Green Warriors

Original article published in Canadian Living Magazine
April, 2008

Sharon Labchuck, head of the green party in Prince Edward Island, has dedicated the majority of her adult life to saving the environment. Many remember her for the silently shocking photograph posing with nothing but a gas mask in the middle of a potato farm.  It was the perfect fit for a book profiling women activists around the world.  Her daughter has commented on this, stating “I am a huge fan of tactics that shock people out of complacency.” 

Environmental issues are now at the forefront of Canadian consciousness and for many young people, taking care of the planet is more than just another passing trend; it’s a defining cause.  “To feel like you’re a part of this huge change that can happen and this huge opportunity that’s been given to our generation is something a lot of young people are recognizing. And it’s something that a lot of us are feeling very proud to be a part of.” says Melanie Mullen a 24-year-old graduate in environmental engineering from the University of Guelph.

There is no shortage of jobs for the young and ambitious either. Even with the 500,000 Canadians already working in environment-related jobs there are still plenty to go around. “We’re seeing the environment permeate virtually every profession,” says Grant Trump, president and CEO of ECO Canada, a Calgary-based national not-for-profit organization launched with federal funding in 1992 to help build the environmental labour market.  Youth portray their green education as a chance to do something positive for the planet.