Albertans, the federal election and climate change

Malina Adams brings a uniqueperspective to the climate change debate.

As a 44-year-old mother of a five-year-old, she wants the federal parties to better prepare for the "climate emergency." But as someone who works in the oil and gas sector, she's a strong defender of an industry that's often targeted by environmentalists and politicians.

She is one of manyCalgariansspeaking out during the election about climate change a move that can be considered bold and brave in a province where advocating for a cleaner environment is often seen as opposing to Alberta's oil and gas industry.

Adams wants to prove that theory wrong.

She moved to Vancouver Island in 2004 to finish her university degree and was introduced to what she calls an amazing group of scientists, activists and Indigenous leaders.

"They really opened my eyes to the issue of climate change," she said.

She was studying political science and started working with environmental activistBriony Penn in hercampaign as a Liberal candidate in the 2008 federal election.Penn was one of her professors at the University of Victoria.

Adams says her time on the West Coast helped shape who she is today. She's someone who believes more needs to be done about climate change and is concerned with how the government plans to mitigate damage from droughts, forest fires,floods and catastrophic storms.

"How will we minimize the loss of human life and property over the next 50 years of climate upheaval?"

"It's really scary what's happening.I look at my son, and I'm like, 'what are we leaving for you?'"

Shestarted in the oil and gas industry in Alberta 10years ago working in Indigenous engagement. She says the current regulations to produce and transport oil and gas in Canada are the most "rigourous in the world."

"If we aren't using Canadian oil and gas, we're importing it from Saudi Arabia, Algeriaand other countries that do not have the same rigour in place in terms of human rights and environmental standards," she said.

• Fact check: have GHG emissions risen under Trudeau?

CBC Vote Compass data suggests climate change is a big issue in the federal election for many Albertans.

Jesse Shopais an accounting and finance professional in Calgary. He describes himself as a oneissue voter, and right now he says climate change takes precedenceover any other issue.

"For me, it's No. 1 because I feel that many of the issues in the election are sort of underpinned by climate change," he said.

That includes food, water and housing security. He says economic stability and growth are also top of mind, but it's climate change that's the most important to him.

"Not that, you know, the penultimate focus on climate change is going to solve all those issues. But it will help to alleviate some of those concerns and pressuresI think a lot of Canadians feel."

• PARTY PLATFORMSCompare party platforms on major election issues

Adams believes the Liberalplan, which willincrease the national price on carbon to$170 per tonne by 2030, along with other measures, will likely have the most success at cutting emissions by at least 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. The party has since said its plan will go even further and reduce emissions by 40 to 45 per cent over the same period.

Her concernwith theLiberal Partyis that she feels it's blaming Alberta for all of Canada's emissions problems.

"Itcomes at the expense and cost of an industry that is keeping Canada afloat," she said.

"I feel like the Liberalshave kind of swung so far that they're losing touch with reality."

Adamssays the Conservative plan is "solid," but she's skepticalas to whether it will work to reduce emissions right away.

Instead of the rebates offered under the Liberal system,the money collected through the Conservative carbon pricing scheme up to a maximum of $50 per tonne would be diverted to "personal low-carbon savings accounts" to be used by individuals to buy "green" products.

• Conservatives announce plan to replace Liberal carbon tax with a lower levy of their own

"There seems to be some question on whether it will actually slow down emissions, or if it's going to take four or five years to slow down emissions versus the Liberal climate plan, which is already in motion and it's already working," she said.

• Find out who's ahead in the latest polls with our Poll Tracker.

Shopais disappointed the major parties plans don't offer enoughdetail.

"The policies that I've seen today from the majority of the parties are still relatively vagueand they do a poor job of communicating how their climate policy will actually impact voters directly," he said.

He wants to see a plan that benefitsall regions of the country withoutadversely affecting others, such as Alberta's oil and gas sector.

Shopa says he does likethe Liberal pledge to create a $2-billion "futures fund" to help retrain energy sectorworkers who may lose their job in the transition to a "net-zero future."

"Climate policy doesn't have to come to the detriment of one specific group, or demographic, it can be deployed in such a way that benefits everyone," he said.

He would like to see a plan that includes further development of renewable energy resources in Alberta,such as wind and solar.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Vote Compass, acivic engagement tool that helps voters find out how their views align with those of the parties,asksCanadians how much this country should do when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Approximately one out of five respondents from Alberta(22 per cent) say not much needs to change, it's the highest rate in Canada, followed by Saskatchewan and Manitoba residents, who answered"about the same as now."

Three out of four of the 300,609initial respondents say Canada should do more to cut back, with more than half saying much more needs to be done.

Climate change has emerged as the top issue of this election among those using the online tool. Nearly one in three listit as their top issue.

About four per cent say Canada should do less while 14per cent of respondents indicatethe status quo isenough.

Those voters who support doing much more when it comes to climate change primarily alignthemselves with the Green Party, the NDP, Bloc Quebecois and to a lesser extent the Liberals.

• Use Vote Compass to compare the party platforms with your views.

Those who indicatethey intend to vote for the Conservatives were split. About 50 per cent saythe government should do more to limit emissions, but 49per cent say Canada should do the same as now, less or much less.

More respondents than not saythe government should make Canadians pay (either the same as now or more) for the carbon their lifestyles emit. About 26 per cent of respondents suggested Canadians should pay "somewhat more" than we do now.

Most Canadians agree more needs to be done

University of Calgary political scientist Melanee Thomas says the Vote Compass results showthat everyone across the country is "pretty much on the same page" when it comes to the question of whether the government needs to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But she says there are obvious regional differences. In Alberta, she says, more people are tied to the oil and gas industry, so reducing emissions could impact livelihoods. In Quebec, she notes, it mightbe easier for someone to say more needs to be doneto reduce emissions because there isn't an immediatethreat of job loss.

"Whereas in Alberta or Saskatchewan the task is larger, there's more people who are emotionally identified with oil and gas as an industry. And so they're more likely to be a little bit more skeptical."

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Thomas says her research shows it's also misguided to assume people take a certain stand on issues based on their political leanings.

She says it would be wrong to assume that people who support the Bloc Qubcoiswant to separate from Canada, just as it would be wrong to say Conservative Party supporters don't want to take action on climate change.

"There's a reason why [Conservative leader] Erin O'Toolehas to say, in his campaign that they have a proper environmental policy, because there are people who are prepared to vote for thembut they still want to see action on the environment," Thomas said.

New voter, strong message

Jayden Baldonado is about to celebrate his 18th birthday, a milestone that will occur just four days before the federal election, allowing him to vote for the first time. He hasidentified climate change as his No. 1issue and will be supporting theGreen Partyin the riding of Calgary Shepard, a conservative stronghold.

Baldonado says his views were solidified with this summer's release of the UN's scientificreport on climate changethat prompted the UN's chief to say it was "code red" for humanity.

"I'm just looking for a leader who will be able to guide us in a quick transition to a renewables-based economy," he said.

"I think we need to phase out the fossil fuel industry almost immediately and replace it with a national grid of renewable resources."

Baldonado says volunteering for the Green Party in a riding with strong support for the Conservatives can feel "pointless." But he says it's important to spread the message that action on the environment needs to be accelerated.

"And hopefully, more people are realizing and becoming aware of the fact that this is a crisis, and we need to act immediately."

Regardless of their political leanings, the view of mostAlbertans 60 per cent,according to Vote Compass is that more needs to be done, either here at home or abroad.

"As a Canadian citizen, I believe Canada is doing enough," saidAdams.

"As a global citizen, I believe globally we are not doing enough."

We want to hear from you.Take a minute to fill out this formand let us know what you want the candidates to be talking about as they try to win your vote. We'll read every answer and use them to help guide our broader election coverage.

Notes on Vote Compass

Developed by a team of social and statistical scientists from Vox Pop Labs, Vote Compass is a civic engagement application offered in Canada exclusively by CBC/Radio-Canada. The findings are based on 300,609respondents who participated in Vote Compass from Aug.14, 2021 to Sept.7, 2021

Unlike online opinion polls, respondents to Vote Compass are not pre-selected. Similar to opinion polls,however, the data is a non-random sample from the population and hasbeen weighted in order to approximate arepresentative sample. Vote Compass data hasbeen weighted by gender, age, education, householdincome, first language, regionand partisanship to ensure the sample's composition reflects that of the actualpopulationof Canada according to census data and other population estimates.