“The future is not negotiable, the future is to be protected.” – Culture Hack Labs
These words cut through the fog for me: of greenwash, of forest fire smoke, of the uncertainty of what to do. It doesn’t dance around what’s at stake with the environmental emergencies we face.
COP26 will take place in Glasgow next month, and still, after 26 years of these climate-change related meetings, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.
It is audacious that anyone expects us to give up a liveable future for the sake of corporate profits. Let’s figure out how to change course together.
How can we stop blaming each other and unite for a better future despite our difference? We can’t let our occupation, political beliefs, age, identity, opinions or anything else divide us.
We need to do address this existential threat together.
I believe the best place to start is where we live. It’s where we fully grasp the issues, know the players and have responsibility as citizens. In B.C., here are some places we could start: Support land defenders and honour the spirit of UNDRIP; stop clearcutting old growth and adopt regenerative forestry; stop fracking and pipelines, and invest in clean energy and a just transition instead; get fish farms out of our waters and restore salmon that so many depend upon; cancel Site C and restore the wildlife habitat and agricultural land in the region.
Doing these things would solve many problems and set an example for other jurisdictions.
Living lightly doesn’t reduce emissions much, but demonstrates what life can be like in a healed world.
The future is non-negotiable. We have to protect it.
Diana van Eyk
Winlaw, B.C.