A respected friend and mentor recently exchanged some thoughts with me on the state of the world, globally and locally, in which we now find ourselves. He used the analogy of Sophie’s Choice, a novel in which a woman in a concentration camp is presented with an impossible choice: which of her two children will she hand over to the guards for immediate death?

She has to choose if her son or her daughter will live; who will live and who will be sent to the gas chambers. If she fails to choose, both will be killed immediately. Imagine being faced with such a horrifying and impossible choice. I preferred William Styron’s novel, but Meryl Streep’s performance in the movie version won her an Academy Award. Movie critic Roger Ebert commented that the film version captured the angst of all of us who flounder “in the bewilderment of being human in an age of madness.”

Our current global drama certainly qualifies as an Age of Madness. From the Sudan to the Middle East to North and South America we see war, genocide, and the rise of totalitarianism. Our communications are confused by manipulated and misleading information, by technologically advanced AI generated reality, and by the economic disparity that sees the 0.1% of the filthy rich leaving the rest of us wondering WTF!?

On the other side of the sword’s edge is being human. Those random acts of kindness, establishing meaningful relationships with at least one other person, exuding a genuine sense that you care for other people of good will. Unabashed curiosity, questioning the bullshizzle, and engaging in intelligent reflection on root causes. These are the things that make us human. But the icing on the cake is integrity.

Integrity makes us act on our beliefs. If a person abuses his partner, we protect. If a corporation abuses the health of the planet, we protect. If a politician lies and steals, we protest and vote them out of office. If voting doesn’t change the rulers, we revolt. And when we revolt, heads of office fall. If we are silent, we have failed.

We, who care, do not intend to be silent. The way I see it.

We should all be aware by now, that a healthy environment is found at the nexus of ecological and economic systems.  The Greek word “ecos” meaning “home” is the root of both ecology and economy, and the “nexus” is the point where they come into balance.

Imagine a teeter-totter in perfect balance, both kids suspended peacefully in the air. on one side sits Ecology, the child who understands how all the natural systems of Earth web and flow; on the other side is Economy, the child who understands how all the resources of those systems are utilized. Working cooperatively and in consensus, the teeter-totter remains beautifully balanced.

However, should the Economy child start to gobble up the resources of the Ecology child too quickly and get obese on its richness, he will crash to the ground. On the other side, the Ecology child will get thrown off. She will be injured and angry. It will take a long time for the children to recover the balance point.

Almost every one of the Ontario Provincial government’s recent bills have been fattening up the Economy. This has been happening in municipal governments as well. We are not Protecting Ontario from the teeter-totter collapsing if we exempt “economic zones” from environmental oversight. We are not protecting the balance point if our Municipal governments pass special By-laws to allow the destruction of rehabilitated greenspaces.

There will be a reckoning. It will come in the form of a forensic audit that will expose all the waste, graft and greed of private contracts and developer influence that has infected the politics of our communities. Some may try to take the money and run. But when the teeter-totter hits the ground, there will be a lot of people looking for accountability and justice.

Keep an eye on Ontario’s upcoming municipal elections as a bellwether. If you see skunks changing their stripes, or rats leaving the ship, you’ll know something is coming. Politicians who introduced legislation detrimental to environmental security who now start waving their ‘green flags” should be the first to go. Politicians who restricted the voices of democracy who now start touting public participation should be next in the exit strategy.

From the Ring of Fire to Swan Lake, from Ontario Place spa makeovers to Billy Bishop Airport private jet runways, from deteriorating Ontario Science Centre myths to stalled Caledon East housing construction projects, from a still unapproved 413 highway to a still unplanned tunnel under the 401, from secret ministerial cell phone records to unaccountable municipal payouts to Strong Mayor staff, the list goes on.

On May 12, 2026, the Auditor General of Ontario is issuing four special reports.   Karma has a long list. Patience is a virtue, and the nexus will come. The way I see it.