Sovereignty should include a committment to protect our environment

It's frightening enough to hear estimates among international scientists that our polar caps could melt away within the next decade, but when you add politics and greed to the mix, it gets even worse.
The Greenhouse Effect on Arctic and Antarctic ice means that natural resources formerly hidden away and protected by the frozen elements will be accessible.
Already countries are getting their ducks, or in this case penguins, in a row on this.
Britain has announced it plans to map its property around the Antarctic and in the Speech from the Throne, Prime Minister Stephen Harper made it clear he wants to beef up Canada's military to, among other things, strengthen our sovereignty in the north.
Of course it wouldn't hurt our government or others if these newly mapped areas were rich in oil.
The fact that we are losing unknown numbers of species of animals and plant life due to climate change is horrific. What makes it worse is that we don't know what these great losses will mean to our planet.
Being human doesn't make us immune to the potentially catastrophic effects of global warming, no matter how arrogantly we try to elevate ourselves above other life forms on this Earth.
So in our haste to claim sovereignty over the North, would it not be prudent to ensure that these wondrous, fragile regions also be protected, nurtured and nursed back to health from the sicknesses we have released upon them?
Oil doesn't perpetuate life on our planet, life does.

Is John Tory wishy-washy, or just listening?

Provincial Conservative leader John Tory is taking it on the chin by some who say he is being wishy-washy and showing weak leadership by changing his position on allowing a free vote in the legislature on funding faith-based schools.
Why?
If anything I think Mr. Tory should be credited with actually listening to voters and allowing that his ideas on this subject may not be what people want.
Who cares if he came to this realization during an election campaign?
I believe true strength is shown in the ability of one to bend. How many trees have fallen because they were too brittle in the face of strong winds?
I realize I am opening the door to too many jokes by talking about politicians and strong winds in the same story, but my point is that whether you like a politician's platform or not, it is comforting to know that he or she is open to hearing what the public has to say and willing to make changes to meet those concerns.