Editor:
I wish to add a new perspective on the recent feature in Thursday’s (September 26, 2019) newspaper, “Climate change demands.” The four articles were well articulated and insightful. Fletcher called attention to the fake news and hypocrisy of those who say they want to solve climate change. Then the way which Professor Beedle used fact and logic to destroy uninformed opinions was very agreeable to see. This is especially important to note in a time where fake news is everywhere where one looks. Cocullo highlighted how real climate change is and that we must act now. In the same fashion, Lough proposed that there must be a balance between the economy and the environment.
READ MORE: COCULLO: The climate strike is far from fact-challenged
Where my school of thought comes in is that there is a lack of an incisive solution. Lough’s article suggested nature-based options. The article is well-intentioned, yet it does not express an intrinsic solution. As also noted, cutting emissions is also not enough; it is not enough to sign empty agreements, such as the Paris Climate Agreement. These agreements are often not respected and would not stop the downward spiral of our deteriorating environment. Evidently, the articles do not give a concrete solution. They only identify a problem. What is being done to solve the fundamental problem of our generation is not sufficient.
READ MORE: GUEST COLUMN, LOUGH: Climate action demands more nature-based solutions
Planting trees will indeed suck the CO2 out of the atmosphere. Inspirations like Greta Thunberg and striking children across the globe will draw attention to climate change. Although what do we do now? We are at a crossroads. Consequently, many people prefer to spite capitalism and oil moguls like the Koch family for releasing copious amounts of harmful gases into the atmosphere. Simply placing blame on others will change very little. Yet for the same intentions as the Koch family, to make a change in the world, modern-day entrepreneurs can lead us to the preservation and the eventual return of a pre-industrial revolution climate.
Meanwhile, I trust Elon Musk to solve climate change more than a bunch of lying politicians at the United Nations. I trust start-up companies such as Mosa Meat, a company leading in lab-grown meat from animal cells to solve climate change.
I trust a hypothetical company that creates synthetic phytoplankton that sucks CO2 out of the water to solve climate change. I trust SpaceX to get destructive humans off the Earth before I would trust a politician to solve climate change. Passionate and motivated young people are the future, and their creative solutions will save our world. The article on page A11 (Sept. 27 issue) of the newspaper is a testament to the unnumbered possibilities of young people’s brilliant minds.
READ MORE: B.C. VIEWS: School officials join fact-challenged ‘climate strike’
READ MORE: LETTER: Separating Fletcher’s facts from fiction
So faced with a fundamental problem of our generation, climate change, will we cower behind politicians who come up with fake solutions, or will we rise above these and support capitalists and entrepreneurs that can offer a solution? I think the answer is clear. What we can do as stewards of Earth is support these products and ideas. Try a meat-free burger, invest in a start-up, start one yourself. Although seemingly insignificant, we can all be saving the environment one action at a time. As Greta Thunberg once said, “Act as if the house was on fire,” so lets act.
Brendan Eshom
Prince Rupert
