B.C. is reeling from floods, a moment those who’ve paid attention to climate science have been dreading for decades and ironically right after COP26.
Despite B.C.’s new forestry commitments, old growth is still being logged. And our tax dollars are still being used to subsidize fossil fuels. It’s talk and log and frack as usual. Unsurprisingly, our greenhouse gas emissions are higher than the national average.
RCMP are being sent in to prevent people from defending the land when they could be part of the emergency response we need.
What will it take for our government to change course? And during this climate crisis, isn’t improving life for those who live in B.C. its main duty?
We will have to rebuild after this flooding. It’s time to change direction and start making our province liveable again. Do we want more heat domes, torrential floods and whatever else this climate catastrophe dishes up?
It’s past time for a bold, new direction. Our governments need to immediately halt subsidies to fossil fuel companies, stop clearcutting old growth, and get on with the just transition to a green future we desperately need.
And it’s time for us to individually flex our political muscles. We need to hold our governments accountable. Write, protest, sign petitions. There are other things we can do too. Don’t like that banks are investing in fossil fuels? Then move money to a credit union. Consume less, drive less, eat lower on the food chain. Support local, organically grown, and fair trade purchases.
It’s going to take all of us doing everything we can to turn this climate catastrophe around. Let’s do it.
Diana van Eyk
Winlaw