The final numbers are not in yet, but climate change scientists have already issued their verdict: 2023 will be the warmest year in recorded history.
It comes as global mean temperature for the first 11 months hit the highest level on record with 1.46 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average. Experts are also predicting that 2024 will be even hotter.
British Columbians, of course, could feel the effects of climate change first hand in 2023. While B.C. did not experience a deadly heat dome as in 2021, record-breaking wildfires scorched large parts of the Cariboo and the northeast, further cutting into the supply of timber.
Worse, these fires destroyed hundreds of homes and forced tens of thousands to temporarily flee communities both large and small.
Blessed with some of the largest Canadian glaciers and rivers flowing through its territory, B.C. also experienced months of widespread drought and bouts of division as users competed over an increasingly scarce good, a once unimaginable prospect.
On the surface, these conditions should have given further credence to the warnings and solutions coming from the BC Green Party. But the party 害羞草研究所� which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year 害羞草研究所� finds itself lagging in the polls heading into an election year.
While the party won 15 per cent of the vote in 2020, an Abacus Data poll released in early December gives the party nine per cent, confirming earlier surveys. The party also endured some controversy toward the end of the fall session when BC Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau fired deputy leader Sanjiv Gandhi for liking tweets referencing a notorious, genocidal Nazi doctor.
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By contrast, the other party in the legislature with just two seats, but on the opposite end of the spectrum is the Conservative Party of BC. It is surging, not just in the polls, but also in terms of messaging.
These facts are not lost on BC Green leader Sonia Furstenau.
害羞草研究所淚 would say that 2023 not only delivered again some of the most devastating impacts of climate change, including the record-breaking wildfires (and) the absolutely devastating droughts on Vancouver Island and across B.C, but B.C. also delivered a level of climate change denial in the B.C. legislature that I don害羞草研究所檛 think we have seen for decades.害羞草研究所�
Only BC Greens, she added, 害羞草研究所渁re taking climate change seriously.害羞草研究所�
But if the party is as essential as Furstenau makes it out to be, why aren害羞草研究所檛 more British Columbians responding to the message?
害羞草研究所淚t comes back to the moment we are in, where people are feeling very insecure and they are feeling very frustrated and disappointed with their governments, whether that is provincial or federal. There are political parties that are offering very, very simple answers to very complex problems.害羞草研究所�
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Looking at the bigger picture, Furstenau said 害羞草研究所渨hat people are feeling very legitimate.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淎 lot of people are working hard, they are doing everything they are supposed to be doing and they can害羞草研究所檛 make basic ends meet,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所�(That) sense of unfairness is growing into anger and resentment and that is being tapped into by political parties like the federal Conservatives and the B.C. Conservatives.害羞草研究所�
Furstenau said 害羞草研究所渢he solutions being offered won害羞草研究所檛 solve the unfairness,害羞草研究所� which itself is rooted in 害羞草研究所渟omething much bigger,害羞草研究所� namely 害羞草研究所済rowing inequality害羞草研究所� as governments in Canada and around the world have failed to protect the interests and well-being of their citizens from 害羞草研究所渦nfettered profit-taking and greed.害羞草研究所�
Case in point, according to Furstenau, is the recent run of housing laws. They leave it up to the market to solve the housing problem created by the market in the first place, she said, adding that government withheld crucial evidence from MLAs and by extension the public, when it waited to release the economic models behind two key pieces of legislation until after passage.
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Looking ahead to 2024, Furstenau said British Columbians will see the parties present their visions and solutions. 害羞草研究所淥ur solutions will be rooted in evidence and in reality and our vision害羞草研究所s about ensuring that people in B.C. have the conditions to thrive, that they can count on government delivering the basic services, that they should be delivering, which they currently cannot count on, especially when you look at health care and the social safety.害羞草研究所�
Furstenau added that BC Greens 害羞草研究所渉ave been consistently under-estimated害羞草研究所� and have 害羞草研究所渃onsistently defied害羞草研究所� expectations.
害羞草研究所淲hen we look at specific areas of the province, which is where we will focus on in our election campaign, we have some very strong candidates in very winnable ridings and the goal is that we are going increase the number of BC Green voices in the legislature in 2024,害羞草研究所� she said.
But that task won害羞草研究所檛 necessarily be easy, considering that 72 ridings including both Green ridings have undergone boundary changes, with Furstenau害羞草研究所檚 changing more significantly than Adam Olsen害羞草研究所檚.
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害羞草研究所淪tay tuned,害羞草研究所� Furstenau said, when asked from where she takes the confidence of keeping her seat under the new boundaries.
害羞草研究所淲e are looking at all of this information and we are focusing on, 害羞草研究所榟ow do we succeed in the next election?害羞草研究所� For me, success is very importantly measured, not just by the number of seats, but I am absolutely committed to us increasing our number of seats, but it is also the foundational strength and capacity of the BC Green Party.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 very hopeful and excited that the party will demonstrate a whole new level of strength in 2024.害羞草研究所�
wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
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