We emit more than our share, we have to do our share to fix it
In our Municipality of North Cowichan mayor’s letter to the editor (Citizen, Jan. 20) it was good to see that he seems to acknowledge human caused climate change from which we are seeing increasing frequency of extreme weather.
However, he then seemed to claim that we needn’t address OUR emissions because Canada produces “only” 1.6 per cent of global fossilized carbon emissions (actually closer to 1.7 per cent). But he’s omitting the fact that we make up only 0.4 per cent of the global population. This means we Canadians release nearly four times the amount per capita as the average person.
If we do not do our part, how can we expect the rest of the world to do its bit, especially those who are not as wealthy as we are?
With respect, Al, we boomers, who created this mess (in our own ignorance) need to act at our local level as well as provincial and federal levels to look after the lives of our coming generations. We must also think of those in nations without the resources to deal with the results of climate change, and the millions of potential climate refugees with which our kids will have to deal.
As an aside, I hope that the people who, I suspect, will be complaining about the four per cent rise in our municipal tax rates are not the same ones complaining about potholes, mudslides, and delayed plowing of residential streets.
Thanks for your work, Al, and to all those who do the hard stuff.
Peter Lake
North Cowichan