Thursday, August 26, 2021

Afraid, Disappointed, ....and yet still Hopeful

Photo of Lytton, BC, by Cole Burston, The Guardian

Afraid

I am afraid. No, I am terrified.

We have spent the last 18 months living through a global pandemic. 

This summer, wild fires ravaged British Columbia, making this the worst wild fire season on record. At any given time, as many as 280 fires are burning in the province, and people in communities throughout the southern interior have been on evacuation alert, or evacuated from their homes for days at a time. 

The small community of Lytton burned to the ground during the heat dome earlier in the summer. In addition, as many as 570 people in BC died this summer as a result of high temperatures during the heat dome.

I live in a part of BC that is a rain forest. Yet, we are experiencing a level 5 drought (the most extreme level) and haven't seen more than a few drops of rain in two and a half months. The soil is rock hard, the local trails are closed because of fire risk, and the shrubs in our garden are dying. Rivers are running dry, salmon are not returning to spawn, and marine life has been decimated by high ocean water temperatures combined with extremely low tides.

People all around keep saying, "Get used to this. It's the new normal." But it's not the new normal. Things are about to get much, much worse. Because if we don't take action immediately and worldwide, we face the specter of of runaway, unstoppable global warming, according to the sixth IPCC report on the physical science of climate change. 

That's why I'm terrified.

Disappointed

We are currently in the middle of a federal election campaign in Canada. Two years ago, the Liberals under Justin Trudeau were elected with a minority government, and now Trudeau has called another election in hopes of obtaining a majority this time around. 

In a recent survey asking Canadians what they think is the most critical threat facing Canadians, more people cited climate change than any other issue, including government deficits, unemployment and the economy,  income inequality, and food security. Eighty-eight percent of Canadians said they have been personally impacted by climate change, and 78% said "they are very concerned about the negative impact of climate change on future generations." Between 73% and 84% of respondents recommended the following solutions: Industry adopting cleaner energy sources, increased use of renewable energy and clean electricity, use of new technology to offset carbon emissions, reduced fossil fuel usage, and implementation of government policies to support all these solutions. 


Yet, climate change has scarcely been mentioned by party leaders on the campaign trail. One exception is Annamie Paul, leader of the Green Party of Canada, who, unfortunately, has received relatively little press coverage. 

We don't have much time left to shift our trajectory away from uncontrollable heating of the earth. An election campaign is the ideal time to focus on the changes we want to see, and to elect leaders who will work to address climate change. 

So, I am disappointed. Disappointed and scared.

I am disappointed that the Liberals have made little progress toward meeting climate change goals during their two terms in office. Instead, they used our tax dollars to buy a pipeline. 

The New Democratic Party is a socially progressive party that I supported for years. Now led by Jagmeet Singh, the federal NDP has been silent on climate change policy and instead, seem to have put their efforts into propping up the Liberals. 

And, while federal and provincial politics are different, our provincial NDP party under John Horgan has been a huge disappointment on environmental matters. They have have gone ahead with Site C dam development in the northeast of BC, a liquid natural gas plant in the northwest, and spent millions of policing dollars to harass and arrest protestors at Fairy Creek, Canadians fighting to save one of the last intact old growth ecosystems on southern Vancouver Island (796 people arrested since May). This has occurred despite a forestry report they commissioned recommending a moratorium on logging stands of old growth, which the provincial NDP pledged to support last fall. 

The federal Progressive Conservative party platform under O'Toole, not surprisingly, recommends increased criminal penalties for Canadians who protest against pipelines or other "key infrastructure."

Aside from the Green Party of Canada, our federal parties are not taking the climate emergency seriously. 

Therefore, I now actively support the Green Party, federally and provincially. Rob and I went out a few days ago to put up some large Green Party campaign signs. As we wrestled with the big heavy signs, struggled to pound stakes into soil that was as hard as concrete, and tore our jeans on blackberry brambles, at one point we looked at each other and asked, "Where are all the young people?" 

In our electoral district, why are the people erecting the signs, running as candidate, and coordinating the campaign all old-age pensioners? Where are the people in their twenties, thirties, forties, and fifties? Have they given up on the democratic process? Are they too busy, too cynical, too alienated, or . . . ? I'm disappointed.

Still Hopeful

Yet, I am still hopeful. I am grateful to the many protestors at Fairy Creek, people of all ages, who have showed up week after week for the past year to protect the old growth. Some of those big trees are a thousand years old, and they are very effective carbon sinks. Old growth forests provide habitat for animals, including many on the endangered list. Only 2.7% of BC's old growth still remains, and once it's cut it's gone forever.

The RCMP arresting protesters at Fairy Creek, The Narwhal

 

I am still hopeful, as many of the younger people in my life are very involved in making the world a better place. They are working to raise awareness about issues of social justice, including violence against women, mental health support, and acceptance of racial and gender diversity. They work to improve public transportation, environmental health, and community planning to address climate change. Social justice and climate action go hand-in-hand.

Having seen the way the scientists, medical experts, and leaders at all levels from local to international have worked together to adopt public health measures to keep us safe and to develop a COVID vaccine in record time, I know that humans around the world can accomplish a lot in the face of an emergency. It gives me hope that we will attack the climate emergency with the same sense of urgency.

We still have a window of time, although it is shrinking rapidly, to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. 

One place we all can start is by getting involved in this federal election. Ask your local candidates how they will address climate change. Ask them about specific issues, like old growth forests, pipelines, raw log exports, job transition support for resource workers, and corporate subsidies. Get the climate emergency into the spotlight at campaign events. Learn what each party's platform says about climate targets. Volunteer to help out in the campaign of a party that has a strong record of action on the environment.

Still hopeful. 

20 comments:

  1. You've picked an important topic to mark your return to blogging after such a long break. You also did a credible job of presenting the issue. Unfortunately, when we live in a world where we can't get people to accept the science behind a vaccine, or even the science behind a pandemic, how will they accept climate change. We can site example after example of extreme weather conditions, and people will still reason that it is progressively 'normal.'

    By nature, we are reactionary people, and have a history of uniting during a crisis. The crisis is here and can't be reversed, but it can be slowed. People simply need to take notice beyond their own backyard.

    Thanks for doing your part. Maybe that's how it gets done - one person at a time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Suzanne. Thanks for commenting. Yes, I did take a rather long unintended break from writing and reading blogs. But I’m back, I think.

      In BC, to date, 68% of people are fully vaccinated. Excluding children under 12, I believe that works out to 76% of eligible people here being double-vaxed. That is a quite good uptake. I truly don’t understand the thought processes of people who refuse to get vaccinated and thereby cause the pandemic to continue. To me, it seems socially irresponsible of them to serve as hosts for the disease and put children and the medically vulnerable at risk. However, ignorance of science and defiance against the advice of medical professionals is the exception rather than the rule, fortunately, where I live.

      As for climate change, surveys show that most Canadians have accepted that we are experiencing human-caused climate change and are very worried about it. In the last five years, the discourse has really shifted away from whether there is climate change to what we can do about it. That is why I am so disappointed in our politicians. They seem to be ten steps behind the rest of the populace.

      I do believe that if each one of us makes changes and speaks out, we serve as role models for others and eventually it adds up to a movement. I just hope that the momentum builds quickly as we don’t have a lot of time.

      Jude

      Delete
  2. I hear the concern, worry, and frustration in your 'voice'. I can hear you saying these words rather than just reading them. With each sentence my heart sinks a little lower.

    You put into words this sense of unease I've felt all summer. It's been too hot. Much, much too hot. It's been too dry ... a remarkable thing to say after the endless rain of July we've had here, but August has been so very dry.

    There have been far too many tragic environmental stories all around the world, and this is not normal. This is not ok.

    While I share all your concerns, I can't share your support of Annamie Paul. As the leader of the Green Party, she is surprisingly weak on an actual plan. In interviews she has consistently failed to deliver policy of any substance. She is simply bombastic with little to no substance. Even her own party struggles to support her. And yet I understand your position. Our options are desperately few. This election disappoints me too. It's the same old, same old.

    I like your plan of action though. It's something. It's tangible. History needs to show that there were those who cared enough to fight. However, I personally have reached a point where I understand the necessity for strategic voting. It's no longer about supporting the philosophy we care for the most - especially when it can't upset the balance of power. It's about trying to prevent the most destructive 'power' candidate from winning. Quebec and Ontario will be battle grounds, and we are literally fighting for the future.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanne, I’m sorry to write a blog post that is such a downer. The more I read about the science of climate change as well as news stories about its consequences around the world, the more worried I become for the future. It’s keeping me up at night. I feel compelled to do something — my little part to take action on climate change. Writing about it on my blog and volunteering my time to campaign for a party promoting a green transition are two of the practical things I can do.

      I don’t believe in strategic voting, though. To me, voting for a party you don’t like in order to prevent a party you dislike even more from getting in means you’ll never get what you actually want. I think that approach is partly to blame for why our federal government seesaws between the Liberals and Conservatives, decade after decade. I vote my conscience and I believe that electing even a few strong voices advocating for moving up our emission targets and improved environmental policies can make a positive difference. Especially in a minority government.

      Jude

      Delete
  3. I am with you, Jude, on your three subtitles and the descriptions. It is difficult to not be worried about the sadness and challenges on our planet and close to home. I have many fond memories of driving through Lytton every year as a child. We would stop for an orange creamsicle and watch where the Thompson and Fraser rivers meet. I do not agree with “new normal.” Everything is rapidly changing. “Still hopeful” is where I want to approach each day.

    You remind me how a Nancy, a blogger (nrhatch) left this comment for me in one of our conversations “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has” - Margart Mead

    (On a positive aside - it was a treat to meet up with you and Rob this month)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Erica. I love orange creamsicles!

      It was horrifying to follow the stories about the fire in Lytton, and, as you know, we drove through that area about four weeks after the fire. The ground was charred and the trees burnt black for sixty kilometres between Lytton and Cache Creek. The fire was still smouldering beside the highway, and we could see towers of smoke on the nearby hills. Now, two months after it started, the Lytton creek fire is still burning out of control.

      I do believe that committed citizens can change the world; that is a great quote from Margaret Mead. Many of us make changes in small ways, and working together, they become large changes. Sometimes ordinary individuals in a moment in time, have the opportunity and courage to become true leaders and shift many people’s perspectives or behaviours. Two recent examples I can think of are Greta Thunberg and Dr. Bonnie Henry.

      It was great to see you and Chuck, too.

      Jude

      Delete
  4. I resonate with your fears and frustrations, Jude. When it comes to politics, I tend to be quite disillusioned...more and more it seems to be a case of "here comes the new boss, same as the old boss". I tend to vote based on who I think will be the less harmful of the bunch. As for where are the young people, here's what I think: you have a generation of people who quite rightly think that - despite doing everything "right" - they might never be able to enter the housing market without help (usually parental injection of $$$)...something our generation didn't have to grapple with. Rents seem out of proportion to income too, and people are being evicted from more affordable rental housing as owners sell their properties in this overheated market, and new owners jack the rents to cover the cost of owning overpriced properties. It's gotta be tough to worry about anything other than how are you going to be able to afford shelter (rent or own)...we're back to the bottom of Maslow's hierarchies, especially for young people.

    Deb

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Deb. It is easy to be disillusioned about politics. Yet, I believe that most people who run for office start out with a genuine goal of making a positive difference in the country or province. Ideals can crash on the hard rocks of reality. Having worked in a senior management position in a large organization, I know how hard it is to change the system from the inside. It really helps if you have the opportunity to work with like-minded colleagues and if you have leaders above you who are open to input and change.

      Most average citizens feel really distanced from their elected representatives, as if they have no influence except by voting during an election. But it doesn’t have to be that way. MLAs and MPs maintain an office in their riding, and you can walk in and talk to them, or write to them, or phone. They work for you, their community, whether or not you voted for them. During a campaign, you can attend leadership debates and rallies and get to know the candidates. If you volunteer to help in a campaign, you will meet the candidate personally and be able to tell them what’s important to you. As a member of a party, you can contribute to policy development.

      I think if more people engaged with the democratic process at the local level, they would feel less of a sense of helplessness and hopelessness. Politicians wouldn’t be just talking heads on TV.

      I agree that it is tough for many young people these days. Housing is very expensive in B.C., especially in Vancouver and Victoria. The province seems to have been extremely slow to develop affordable housing options, and many city councils seem to let profit motivated developers dominate their planning processes rather than the needs of the community being paramount.

      But these types of issues are exactly why community members need to get more involved in politics, at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels, I think.

      Jude

      Delete
  5. I can't think of a time in my lifetime where there have been so many significant problems at the same time. There were many in denial of climate change for so long, and most now are silent. Their silence speaks volumes as they begin to understand the truth. In California, where I live, we've had draughts four of the last five years. Last year we had a record-setting number of acres burned from fires, and we're ahead of that pace now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Pete. It seems that when I look back, throughout my life there have been a whole series of serious threats - the possibility of nuclear annihilation during the Cold War, rampant overpopulation, DDT, the ozone hole, and so on. Yet climate change is even more serious. We have already put so many greenhouse gases in the air that global warming is now unavoidable. Carbon dioxide in the air takes decades to break down. We have a chance now to stop putting more CO2 in the air, and give the CO2 that’s already there time to break down. In that way, we’ll avoid the worst consequences of global warming and climate change. It would be nice if someone else could just fix it, but the solution depends on all of us changing our behaviour.

      I have read about the fires and heat waves in California and it is truly scary.

      Many of times throughout history, humans have come through in the nick of time and forestalled disastrous consequences, and I hope that is true of climate change too.

      Jude

      Delete
  6. Hi, Jude - Thank you for writing about this critical topic so openly, and while retaining hope. Despite all of the frustrations and the unknowns, I wholeheartedly agree with the Margaret Mead quote that Erica shared. A small group of determined, thoughtful citizens CAN charge the world.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Donna, this issue worries me a lot. In the case of global warming and climate change, I believe that it will take more than a small group of citizens to change the world. It will have to be a collective effort. I feel hopeful that we will somehow get it together in time and do what we need to do.

      Jude

      Delete
  7. Hi Jude, I share your concerns and hope. The wildfires in BC, CA and Greece, the toxic smoky air, the depleting water in reservoirs (e.g. Lake Mead) are some very alarming issues. I see awareness and actions to save our planet in my social circles and community so I'm hopeful that together we'll make a difference.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Natalie. I know that you are extremely conscious about the threat of climate change and have taken steps, personally, to reduce your carbon footprint. For example, I admire you for living without a car, and walking, using public transportation, or cycling instead. When we bought our retirement home, we chose a rural area, which I love because we are surrounded by nature. However, it makes it difficult to reduce our vehicle usage because nothing is within walking distance. I am planning to switch to an electric vehicle, hopefully soon.

      Jude

      Delete
  8. This is all depressing and disappointing, Jude. I’m glad you still have hope - I guess we have to keep that to avoid total depression. When I look around me at people on a daily basis - traffic aggression, little care for the enrichment, wasteful practices, ignorant behavior, idiotic decisions where common sense is absent - it is difficult to remain cheery, hopeful, and committed to making the world a better place. Yet, there are still people - the small group - who care and don’t give up. Hopefully that quote will prove true…

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Liesbet. I understand why people don’t want to think about climate change, or engage in wishful thinking that maybe it isn’t really happening, or feel overwhelmed about what to do about it — because I feel all those things too. We have to have hope, because that’s what moves us toward effective action. The sooner each of us gets over our panic and paralysis and acknowledges the nature of the problem facing us, the sooner we can move forward, working together, on solutions. For me, it helps to look not at the people who are in denial or gorging on materialism, but instead look at those people around us who are taking practical action in one form or another. Greta Thunberg, the Fairy Creek protestors who are drawing attention to the old growth being cut down, the people stepping forward to run as pro-environment candidates, the announcement that all vehicles sold in Canada must be zero-emission by 2035, and so on. We are making progress, and it helps to focus on the wins.

      Jude

      Delete
    2. Very good point. That certainly helps and trying to do our best ourselves. :)

      Delete
    3. Yes, I agree with trying to do our best ourselves. I’ve found, for me, now that I’ve changed my carbon footprint in all of the fairly easy ways (refusing plastic, recycling, reducing water usage, installing energy efficient appliances, growing a food garden, composting, volunteering for environmental initiatives like removing invasive species, etc.), I’m facing making personal changes that are much harder for me. These are things like eating less beef and lamb, buying an electric vehicle, reducing air flight (or buying carbon offsets when I do fly), volunteering for political campaigns, and attending environment related protests. I keep challenging myself to do better.

      Jude

      Delete
  9. Scotland has done both good (or as good as possible with the limited devolved powers it has) and bad things on climate change. One recent change: two Greens have this week joined the govt as junior ministers. Will this make any difference? We’ll see!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anabel. It’s great to hear that you have two Greens in your government now. In Canada, we have two Green incumbents at the Federal level, and in BC, two Greens in the provincial government. I believe they have had quite an effect on decision-making. But both the provincial and federal Green parties keep shooting themselves in the foot by doing things like crossing the floor to join other parties (we used to have 3 Greens federally and 3 provincially), and undermining the party leader (federally). I know these are growing pains of a new party, but still disappointing.

      Jude

      Delete