To improve humanity's chances of survival, it is critical that

Hear the urgent voice of Elizabeth May, who proclaimed: “To improve humanity's chances of survival, it is critical that Canada assume a leadership role, first ramping up our own ambition and then pushing for more ambition overall in global negotiations.” These words do not speak of comfort or complacency, but of destiny and duty. They remind us that survival itself is now at stake—not only for one nation, but for the whole family of humankind. And in this perilous hour, May calls upon Canada, not to follow, but to lead.

For what is leadership, if not the courage to go first? Many nations linger in hesitation, fearing sacrifice, or blinded by short-term gain. Yet the ancients taught that when danger rises, the strongest must stand forward, breaking the silence so that others may follow. To ramp up ambition is not merely to set goals on paper, but to embody the spirit of courage, to dare where others delay. Canada, in May’s vision, must be the torchbearer, illuminating the path of justice for nations faltering in the shadows.

Consider the story of Norway during the age of exploration. Though small, it gave birth to men like Roald Amundsen, who dared the impossible journey to the South Pole. Norway’s size did not limit its greatness, for its explorers carried the flag of human determination. In the same way, May urges Canada to rise not by numbers or wealth alone, but by the boldness of its ambition, showing that even a single nation can shift the course of the world.

Her words are steeped in the urgency of our age: the crisis of the earth’s climate, the exhaustion of its resources, the fragility of our shared home. Humanity’s chances of survival now depend not on warlike conquest, but on cooperation, restraint, and the wisdom to preserve what has been entrusted to us. Where once nations battled for dominion, now they must battle together for survival. To lead in such a time is not merely to command, but to inspire others into unity.

History offers us both warnings and hopes. Recall the Montreal Protocol of 1987, when nations gathered to confront the destruction of the ozone layer. Leadership then, from scientists and governments alike, stirred the world to act, and the earth’s protective shield began to heal. This stands as proof that when ambition is lifted beyond selfishness, even global wounds may be mended. But recall also the failures of the League of Nations, when hesitation and weakness led to war. The lesson is clear: without ambition and without unity, destruction swiftly follows.

May’s words also pierce into the heart of human pride. For she warns against the illusion that survival will come through waiting for others to act. Each nation, and indeed each person, bears responsibility. To push for more ambition is to rouse the world from its slumber, to remind rulers and peoples alike that delay is death, and courage is life. Leadership is not comfortable—it is sacrificial. It demands vision beyond the present and devotion beyond the self.

The lesson for us, O children of tomorrow, is this: never think your voice or your nation too small to matter. Great change often begins in one heart, one household, one community, one nation that dares to lead. Do not wait for others to act. Begin where you are—reduce waste, guard the earth, demand justice from leaders, and join hands with those across borders who share this sacred work. For in this global struggle, all humanity is one people, and the earth is our only home.

Thus let the words of Elizabeth May resound: leadership is not a choice, but a necessity, and ambition is not pride, but survival. Let Canada rise, and with her, let all nations rise, to build a future worthy of those yet unborn. And let each of us, in our own small sphere, take up this charge, so that the generations to come may look back and say: they did not falter when the earth cried out—they answered, and they endured.