Atlantic Activist
It feels like a quick message is in order as we brace ourselves for hurricane/post-tropical storm Fiona. I’ll be honest, I’m scared about this one. The heavy rains and intense winds are sure to knock out some power lines, damage homes and businesses, and leave people more vulnerable than before.
There was a time when it seemed easier to rally our spirits in the face of a big storm. There’s a kind of can-do pride here, and people tend to look out for each other. I’m sure that will happen this time, too. Still, it’s different somehow.
More people are aware that we’re not bracing ourselves for a once-in-a-century storm—nor will we get through Fiona and then go back to “normal,” whatever that is. The world is changing, and has changed. The climate crisis is real. Fiona brings that reality closer to home.
The magnitude of the storm is matched by the magnitude of the failure of our governments to effectively meet the challenge of climate change. Despite governments’ climate commitments, targets, and mandates, the fossil fuel industry (and those that profit from it) keep getting their way.
Just yesterday, CBC reported that Nova Scotia Power Inc. is in talks with the Donkin coal mine in Cape Breton about using its coal to burn in Nova Scotia Power’s coal-fired power plants. It’s the kind of news that makes you shake your head in disgust. The Donkin mine, which reopened earlier this month, emits more methane than any other company in the province, yet it’s not even included under the Nova Scotia government’s cap-and-trade program, which is supposed to make big polluters pay their share.
I don’t mean to bring you down on an already difficult day. I hope you’ll find ways to cope, both physically and emotionally, as we enter this next moment together. I’ll be thinking of you, and all of those who were in Fiona’s track before us.
Take good care,
Tynette
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The Atlantic Chapter of Sierra Club Canada is located in the territory of the Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, Wolastoqiyik, Beothuk, Innu, and Inuit. We stand in solidarity. Find out more at Let’s Talk About Land Acknowledgments – Beyond Climate Promises
