Redirect funding so it does some good
The lives of thousands have been forever changed because of the relentless, unpredictable destruction of wildfires. Firefighters on the ground and in the air risk their lives to protect life and property.
Much effort is made to manage forests in an effort to reduce the risk of out-of-control fires developing.
But sometimes the resources just are not adequate.
Many policy makers and much of the public believe that human caused climate change is increasing risks of wildfires. They believe this same climate change also causes more heat waves, droughts, floods, sea levels rising and even extreme cold.
Policy makers seem unanimous in assuming that the solution to mitigating all of these disasters lies in eliminating the use of fossil fuels. Trillions of dollars are being spent on government subsidies for electric cars, battery plants, solar power, wind power, carbon capture and so on.
None of this actually is saving lives or property from natural disasters and likely will never have a significant impact on any of the effects of a changing climate or in mitigating natural disasters.
The real solution is simpler and more attainable. It lies in directly addressing the threats to life and property.
For example, much of the Netherlands has been below sea level for centuries but is inhabited due to a series of dams and sea walls. Droughts and floods can be managed by water storage dams and canals. The effects of extreme heat and cold can be controlled by heating and air conditioning.
Wildfires can be reduced by forest management, power line tree clearing and public awareness.
These solutions can also be costly but there is no doubt about their effectiveness.
Policy makers should seriously consider reallocating all of the funding that is going toward eliminating fossil fuel use towards direct action solutions aimed at specific threats to life and property.
Fred Kardel
Nanaimo
We must do more to prevent wildfires
Once again another town has been devastated by fire. Heartbreaking and a huge cost to rebuild.
Like Lytton it all could have been helped or stopped by massive sprinklers. Yes, there would be a cost. Yes, they would been ugly. Too bad.
What is it going to cost to rebuild Lytton? What is the cost going to be in Jasper?
A quick look on Google shows a lot of sources of water around Jasper. Use your resources. Have pipes set up.
Have the sprinklers set up that farmers use that throw water for 200 feet. And yes, cut back the forests near the towns. Keep the grass cut down.
A small fire on the Pat Bay Highway would have been bad because the grass was two feet high. Two heroes in a water truck acted quickly to avert a disaster.
Water is the answer. Keeping your perimeter low of combustibles. Volunteers could be used to set up water systems.
It doesn’t have to cost millions, but it sure will save millions. And save lives.
Ask for money from insurance companies. If they don’t help, they will pay in the end.
Tim Young
Sooke
A role for all in fighting climate change
As far as I know, big oil isn’t forcing anyone to consume oil. No one forces us to go on cruises and international air travel or to buy massive houses and gas-guzzling vehicles.
This victimhood mentality of blaming the corporations who feed our addictions is absurd. It is also impractical — any penalties levied on corporations will be passed onto consumers. Only the lawyers will benefit from the lawsuits.
Oil companies were certainly guilty of trying to suppress information about climate change, so they are also guilty. In reality, expecting a company to release information showing that the product they sell is harmful is unrealistic.
Regardless, the data on climate change is available to everyone who cares to research it. Our governments claim that they are implementing policies and taxes that will lessen our carbon footprint.
They have been saying this for years, and yet our carbon footprint keeps on increasing. Perhaps we should sue our governments for the policies they enact that encourage rapid population growth.
We can’t depend on technology to save us from the climate crisis, we all have to do our part.
Malcolm Mackay
Nanaimo
Better education would reduce fires
Upon walking on the Lagoon Beach last week we came across a man who had an open fire on the beach. We mentioned to him that this was not allowed, he showed no recognition or acknowledgement of what we said.
My wife called the Colwood Fire Department to report the incident.
Why are we having wildfires started by humans. Growing up, I remember learning about Smokey Bear, maybe it’s education.
With climate change/global warming wildfires now the norm, the Ministry of Education should introduce a unit on wildfire prevention into the curriculum at an early age and have it revisited in subsequent years.
Also those individuals who start these fires should be thrown in jail, fined and or sent to fire areas at their own expense, or their parents’ expense, to see the devastation of lives, property etc. and perform community work so they can witness firsthand what their reckless, selfish action has caused.
Chris Millington
Colwood
Conscript people to fight wildfires
B.C. has recently experienced and continues to experience devastating wildfires. Devastating to our global environment and quality of life.
What happened to the old days when fires were hit hard and fast before they went out of control.
What happened to conscripting people to fight wildfires. Why not hit hard and fast?
Phil Harrison
Comox
Blame mismanagement for wildfires
To blame the Jasper tragedy on climate change is more government obfuscation, something our federal government is an expert at.
This fire’s destructive path came about as a result of federal incompetence and the environmentalist movement’s refusal to allow forest management best practices to be implemented, particularly when it comes to the eradication of the pine beetle manifestation.
Mitigation of the fire dangers due to the vast stands of dead trees through controlled burns over the years were prohibited by the federal government.
The government had been warned as far back as 2016 by forest management experts as to the potential danger that the dead trees presented to the local environment, towns and villages.
Our government caved into the pressures of the environmental movement and would not allow the controlled burns to occur.
Blaming climate change is too easy and a cop-out for the federal government. It allows them to continue to obfuscate and deflect blame for this tragedy.
John Morrison
Mill Bay
We are all to blame for climate change
We are the culprits in climate change. Big oil companies have never forced us to drive gas-hog vehicles, go on luxury cruises, fly to far off places for an over-the-top style of holiday or attend mass sporting events around the world.
These wasteful and ego-stroking activities are poor choices that we make with the justification that we deserve every extravagant one of those choices.
Until we shrug off our wasteful lifestyles and greed, there will be no change to destructive climate anomalies.
We all need to stop blaming others, but instead analyze our own actions regarding our contribution to climate change. Just because we can afford extravagant activities doesn’t justify our actions.
Wake up people, this is the hottest year recorded on Earth and we are to blame.
Mike Wilkinson
Duncan
Really, it’s not that hot on the east side
Re: “Sidney, James Bay more vulnerable to extreme heat, CRD study finds,” July 28.
I loved this story, another classic example of the experts vs. residents with local knowledge.
The west side of the Saanich Peninsula is always hotter in the summer than the east or Sidney side, during hot days at the height of summer we go into Sidney to cool off, temps can be as much as 10C cooler in Sidney.
The reason is the cooling effect of the Haro Strait plus on-shore winds that keep extreme heat at bay.
It can certainly get quite warm at times in Sidney and yes, in a computer model I can see where the lack of green shade would normally produce the heat that the model predicts.
Too bad they didn’t ask around, local seniors could have provided them with data for free.
Questions like “Where do you go to on the Peninsula to swim in the ocean, west side or east” would have provided far more accurate data. No one goes to Sidney to swim in the ocean. Too damn cold!
Michael Butler
North Saanich
A housing solution, Victoria council style
My brilliant brother has weighed in on the solutions to support the unhoused in Victoria. It fits perfectly with Victoria council’s plan.
Homeowners will be required to house street folks:
• every second Friday, even number homes
• every second Saturday, odd number homes
• every second Sunday, homeowners with two vehicles
• every second Monday, homeowners with recreational vehicles
• every second Tuesday, those with four or more bedrooms
• every second Wednesday, homeowners with more than $150,000 gross total income.
He should throw his hat in the ring during the next election and run for mayor! Thanks, bro’!
G.A. Gaddes
Fairfield Gonzales
A top university needs to have a pool
The University of Victoria purports to be a top-ranked university, however without the prerequisite of a swimming pool, this claim falls short.
Certainly UBC and SFU are well aware that their state-of-the-art pools attract scores of prospective students.
While UVic boasts that its students are “above-average” users of its athletic facilities, it offers them scant aquatic sport and recreation beyond the antiquated McKinnon Pool.
Now, with no warning, even that facility is threatened with closure.
A swimming pool is the most basic component of varsity and Olympic sports, yet it was left by the wayside in favour of a pricey and underused performance gym.
Originally a pool was promised but the plans for it were quietly abandoned and today all that remains is a gravel parking lot underneath which lies the engineering infrastructure and finished plumbing required for such a facility.
The consequences of the mismanagement of UVic’s athletic facilities is evident in the failure of the university to plan for and secure a viable swimming pool for its students, staff, faculty and for the larger community.
This year, UVic has been forced into a public relations turnabout concerning the need to provide for the physical and mental well-being of its students.
Before any hasty and bureaucratic decision is made about this beloved and essential pool, a task force needs to be set up to address the deleterious effects that closing it might have, and also examine the systemic management issues that have caused the regrettable demise of aquatic sport and recreation at the University of Victoria.
Karen Wonders
Victoria
Local governments losing their authority
Congratulations to the mayor and council of West Vancouver for having the courage to stand up to the dictatorial land use policies of the NDP government.
It is hard to believe that it is the only community not willing to turn over its land use decisions to the province.
It is my understanding that a good deal of our local elected officials’ time has been spent developing, approving and implementing land use plans brought forward and approved by their community. This work fell well within their jurisdiction and required many hours of community consultation.
If most local governments are prepared to hand this onerous task over to the province without first receiving a mandate to do so from the people who elected them, I suggest they reconsider why they ran for municipal governments in the first place.
Bruce Cline
Victoria
We are vulnerable to future calamities
Re: “Let’s make sure systems don’t shut down again,” letter, July 23.
I’ve always been a bit grateful to hackers for exposing our lack of foresight in rushing into over dependence on AI that is far from perfected or secure.
The stories for years now about failures in software and hackers’ “damage” and thievery make it obvious that our governments, corporations, public institutions and ourselves have been lazy in always favouring convenience over common sense.
We’ve left ourselves wide open for future calamities that could be life changing for everyone.
Also governments and corporations have used all this technology to hide behind what I call Red Tape Walls that make it very difficult to have any interaction with politicians, civil servants and faceless retailers other than computer-generated responses or endless phone prompts and messages.
These people not only “pass the buck,” they now just ignore you most of the time.
How long will this fatuousness go on? Probably forever, it unfortunately has become part of our culture.
Ivan Olynyk
Victoria
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