Climate in crisis
I’m astonished at recent lack of news, editorials, and letters to editors in daily/weekly newspapers on the most important issue of this century, the climate crisis.
Is the public disinterested, or have newspapers decided that the climate has stopped changing (warming) during the current pandemic?
Global carbon emissions have never been higher. Atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) has never been higher (416 ppm), climbing at almost 3ppm per year where it was 2ppm a decade ago. Global mean temperatures are now at 1.3 C higher than the average 1880-1920 baseline, with no chance of keeping it to 1.5 C. The last seven years were the warmest seven years on record.
Meanwhile, the new federal climate plan (and Bill C-12) advocates net-zero emissions by 2050, as all major governments are pledging. This means no reduction in emissions required, and business as usual for the fossil fuel industry. It also means leaving our grandchildren with an apocalyptic world after 2050!
Are you happy with this? Please — help raise awareness of this weak plan and demand emission reduction targets!
Geoff Strong
Cowichan Bay