Office of the Auditor General of BC reports that local governments are the front lines of adaptation to climate change risks. The auditor general also notes that local governments are challenged to effectively take action by a lack of financial support, reliable data and knowledge, and policies at the provincial level.
The effects of climate change in BC will likely include more frequent and intense extreme weather events involving rain, wind, drought and heat waves, flooding and erosion, more frequent and intense wildfires and rising sea levels. These are expensive, destructive community problems and will become more so in the future.
Individuals, various levels of government, and the insurance industry have largely absorbed the costs related to extreme weather events. The unjust lack of contribution by fossil-fuel producers is simply another subsidy to the industry.
It is often said that we are all responsible for causing climate change. This must include producers as well as consumers of fossil fuels. When climate change has costs, we should all fairly share those costs.
To compare consumer and producer responsibilities we look at how both related in the past to fossil fuels. Producers had choice, resources and knowledge, plus significant social and political influence, but focused exclusively on profit and deception. The consumer had virtually no choice, little knowledge and only a glimmer of resources and influence.
Investigative journalists report that producers have understood for the past 50 years that carbon dioxide released by the combustion of their products would result in rising global temperatures, provoking serious environmental damage on a global scale.
Regrettably, the response was to spend vast sums funding attempts to deny climate change by characterizing climate science as an unfounded hoax. That decision is particularly damning given well over half of all carbon emissions occurred since 1988.
A clearly lopsided majority of responsibility belongs to the actions of producers, which had immense influence on the type of society we have, how we think about it and how we participate in it.
Sponsored by some 60 BC community groups, including Climate Action Powell River, West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL) initiated a project to have BC municipalities and regional districts write large fossil-fuel producers requesting they discuss paying their fair share of local climate change costs.
If producers decline paying their fair share, WCEL is conducting research and preparation for a class-action lawsuit similar to suits occurring in cities in the United States.
The project relies upon research by R. Heede of the Climate Accountability Institute, which identifies annual and cumulative carbon contributions to the atmosphere by the 90 largest fossil-fuel producers. This makes it possible to accurately calculate individual corporate responsibility.
Emerging science is becoming successful at identifying the amount climate change has contributed to a particular extreme weather event.
District of Highlands, District of Saanich, City of Colwood, Town of View Royal and City of Victoria have sent letters to large fossil-fuel producers.
On March 15, City of Powell River council will consider joining this worthy initiative. Climate Action Powell River believes they deserve our respect and support in doing so.
Please let them know you agree.
Don Fodor is a member of Climate Action Powell River.
