Expect more protests if we do not act on climate
Re: “Let’s let some air out of the protest theatre,” column, Aug. 4.
Question: What is the difference between a climate-change denier and a climate-change delayer? Answer: No difference.
Dave Obee’s response to the recent actions of members of Tyre Extinguishers proved that like Gwyn Morgan, he does not appreciate that we are running out of time to mitigate the worst impacts of global warming.
Both of these older gentlemen hold the view that it’s reasonable to continue with the status quo, driving SUVs and gradually shifting from the worst fossil fuels to cleaner ones, as if we have another 30 years to gently transition to a zero-carbon world.
I understand why they think that way; it’s what most of our political leaders and captains of fossil-fuel industries want us to believe. They’ve spent millions of dollars telling us not to worry, that they’ve got this.
After all, they’re working on carbon capture and storage and, hey, there’s bound to be a technical fix for most of these problems any day now. In the meantime, keep driving those SUVs and doing your part, whatever that means.
Unfortunately, that is not a reasonable point of view — it is magical thinking. In April, UN Secretary-General António Guterres made the following statement: “Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But, the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels. Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness.“
Canada is one of those dangerous countries, increasing the production of fossil fuels and building new infrastructure (think pipelines, fracking and LNG).
My children and grandchildren are not endangered by air being let out of a few tires.
That’s an inconvenience for the vehicle owner, of course, but as our forests burn, rivers and oceans rise, drought and food insecurity become the norm, severe storms flatten our homes, global supply chains are disrupted, climate refugees flee, and wars for scarce resources erupt, it will become abundantly clear who the dangerous ones are.
We are living in a climate emergency, and if peaceful protests by Tyre Extinguishers are causing you some angst, it’s time for a reality check. Canada is a climate laggard and we need to up our game. If we don’t, expect resistance.
Susan Draper
Victoria
Check Kanaka Row for Hawaiian connections
Re: “Historian calls for search of Telus site,” July 24.
The article is about the need to archeologically research for potential artifacts located in what was Victoria’s Kanaka Row, which was named for the Hawaiians who lived there about 170 years ago.
The community was established on the north end of the James Bay tidal mudflats that were filled in to build the Empress. Plans call for the construction of a Telus building at that location.
My personal interest in the article is that a part of my ancestry is Hawaiian, stemming from my great-great-grandfather William Mahoe, who worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company on the northwest coast, including at Fort Victoria, during the mid- and early 1800s and was buried on Salt Spring Island in 1881.
Did my ancestor live or frequent Kanaka Row? I don’t know, but I believe the area deserves a search “for treasures linked to the rich but little-known history of Kanaka Row.” In addition, it deserves a plaque to note the history of that location and the peoples who once lived there.
Larry Bell
Cobble Hill
Life’s a picnic at the new park by the bridge
The other day I picked up some takeout, walked across the Johnson Street Bridge to the newly expanded Songhees Park, and ate my lunch at one of the new picnic tables.
The wind was blowing and it was chilly, but the sun was shining and I was happy to see even more people show up and make use of the colourful adirondack chairs to take in the view of the Inner Harbour.
Well done, City of Victoria and Kinetic Construction, for creating a great space for residents and tourists to enjoy for years to come; it was worth the wait!
Allison Stofer
Esquimalt
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