Climate action will diversify economy

LETTERS

Last November representatives of GREENSENCE Environmental presented before Lethbridge City Council conveying concerns regarding climate change, petitioning council to take significant and immediate action.

As requested by Mayor Spearman, we also provided a list of recommendations. It’s been almost a year and we still have not heard back from them, nor are we aware that any action has been taken. This is very concerning given that climate change is the greatest environmental threat facing us. As we’ve witnessed, our summer once again was filled with smoke — wildfires raging across the country burning out of control destroying forests, ranch lands, economies and the health of all living things. Lethbridge again experienced drought conditions; other areas endured heat waves, storms, flooding and more.

Effects of man-made climate change and pollution linked to burning fossil fuel are intensifying with each passing year impacting health, agriculture, water and food security. While we appreciate the efforts the City has made towards waste disposal and energy conservation, we have an obligation and opportunity to do much more.

Given the abundant natural and renewable resources of sun, wind, geothermal and bio-mass in our locale, we’ve encouraged council to collaborate with the University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge College and with industry. If the U of L was on board with a department dedicated to renewable energy, we could be known for research and expertise; if Lethbridge College expanded their wind turbine program to include solar and alternative energy, we could be known as a centre for training.

By attracting industry we could be a centre of manufacturing, goods and services. Adopting a collaborative strategy would strengthen, expand and diversify our economy; would open the door to new jobs and put Lethbridge on the map as a model city that really understands climate change and is actually doing something significant about it. Given the grave global concern about this issue, it is hoped that we will see immediate action at the local level.

Rena Woss

Chair, GREENSENCE Environmental Lethbridge