We never expected to use this editorial space to wax nostalgic about the environmental leadership of former B.C. premier Gordon Campbell, but he at least took the step of instituting a carbon tax.
It seems our current premier is intent on fighting climate change without changing much of anything.
Christy Clark subsequently froze the carbon tax introduced by her predecessor, as if expecting she could freeze the problem along with it.
By some measures, the problem is worsening. B.C.’s own greenhouse gas emissions have risen in the last five years.
And while some environmentalists express concern that climate change is an issue of the future, we believe it’s an issue right now.
We are beginning to see more crops growing faster and producing smaller yields due to higher temperatures.
In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency warns that rising temperatures will make it more difficult to grow food, raise animals and catch fish.
By ignoring the problem, we are effectively taking food out of our own mouths.
While it would be understandable, if not excusable, for Clark to overlook the environment in favour of massive profits, her plan to doggedly pursue an LNG windfall is looking increasingly unlikely.
It seems the do-nothing approach is designed to not offend any election-year sacred cows. If we’re serious about reducing global temperatures, we may have to start by at least being willing to raise our own blood pressure.
At this point, we may have to look to above for help. The federal government is embarking on its own climate change strategy that you can bet will include more than a wait-and-see approach.
– Guest editorial from the North Shore News
