm life can be extremely rewarding in so many different ways. I also learned to appreciate and realize that water and nature (environment) were to be treated with the utmost respect and courtesy, with a sense of dignity.

Now retired, I, along with so many, have become very concerned and worried how those once valued principles have deteriorated and crumbled. Corporations and their investors, i.e.: Sio Silica are taking over, interested only in benefiting from the current economic activity. Plus, huge hog-producing factories and massive feedlots threaten our health, our water sources, and our environment.

Part of the problem is that our economy, our governments and our society does not account for the social and environmental consequences that are being experienced and inflicted upon the communities and our precious water sources. In the past, Manitoba’s rivers provided a means of transportation, a source of food and clean water. Today the rivers are regarded, for the most part, as handy open-air sewers (someplace to dump the leftovers). All but our most northern and isolated water sources are being affected. Lake Winnipeg, the 10th largest freshwater lake in the world, has become a sewage lagoon and is dying.

Now the people of rural Manitoba have a common purpose that brings them together to face a shared adversary and the malignant forces of the expansionism of corporations and industries. For the “people” now have come to realize that the future of our generations is at stake, and the risks cannot be tolerated any longer.

I agree with a competitive and profitable agriculture industry, but never at the expense of our health, our waters and the environment. Feeding the world with pork, while exploiting and destroying our resources in the process, is just not acceptable. In fact, it is irresponsible, ignorant and immoral.

It seems to me that “nature” is literally screaming about the impact that we are putting on her, yet we think wistfully of what has been lost and dismiss it as “the price of progress.”

It’s about time we started to put moral ethics back into our present day society. Also, it’s about time we started redefining “progress.”

John Fefchak,
Virden, MB