Editor:
We read a letter recently stating we should have mandatory water restrictions from May 1 to Sept. 30. This brought to light an alarming trend we have seen lately – that we should simply go without many things. Ferry prices soar, so we should use the ferries less. Gas prices go up so we should drive less. Our communities experience a water shortage, so we should curtail usage indefinitely. It worries us that many people believe these are effective long-term solutions to these types of problems. When will this end? What will it be like 10 or 20 years from now and beyond? What happens when prices go so high or supply is so short that even reduced usage is not enough?
Now is the time we should start looking at more long-term solutions. Conservation is definitely an integral part of any plan – we should all do our part to only use what we need and waste as little as possible. However, while severely reduced usage is an acceptable way to get through a short unexpected period, it is not a long-term solution. We should be considering more water storage capacity or, in the case of the ferries, a fixed link such as a road to Squamish.
We need to start facing these problems head on and find sustainable long-term solutions that will benefit everyone, not only for our generation but for future generations. If we do not start working on solutions now, they will have to deal with even larger problems in the future.
Daniel and Lauren Smith, Sechelt
