'We are in a climate emergency, and it’s time to act like it,' says Muskoka letter writer

More than 13 million hectares of land have burned across Canada. And we’re barely halfway through wildfire season. My heart breaks to think of the devastation these fires have caused for people across the country.

People from coast to coast to coast have felt the impact. We’ve been breathing in toxic wildfire smoke, thousands have been evacuated from their communities, and four firefighters have lost their lives fighting these flames.

The fossil fuel industry is to blame for the unthinkable tragedies caused by climate disasters in Canada and around the world.

But instead of getting us off fossil fuels and salvaging a livable future for our children, our federal government is offering piecemeal half measures.

The recent announcement about limiting fossil fuel subsidies relies on unproven and short-sighted fixes like carbon capture, and is full of loopholes that continue to channel public dollars into Big Oil’s pockets. The long anticipated Sustainable Jobs Act offered an inadequately ambitious plan to make another plan — and it leaves the door open for the fossil fuel industry to have a seat at the table. We need more and better from our federal representatives.

Enough is enough. We have to act now to ensure our political leaders stop subsidizing polluters and letting these dangerous companies slow action on the climate emergency. Most importantly, we need to make polluters pay off their debt to people hit hardest by climate disasters.

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• Dec 31, 1969

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• Dec 31, 1969

No more delays. No more distractions. Canada is on fire; we must make polluters pay and accelerate bold action.

Judith Beirs

Gravenhurst