Divert fossil-fuel subsidies to renewables
During this week of the global climate strike, and the inspirational and emotional address by Greta Thunberg at the United Nations rebuking the leaders of the world, it is clear that the world must put its resources, engineering and science to work for the sake of future generations without delay.
Science tells us that we have to make a very rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy to mitigate the effects of climate change affecting future generations, and to prevent going past the tipping point, accelerating the advent of the sixth mass extinction.
The good news is that we have a perfect opportunity to kick-start the process by shifting $3.3 billion per year in government subsidies from the fossil-fuel industries to the renewable-energy sector. Recent studies show that transitioning energy production to the renewable industries will boost overall employment and raise the GDP at the same time.
Is it reasonable to pay industries to exacerbate the climate emergency? It鈥檚 like pouring water on a fire with one hand and pouring gasoline on it with the other.
This hypocritical example, made in Canada, shows why Greta Thunberg is right to chastise us all.
John Pope
Victoria
They鈥檙e not just聽making聽noise
Re: 鈥淧ersonal action is also needed,鈥� letter, Sept. 26
These young people aren鈥檛 just making noise. Their climate change protests are well grounded in responsible concern for the environment and benefit for everyone on the planet. Most of these same people can also be counted on in day to day personal 鈥減ositive-action projects鈥� such as those mentioned in the letter.
They have a wholistic view of human responsibility that regards urgent, realistic changes as necessary for every aspect of environmental care. There must be no division between personal action and global action. Either would be pointless otherwise.
G.M. Jackson
Victoria
A dressing down from a聽sour-faced teen
I pity the people at the UN who had to sit through a dressing down from a sour-faced teen from the other side of the world who obviously does not have a clue about the size of North America and what it takes to keep everything going here.
But that鈥檚 not all. This young girl, and others like her, do not mind having the Earth raped and pillaged for the elements that make up their mobile phones. They wouldn鈥檛 even know how to be 鈥渋n touch鈥� without that technology.
From the moment their small, pink backsides were swaddled in disposable diapers, they have, every one, been leaving a carbon footprint.
But they don鈥檛 see that. They don鈥檛 mind loading up the dishwasher every day. The dishwasher that wastes several gallons of water per use, not to mention the electricity it consumes.
And, you know what? These young 鈥渃limate protectionists鈥� don鈥檛 even realize that they never minded having their spoilt little selves ferried around hither and thither in gas-guzzling SUVs, because they were entitled to whatever activities they chose.
Well, maybe some day they鈥檒l learn the meaning of hypocrisy. Or 鈥� maybe not.
Lesley House
Saanich
Young people taking action on climate change
Bravo students and teachers for your climate-crisis actions.
As a great grandmother, I ask elected MPs and MLAs to give 16-year-old teenagers the right to vote. They are the future.
Shirley Swift
Victoria
We need to invest in聽detox聽centres
Why are we allowing people to live on the streets, because they want to?
Why are we giving them 鈥渟topping places鈥� to get a fix, not a cure? Now, we are providing another 鈥渂ackup鈥� kit, in case they overdose, Why? Victoria has paid out thousands cleaning up a park, where they decided to live. We now have another 鈥渢ent city鈥� on Pandora.
It will never end until we stop supplying drugs for a fix.
Cut out the pit-stop booths for drugs and invest those millions in detox centres. Years ago we should have been building detox facilities to cure and not keep killing.
Eileen Mae Nattrass
Saanichton
Educational assistants shortage is widespread
Re: 鈥淒earth of educational assistants forces 鈥榯riage鈥�,鈥� Sept. 25.
I鈥檓 an educational assistant with School District 61, but I鈥檓 also a mother of two children in the school system. I find it concerning that this article pinpointed one school and didn鈥檛 focus on the broader problem. There are not enough educational assistants in any school, period; and not only is it a safety concern, it鈥檚 a threat to the education of the children who are 鈥渢ypical functioning.鈥�
My children have the right to an education free from disruption. They have a right to feel safe in their classrooms. They have a right to thrive, and without the appropriate support for those with special needs, they aren鈥檛 getting that. If the district wants inclusion, they need to make it fair for all. This isn鈥檛 a problem at one school, it鈥檚 a problem at all of them, and it鈥檚 time for teachers, administrators and parents to speak up for all children involved.
Jessica McCool
Victoria
Signs would give false聽sense of security
Re: 鈥淗iker calling for better directions on secondary Thetis trails after six-hour ordeal,鈥� Sept. 19.
I鈥檝e spent years exploring the trails around the Capital Regional District, including all of the trails at Thetis Lake Park. The network of trails at the back of Thetis are complex and rugged and people shouldn鈥檛 assume that they are similar to the user-friendly trail that circles the lake.
While exploring any wilderness area, I聽always carry my backpack that includes additional clothing, flashlight, whistle, food and water, first-aid kit, locator beacon, bear spray, space blanket, and most importantly I carry a hand-held GPS that is loaded with trail maps.
Adding additional signage on secondary trails at Thetis will provide a false sense of security for ill-prepared people and will result in more calls for help to 911. The existing signage should be strengthened to warn people to not leave the main trails.
Rob Wilson
Langford
Let鈥檚 aim to plant 70,000聽trees
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps might broaden her promise of planting 5,000 trees in Victoria by December 2020 by calling on all the other 12 municipalities and the Capital Regional District to participate as well.
A total of 70,000 trees would be a modest move to maintain Greater Victoria鈥檚 urban forest, which is continually being whittled away.
Stuart Macpherson
Saanich
Stop clear cutting and building subdivisions
Re: 鈥淰ictoria pledges to plant 5,000 trees in UN challenge,鈥� Sept. 22.
How interesting that Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps has pledged to plant 5,000 trees by the end of 2020 as part of a UN challenge. She acknowledges that Victorians love trees and with that makes note of the fact that the city only intends to plant 500 of those said trees on public lands with the balance to be planted by individual homeowners. As the article pointed out, urban areas account for up to 75 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions. To add insult to injury, the mayor stated that she thinks we can do better.
With that in mind, it behooves our local elected officials and their working committees to simply say no to further clear cutting and building subdivision after subdivision. A prime example being the urban sprawl of the Western Communities not to mention every empty lot within the Greater Victoria as a whole. Why not make developers plant a new tree for every one they cut down?
To quote the great 91原创 songstress Joni Mitchell 鈥� 鈥淭hey paved paradise and put up a parking lot鈥� or in our case a new subdivision.
Shirley Waldon
Victoria
Hotline to report illegal聽fishing falls short
Re: 鈥淣o lights, no brakes 鈥� something was fishy,鈥� Sept. 26.
What a disgusting and flagrant abuse of our local recreational fishery that article about illegal fishing reported. Sadly, as a lifelong fisherman in local waters, I can tell you I鈥檝e witnessed it more than I can stomach.
About two months ago I witnessed an undersize lingcod being caught off Ogden Point. I was in my boat, the poachers were on the breakwater. I called the Department of Fisheries and Oceans poacher hotline. I was shocked when an operator from Crime Stoppers answered.
I guess the job of receiving calls about wildlife poaching has been farmed out by the government.
The operator told me I had two choices. I could wait on hold for an undetermined time for another person to handle the call or I could make a report online through their website.
She started to give me the website address and in disbelief of how ineffective this system was, I cut her off and said I鈥檇 wait on hold. I waited 20 minutes while I watched the couple walk away with the undersize fish in a bag.
Great hotline, I thought.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans really needs to start protecting our fish before there are none left.
C. Scott Stofer
Victoria
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