Climate change is increasing the rate and intensity of wildfires in B.C., but so are poor forestry practices. A forestry policy that mandates herbicide spraying poses wildfire risks and impacts public health.
Less than 40 percent of youth-led climate organizations have paid staff, according to FES, even though 72 percent of Canadians agree with the demands of the youth-led climate movement. Climate will no doubt be a major issue in this federal election — with climate emergencies, from wildfires to flooding, spreading around the world — so support for those who will inherit the worst of climate change is pertinent.
Communities forced to move away from fossil fuel industries for their local economy will see major social change if a transition plan doesn’t take social well-being, the identity of workers, and mental health services into account.
Indigenous communities play an important role in Canada’s climate policy. Without their meaningful participation in climate action by governments and the social impact sector, Indigenous leaders cannot bring their ideas to bear on a crisis that disproportionately affects them.
The people who are most responsible for climate change are least impacted by it, and those who are most impacted have contributed the least to creating the crisis. If social impact organizations’ climate action doesn’t take this into account, it’s not only tone-deaf, but it’s ineffective.
