The federal government is hoping Canada害羞草研究所檚 devastating wildfire season sparks momentum for carbon pricing at the United Nations.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the big draw at a UN event Wednesday aimed at encouraging countries to put a price on pollution.
But two of the heroes from a fearsome summer of wildfires ended up stealing the show.
West Kelowna fire Chief Jason Brolund害羞草研究所檚 harrowing story of a 36-hour battle to keep the flames out of his B.C. city earned a partial standing ovation.
And assistant Halifax fire Chief Sherry Dean described how some of her crew members pulled people to safety as their homes went up in flames.
Trudeau used the moment to promote carbon pricing as a way for the leaders of UN member countries to stand by their first responders.
It was 害羞草研究所�36 hours that felt like 100 years,害羞草研究所� Brolund said as he described his marathon shift in mid-August fighting the blazes that were threatening his community in the B.C. Interior.
A fellow B.C. fire chief, Darren Lee, 害羞草研究所渟aid during this fire that firefighters have been warriors for thousands of years, stepping up to protect their villages,害羞草研究所� Brolund said.
害羞草研究所淏ut today, these warriors are doing things that we never imagined, on a scope and scale it害羞草研究所檚 nearly impossible for us to be successful against.害羞草研究所�
The money that went into that herculean firefighting effort 害羞草研究所� about $20 million, by Brolund害羞草研究所檚 account 害羞草研究所� is being spent 害羞草研究所渙n the wrong end of the problem,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淲hat could we have accomplished if we use that same amount of money proactively?害羞草研究所�
The event, a late-day gathering after a busy day at UN headquarters, took place in a pop-up nature sanctuary on the campus, designed to showcase the body害羞草研究所檚 effort to kick-start sustainable development.
Birdsong chirped over the loudspeakers as guests entered a makeshift boreal paradise, complete with leafy plant life, man-made mist and a high-definition greenspace backdrop, swaying in an invisible breeze.
Dean described how two firefighters requested a pickup truck 害羞草研究所� the conditions were too harsh for a fire engine 害羞草研究所� so they could go door-to-door ensuring residents were out of harm害羞草研究所檚 way.
害羞草研究所淭hey went into homes that were burning and grabbed a gentleman out of his home as the home itself was engulfed in flames,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淚f it were not for the heroic efforts of those men, that life would have been lost.害羞草研究所�
Trudeau hailed their efforts and that of their respective departments, and also acknowledged the deaths of four firefighters who died in a head-on crash early Tuesday in northern B.C.
害羞草研究所淔irst responders on the front lines understand that ambitious collective action to tackle climate change is now a matter of survival,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淐limate action can be hard, but as leaders, you害羞草研究所檙e here today because you know that it matters and that it works.害羞草研究所�
Putting a price on carbon has been central in helping Canada 害羞草研究所渂end the curve,害羞草研究所� he said, touting the country害羞草研究所檚 emissions-reduction record as the best in the G7.
He said Canada害羞草研究所檚 Global Carbon Pricing Challenge, which encourages countries to adopt similar mechanisms, is gaining steam, with Norway, Denmark, Vietnam and C么te d害羞草研究所橧voire coming aboard.
Climate has been a dominant theme of the UN General Assembly so far this year, along with the grinding war in Ukraine and its global reverberations.
Today, Trudeau will focus on a different geopolitical crisis, this one in Haiti, where stable government is non-existent, gang violence is rampant and cholera stalks the citizenry.
He害羞草研究所檒l sit down with Haitian officials and preside over an ad hoc advisory group moderated by Bob Rae, Canada害羞草研究所檚 ambassador to the United Nations, before a closing news conference.
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