It's official. The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) committed to declaring a “climate crisis" at its Feb 22 board meeting.
The purpose of making this declaration is “formalizing and deepening our commitment to protecting our community ecosystems and economy from global warming," the motion stated.
Elected officials also committed to holding a special meeting before the end of June to take another look at the SCRD's Community Climate Action Plan and asked that the agenda include “a list of actions that can be started in 2024" to further regional efforts to help reduce damage or mitigate the negative impacts of climate change within the SCRD.
Declaration questioned at committee
While the board passed the recommendations with unanimity, that wasn't the case when Area B (Halfmoon Bay) director Justine Gabias introduced the matter at a Feb. 8 committee of the whole meeting.
Sechelt area director Alton Toth and Area A (Pender Harbour) director Leonard Lee raised their hands against taking the declaration action, even after Gabias tempered her submission to refer to the situation as a “climate crisis” rather than her original wording of “climate emergency."
“I take offence to being told I need to deepen my commitment [to action on climate change]," said Lee. "We [the board] are committed." He cited the strong focus on climate change in the SCRD’s strategic plan.
When Gabias spoke to the agenda item, she began by thanking a number of members of the public who had reached out to her with concerns about her proposal being too alarmist. “Your comments made me think long and hard,” she stated.
Some of those concerned showed up at the SCRD's board room to hear the committee debate. Their presence made for a lively event and committee chairperson Area E director Donna McMahon issued a warning to those gathered to refrain from applauding and speaking while the meeting was in session.
In the public question period that followed the meeting's adjournment, one member of the audience expressed the view that “there is no climate emergency." He equated the attention being given to the proposed declaration to a waste of time and closed his speaking opportunity with his advice to area directors: “Have things in place for an emergency, but don’t be Chicken Little."
