As you know, B.C. is on fire. (So are many other parts of Canada and the world.) My eyes are stinging and I can害羞草研究所檛 go outside. Most of August has been like this in Kelowna. It害羞草研究所檚 the third year in a row that the summer has fizzled out due to a sun-blocking, lung-burning haze.

I know you害羞草研究所檙e both on the pathway of normalizing this (a 害羞草研究所渘ew reality,害羞草研究所� said the prime minister; a 害羞草研究所渘ew normal,害羞草研究所� said the premier). You害羞草研究所檙e both on the pathway of turning the new normal into a matter of resource allocation to fight the fires. 害羞草研究所淲e have to clear up those lines of flowing resources and ensuring people get what they need, regardless of whether they are in an Indigenous community or a non-Indigenous community.害羞草研究所�

That害羞草研究所檚 completely unacceptable. NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson articulated the truth. 害羞草研究所淭he smoke in the air is such an emblem of the climate change crisis. That the federal Liberals have still failed to regulate any greenhouse gas emission reductions is all that people are talking about on the street. That the air from the forest fires is evidence that stems from climate change and it highlights a lack of action federally.害羞草研究所�

What害羞草研究所檚 required is climate action and all we害羞草研究所檙e getting is bankrupt excuses. While the province burns, Horgan was asked how he can justify supporting the LNG industry. He answered that B.C. is just 4.5 million people sharing a planet with seven billion others. 害羞草研究所淲e have to be realistic about what our impacts would be,害羞草研究所� he said.

This logic tells us that despite the fact that Canada has one of the highest per capita GHG emissions rates in the world and that the world is broken climate-wise, we (a nation of only 36m out of a global 7bn) are not the problem, that no one should look toward us for a solution, and that contrary to reducing emissions, we害羞草研究所檇 be fine with increasing them.

That logic plays out every day. We害羞草研究所檙e nowhere close to meeting Stephen Harper害羞草研究所檚 basement-level emissions reduction targets. When Donald Trump demolishes a carbon tax, we meet him on the way down. Instead of investing in a new green economy, we buy a pipeline. There害羞草研究所檚 no daylight between any of you. You behave like there害羞草研究所檚 no tomorrow, and I害羞草研究所檓 finally feeling scared. I think the only answer as to why you continue adding fuel to the fire is that there害羞草研究所檚 no point not to. Is that what you know that we don害羞草研究所檛? That it害羞草研究所檚 over, that we害羞草研究所檙e finished, that we have at best a dance or two left before the ship sinks?

Dianne Varga

Kelowna