Editor:
When asked, climate scientists will say that what is happening to our world really boils down to “the chickens are coming home to roost.”
Whether it is last summer’s heat dome, which claimed the lives of almost 600 British Columbians and more than 650,000 farm animals across the province; the unprecedented wildfires across B.C., which famously razed Lytton to the parched earth; the recent massive flooding, devastating our highways, farms, businesses and homes: all of these extreme weather events are tied to burning fossil fuels and outdated forestry practices.
Conservatives beat that drum relentlessly arguing for smaller government and reduced spending, while simultaneously bending tax codes to reward their wealthy political donors. A huge portion of the downside risks and costs from industry is borne by the taxes we pay to various levels of government and the premiums we pay for insurance.
The fossil fuels industry, the forest and resource extraction industries and the insurance industries don’t ever pay a dollar to cover the costs imposed on the nation because of the climate emergency. Through our taxes and premiums, you and I are the payers of last resort. So, who pays and who profits? The honest answer may not sit well with some but it needs to be said; capitalism is very efficient at privatizing profit and socializing costs.
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven, once again, that good government makes a real difference! It has demonstrated that only the state has the legal and moral authority to muster national and regional resources to tackle the biggest problems we face. We willingly authorize government to act on our behalf. It is said that taxes are the price of a caring society. Let’s make sure they are used as efficiently as possible for our common good.
Jef Keighley, Garden Bay
