St. Albert residents had a clear message to send to the provincial panel planning Alberta's new climate change strategy this week: cut those greenhouse gas emissions.
More than 500 Edmonton-area residents piled into the Chateau Louis Hotel & Conference Centre Wednesday night for the second of two open houses on Alberta's new climate change strategy. About 400 people attended a similar event in Calgary Tuesday.
The provincial Climate Change Advisory Panel organized both open houses to get public input into its upcoming climate change strategy for Alberta, which is due at the end of the year, said Alberta Environment spokesperson Jason Maloney.
The world's climate has changed at an unprecedented rate since the 1950s due to rising greenhouse gas emissions, the panel wrote in its discussion document for this consultation. That's led to warming oceans, more extreme weather, and less snow and ice.
"Scientific evidence overwhelmingly suggests that, without significant action on a global scale, the consequences will be severe," the panel wrote.
"Credible climate change policies are essential to securing Alberta's future as a prosperous energy economy in a global marketplace."
Many ideas
Attendees appeared very interested in the issue, with many engaging in excited conversations and taping suggestions to the walls and billboards.
Lou Duigou, 76, says he came out from St. Albert because he thought the province needed to do more to protect the environment.
He wanted the province to reduce emissions by phasing out coal-fired electricity, which accounts for 85 per cent of Alberta's electricity-related emissions.
"It's doable, and there's a replacement source of energy, natural gas, which emits about half (as much as) coal."
Former St. Albert Gazette reporter David Dodge said the province should strongly invest in renewable power, such as solar and wind.
"(Solar) leads people naturally to energy efficiency," he said, as it forces you to watch your energy use. It also acts as a visual symbol of change – important, because climate change action depends on changing public attitudes.
Brandy Burdeniuk of the Canadian Green Building Council called for stronger energy efficiency regulations for buildings.
"We currently don't have any energy efficiency requirements for buildings in this province," she noted.
"You could build a building without insulation right now and not be responsible for the energy consumption."
The panel's discussion document also raises the idea of a carbon tax, which would tax transportation fuel and/or vehicles to reduce emissions.
Even some of the big oil companies are on board with having a carbon tax, Dodge said.
"It's the best, most efficient way of dealing with these issues," he says, as we all contribute to carbon pollution, and the carbon tax makes us pay for our contribution.
Climate change will have to affect us personally before we act on it, Duigou said. He suggested a tax on high-horsepower cars to encourage people to invest in efficient vehicles. He plans to get a hybrid car.
Burdeniuk and others praised the panel for starting an open conversation about climate change.
"We would never have had an opportunity to have a climate leadership discussion with the previous government," she said.
"It feels like we have an opportunity to speak the truth."
Duigou said the forum has got him thinking about what he can do personally about climate change.
"I drove here from St. Albert in an SUV, which is not easy on gas. Why am I doing that? Why didn't I take public transit?"
Residents can submit comments to the panel and take the online climate strategy survey at alberta.ca/climate-leadership.cfm.
