Re: ‘Letter from 55 groups ask for action in climate change from local governments’ – Courier Aug. 27.
Groups constantly declaring ‘climate emergency’ reminds me of a child’s tale whereby a chicken becomes hysterical after an acorn falls on her head because she is convinced the sky is falling. The moral of the story is do not get caught up in mass hysteria.
Further, an ‘emergency’ is by definition’ an unexpected or dangerous situation requiring immediate action’. How foolish to repeatedly declare ‘climate emergency?’ However, climate emergency and climate change have become highly politicized and lucrative with government agencies and overlapping local groups monitoring long-term studies that garner billions in funding annually.
In 2015, Prime Minister Trudeau pledged $2.65 billion for ‘emissions-reduction projects’ in developing countries and $300 million to Mission Innovation Initiative for ‘clean technology development’. Have you heard any positive results from these expenditures? No? Neither have I.
And it’s doubtful the bogus Liberal carbon tax will yield positive results either. We are almost nine months into the worldwide pandemic, during which people have barely driven or flown and downtowns are vacant, yet suspiciously there is zero talk of reduced carbon effect, improved air quality or energy savings from environmentalists.
Locally, why are four well-funded organizations, the Cowichan Valley Regional District, One Cowichan, Transition Cowichan and Cowichan Valley Earth Guardians, all making ridiculous demands, such as ‘zero emission by 2050?’ What does this even mean?
Meanwhile, real local issues continue to fester; toxic blue algae in lakes, farm runoff, plastic and glass not recycled locally, newsprint waste, resource mismanagement and dumping insecticides, antifreeze, appliances and discarded needles in our forests and river beds.
Further, no word on global issues such as overpopulation, rain forests chopped for sugar cane and growing plastic waste in oceans and in our bodies! Forget solar panels and windmills that have proven more damaging than good and electric cars remain overpriced. At the next election, remember that for decades, Greens and NDP opposed a Victoria treatment plant to prevent 130 million litres of raw sewage dumped into Juan de Fuca Strait daily.
The real polluting problem is well-funded bureaucrats imposing absurd notions and wasting millions without viable solutions. So, next time an ‘emergency’ is declared, look up; the only thing ‘falling’ is the bottom line as money flows from your bank account into thin air.
Elisabeth Gelb,
Chemainus