Every summer wildfires devastate communities. Last summer it was Kelowna, B.C., this year it’s Jasper., Alta. And yet, Canada still exports coal, a fossil fuel contributing to climate change and wildfires.
According to researchers, the ferocity and frequency of wildfires are exacerbated by the effects of human-caused climate change and the burning of the above-mentioned fossil fuels.
Watching news reports of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith holding back tears as she spoke of Jasper’s destruction from a recent wildfire was heart-wrenching. But keep in mind that according to the Coal Association of Canada the majority of coal produced in Canada comes from Alberta.
The federal government acknowledges that Canada is warming twice as fast as the global average, and therefore experiencing the consequences of global heating even more acutely than other places.
For the rest of this column: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/its-past-time-for-the-trudeau-government-to-follow-through-on-its-promise-to-stop/article_7b54d966-54dc-11ef-9f8f-e7dbc8c8fd38.html