Must have leaders debate on climate crisis ahead of next election
For the last few summers, I’ve watched B.C., my home province, burn from unprecedented forest fires that are unquestionably connected to climate change. I’ve watched my friends and family struggle with breathing, seen thousands of trees knocked over in torrential wind storms, lost power and water for days on end. I’ve followed the stories of mass evacuation in remote and rural parts of the province.
I recently experienced first hand the fires that raged through my husband’s neighbourhood, followed by flooding and mudslides in Southern California. All year long deadly heatwaves and droughts claim more and more habitats to destruction every year.
We are undoubtedly in a climate emergency. The government of Canada, along with many others around the world, has even declared a national climate emergency. And if we don’t take action immediately we can expect things to get much, much worse.
In a federal election year, we have a critical opportunity to make sure that real solutions to the climate crisis, like a Green New Deal, are at the centre of every party’s platform. That’s why we need a leaders’ debate on climate change before voters hit the ballot box on Oct. 21.
It is shameful that climate change only received 15 minutes of air time in federal leaders’ debates in the last election. Our climate and our planet simply can’t afford for that to happen again.
That’s why I am one of tens of thousands of people that have called on CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster, to host a leaders’ debate on the climate crisis and a Green New Deal ahead of the fall election.
Will you please support this call for debate?
Patti Bauer
Salt Spring Island