The Columbia Basin was well represented at the Paris climate summit. One keeps fingers crossed that the efforts of these well-meaning young environmental delegates will bear fruit.
There is little doubt their efforts will amount to little if we continue to ignore the obvious efforts in our local communities to greenwash air, water, land and climate pollution.
We live luckily in and near some of the very last intact pockets of temperate ancient/old growth forest in the known universe. These old growth red cedar/hemlock forest sequester 15 times more carbon than a tropical jungle.
Large clear-cut logging operations immediately begin releasing the carbon stored in the thick layers of soil build up in these very wet old growth creek/river forest ecosystems. These forests also produce very sweet water.
Deforestation is the number one carbon release on planet Earth.
These high altitude, weeping wet old growth forests, which did recently exist in Tea or Rory Creek in the Duncan valley, were burned not long ago after huge clearcuts. It was so hot it literally started melting the nearby glacier and turned the soil to glass. No joke.
These unbelievably scarred high places will never never produce another old growth forest and will never again be viable habitat for mountain caribou.
Now that BC’s crown and private logging corporations have nearly creamed all these ancient forest with near extinction of mountain caribou/grizzly, etc. out comes the sharp shooters. The real tough men/women with their high powered rifles and helicopter for our annual West/East Kootenay wolf cull. Two hundred dead wolves for 2016.
It appears BC’s military wolf genocide is supported by the local environmental NGOs that are in Paris — or maybe not. It is difficult to figure. They raise money for summits and get a chance to rub elbows with the queen of BC’s wolf kill, our premier, but appear ready to accept or ignore this hate crime against wolves.
This animal is a spirit host for an entire nation of BC First Peoples. The wolf is a wild spirit that cannot be ignored by well meaning banter. Please for Christmas’ make an effort to help stop the West/East Kootenay wolf genocide.
Tom Prior
Nelson