PLT: The CBC Radio program, "The Current," interviewed a UN climate expert on the flooding in Alberta this morning. (Ironically, he is from Canmore, one of the hardest-hit communities in the province, himself.) He laid out the climate change connection to the disaster in no uncertain terms. But, like so many others, he did not mention humanity's role in the very creation of this horrible "new normal." Below is a copy of an email I subsequently sent to "The Current" after hearing the interview.
Dear Erika,
I listened with interest to your excellent interview this morning with the UN scientist, Bob Sanford, commenting on the serious flooding in Alberta. His assessment that climate change was behind the profound changes we are seeing in hydrologic cycles, worldwide was, I thought, "bang-on." At least as far as it went. He emphasized the need to "adapt" to "the new normal" by building better infrastructure, etc. That's nice. But, climate change is man-made. It is caused by us. So, if we don't start paying more attention to the "mitigation" part of the equation, we and future generations are in even bigger trouble. Mitigation, in this context, simply means, we must all find ways of shedding our addiction to fossil fuels. These are what produce greenhouse gasses, which trap heat close to the globe and push our global temperatures upward. This may sound, fundamental. But it is surprising how often this part of the equation remains unspoken in the media or, apparently, in our classrooms. This may be a bitter pill to swallow, especially in energy-indulgent Alberta. But, with the stakes being so high, it is surely a necessary one!
Larry Powell
ROBLIN, MB
