- Immediate PRESS RELEASE –
April 13, 2010
The rapid pace of climate change is forcing governments around the world to take action.
Professor Kenneth Carlaw of UBC Okanagan is helping them formulate plans to mitigate the worst calamities of food shortage, drought, inundation, migration, pandemics. “Those of us working on the ‘Climate Justice Project’ believe the preponderance of climate science, which demonstrates that today’s rapid change in climate is fueled by our unprecedented emission of post industrial greenhouse gases. The majority of GHG results from burning fossil fuels. That means we must de-carbonize future industrial production & consumer consumption”, professor Carlaw told an audience in Armstrong attending a Public Forum, Sunday, on ‘The Economy & Towns in Transition’.
BC’s industrial output is based on resource extracting industries, transportation & manufacturing that emit high amounts of GHG. Reducing BC’s carbon footprint will require technological change in these industries. Government must also create policies to encourage value-added products that can be shipped with less bulk, shorter distances for both export & domestic consumption, professor Carlaw explained.
“Responding to climate change could produce more ‘green jobs’; jobs that provide decent, well paying, creative work with social benefits, while minimizing GHG emissions”, he said. “The boom-to-bust cycle of many BC communities is unhealthy for workers’ families, bad for the environment, & not sustainable. Governments need to plan for long term growth in a future low carbon economy”. How we produce energy & whether it is owned by the public, individual homeowners or private industry will have an important impact on future wellbeing.
Consumers ultimately have the power to drive industry toward carbon neutral production & distribution systems. By demanding high quality, locally produced goods with a reduced carbon footprint, professor Carlaw believes consumers can lead the transition to green jobs & sustainable living. This may mean “Less is best” or “Growth is OK”. The point is; “Consumer choices matter”.
While change is difficult, professor Carlaw warns that personal & industrial habits must adapt quickly to avoid the worst effects of climate change. “Humans love to solve problems. Engineers, scientists, construction workers, nurses, etc are trained to solve problems. But governments need to set policies that facilitate change in coherent & meaningful ways. They need to decide what sectors of the economy should grow & how to make it happen”.
Professor Carlaw spoke Sunday, April 11, 2010, at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Armstrong, following The Annual General Meeting of the Okanagan-Shuswap Green Party.
CONTACT: Greig Crockett; 250-260-5877; clhull@telus.net
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