Letter to the Editor

This week, British Columbians go to the polls in the 2024 provincial election. While housing, affordability, and health care appear to be the top election issues this year, the climate emergency must also be a priority for every candidate, not an afterthought.

The climate crisis is quickly intensifying, and Canadians already feel the effects and its impact through increasingly unpredictable weather patterns such as record heat waves, unrelenting droughts, and widespread flooding that have occurred in coastal areas. Unprecedented wildfires fueled largely by warmer temperatures have become more frequent and severe. In 2024 alone, wildfires in B.C. cost the province over $386 million, and thousands were affected.

Despite visible devastation, its urgency is repeatedly overshadowed by other important issues such as the rising cost of living, the strain on the healthcare system, and unaffordable housing.

Ignoring the current climate emergency will only exacerbate them, leading to even greater economic and social instability.

Canadian youth understand this dilemma, and we are urging political candidates to pick up their toolboxes and put them into action for the sake of addressing all of these issues.

In this upcoming election, candidates from every political party must place climate policy at the center of their platforms. They also need to understand that climate emergencies are not isolated; they affect every aspect of life, from economic growth to public health.

B.C. agriculture has been hit by droughts and floods, which disrupt the food supply and contribute to higher grocery prices. Food insecurity will worsen as agricultural yields decline due to droughts and extreme weather.

Similarly, the housing crisis cannot be successfully addressed if wildfires and extreme weather continue to ravage communities, and threaten human health and safety. Hotter climates are also predicted to increase the risk of illnesses and death from extreme heat and poor air quality, and contribute to the strengthening of known pathogens and the spread of diseases globally.

While trying to win the affordability battle, we should not lose the war. Addressing housing affordability, healthcare, and cost of living is urgent, but it will not resolve the far-reaching consequences of a planet in crisis. Without significant action to mitigate and shift to an economy resilient to shocks caused by the climate crisis, these issues will only worsen, making life even more challenging for all.

Conserving B.C.’s lands and waters is another policy priority inextricably linked to human health, and economic and social well-being. Conservation goes beyond preserving trees or wildlife. It is about safeguarding the ecosystem services essential to human survival—clean air, clean water, and carbon sequestration.

British Columbia’s endowment of natural resources is a reminder for us to safeguard them. From rainforests to the Alpine tundra and abundant marine ecosystems, these environments are home to thousands of species and provide natural resources for industries like forestry, fisheries, and tourism.

Candidates who care about our province’s future must prioritize protecting these areas through robust conservation policies that benefit both people and the planet.

Climate change underpins all other social and economic challenges, and we need comprehensive solutions to address them. As we approach the provincial elections, all candidates must acknowledge the urgency of the climate crisis and commit to taking bold action.

The climate emergency is not one of many election issues – it underpins and touches all policy areas. As voters, we have the power to hold candidates accountable and demand environmental policies that go beyond short-term solutions. Our voices matter, and we must use them to push for a more sustainable future.

Ratha Soy, Kimberley and

Jessica Holden, Creston

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