As much as I cringe at environmental groups jumping on issues with the zeal exhibited by many of the religious fanatics they often distance themselves from, they do good work sometimes.
The other day I found myself swearing at the radio as an environmentalist from the Suzuki foundation said the freak rain and wind storm that dirtied Vancouver’s water was a result of global warming. He went on to say we should expect to see more of this in the coming years as the earth continues to warm up.
During this interview he didn’t back up what he was saying with evidence, studies or data. To me this guy is like many opportunistic environmentalists, who like the neocons in the U.S., play on people’s fears by using dramatic events to push their agendas.
Don’t get me wrong, I think global warming is happening. There is enough evidence to convince me of this. I just think grandiose statements that lack any proof are nothing more than scare mongering. Flooding is a part of the region’s history, and it has been happening long before environmentalists started talking about global warming.
Oddly though, it’s the Suzuki Foundation that also tapped into the real problem: regulation and management.
The reason the region’s water supply has been muddy for a week has a lot more to do with the lack of national water guidelines and the fact local governments haven’t spent money modernizing the distribution system.
Sure there will be a new filtration system built by 2008 – almost 22 years after the city began to grow in to a large metropolitan centre. But it’s no consolation to those who are living with dirty water now.
Posted by killahmullet 