Dear Editor,
Climate change isn’t some distant risk to our grandchildren. It’s been affecting us since pine beetles destroyed a forest the size of Sweden, costing $43 billion in lost lumber, $10.2 billion in lost stumpage fees, 27,000 direct jobs, and hundreds of millions for B.C.’s Pine Beetle Action Plan.
The cause is climate change driven by an increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion, leading to milder winters and hotter, drier summers. Climate change increased the frequency and severity of B.C.’s wildfires. In 2018 wildfires burned 1.2 million hectares, cost $568 million in fire suppression, and displaced 65,000 people.
Climate change doesn’t just favour forest diseases, insects, and wildfires; it has other costs, such as melting glaciers and warming fish-bearing waters. These expenses are the taxes we’re already paying in B.C. for the carbon we’ve dumped into the atmosphere. We need climate action now to cut the cost of climate change.
Robert Macrae
Environmental Technology
Instructor
Castlegar, B.C.
Dear Editor,
I read with interest the editorial in the May 2 issue of The Journal regarding the many activities that can be enjoyed at our Thompson-Nicola regional libraries (“Libraries are golden”, May 2, 2019).
The libraries also serve many projects in the communities.
The income tax season is over and we, the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program volunteers, wish to thank the Clinton, Cache Creek, Ashcroft, and Savona libraries for allowing us to have our tax clinics in their facilities. We filed just over 400 tax returns in the four areas, which means we helped a lot of people.
It has been a pleasure being able to have the clinics at the libraries: we are always warmly welcomed, and everyone is helpful. Thank you, TNRD libraries!
Vivian Edwards
CVITP volunteer
Ashcroft, B.C.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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