One of the most visible articulations of the environmental movement in Canada is the Green Party. In recent years the party has transitioned from fringe status to become a legitimate contender at the polls. Case in point: in the 2000 federal election the party gained less than 1% of the vote, while it secured 4.48% in 2006. Although the party has yet to elect its first Member of Parliament, recent developments have been positive. In a report prepared for the Globe and Mail and CTV in February 2008, Green Party support was pegged at 12% -- placing them in a statistical tie with the New Democratic Party as Canada's third most popular political option.The Green Party of Canada traces its roots back to 1980, when eleven independents ran under the unofficial moniker of the Small Party. Comprised of anti-nuclear activists, the Small Party's raison d'etre was to run against high profile candidates in an effort to garner attention for their cause. A driving force behind this was Elizabeth May, who ran unsuccessfully in Cape Breton Highlands against Allan J. MacEachen, a long serving Liberal. May, the present-day leader of the Green Party, came a distant fourth.
As we all know, May has gone on to an impressive career that includes a stint as an advisor to Tom McMillan, the former federal Environment Minister, and a 17 year term as the Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada.
May has also authored a number of books. While they're all quite interesting, I particularly encourage anybody interested in May and, more broadly, environmentalism, to read Budworm Battles: The Fight to Stop the Aerial Insecticide Spraying of the Forests of Eastern Canada (Tantallon, NS: Four East Publications, 1982). In this book she details her transformation from a shy waitress working at the family restaurant at Margaree Harbour, Nova Scotia, to a prominent figure in the Canadian environmental scene. This metamorphosis came as a result of her leadership in a successful campaign, lasting from 1975 to 1979, to prevent the aerial insecticide fenitrothion from being sprayed on local forests.
Whether you're interested in the politicization of this rather remarkable individual, or simply looking for an environmental success story, I recommend you get a hold of this book.
