We live in the beautiful ecosystems of BC. But like everywhere in the world, it is struggling, because we are not outside the reaches of the changing climate.
By the end of August 2015 over 6,000 fires raged throughout BC, costing $380 million. Glaciologists tell us the local glaciers are melting at an alarming rate. We can see them disappearing before our eyes. This year, we’ve had above average snow fall, but within a matter of a few warm months, the snow is almost gone. And it’s not even summer yet.
But tragically “unprecedented” is the new norm. This month we’ve heard of murderous temperatures in India of 51 Celsius, hundreds dying and massive crop loss. Super storms and drought are common. NASA tells us the Earth’s magnetic poles are shifting due to the loss of ice from the poles. Can we begin to understand what that might mean?
The time for action is now. We’re already late. We need bold federal action. Subsidies for fossil fuels must be eliminated now. We need job retraining for fossil fuel workers to build the green economy. We need the implementation of a steadily rising and nationally integrated carbon price.
Dona Grace-Campbell, Kaslo
