What the climate will look like in the future concerns David Chaplin, and he says the feeling is shared by many.
Itsa国际传媒檚 why he was out to show his support at a Victoria demonstration against the continued logging of old-growth forests in B.C. sa国际传媒� joining 17 similar actions outside MLA offices province-wide on Thursday (Sept. 28).
sa国际传媒淭hree years have passed since the B.C. government promised to implement a paradigm-shift in forest stewardship laid out in its own Old Growth Strategic Review (OGSR). Yet the government has made little progress on their promises,sa国际传媒� event organizers said.
Intact old-growth forests are one of B.C.sa国际传媒檚 best allies amid the climate crisis, the demonstrators said, noting they help mitigate environmental disasters and support ecosystems.
Chaplin touted how the forests absorb carbon pollution and help to cool communities.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 easier to go out to the forest, enjoy the natural beauties and cool down rather than sitting in a living room with an air conditioner on, and thatsa国际传媒檚 not going to happen anymore,sa国际传媒� Chaplin said. sa国际传媒淭here are just so many places you cansa国际传媒檛 go to anymore because theysa国际传媒檙e just not there, theysa国际传媒檝e been devastated by industrial logging, mining and other resource extractions.sa国际传媒�
Protesters chanted outside MLA Sheila Malcolmsonsa国际传媒檚 Nanaimo office as well, hoping to create dialogue and raise awareness for the sa国际传媒渟occer fieldsa国际传媒�-sized sections of old-growth being logged.
sa国际传媒淭here are just a few areas, Clayoquot Sound, Fairy Creek, the Great Bear Rainforest, that we can really call intact ecosystems,sa国际传媒� said David Quigg, an organizer with environment advocacy group Sierra Club B.C. sa国际传媒淣ot only do we have to stop the further logging of old growth, we need to give the second growth a chance to rehabilitate and become a thriving ecosystem to manage these forests.sa国际传媒�
It was a similar message outside Michelle Babchuksa国际传媒檚 office in Campbell River.
sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e experiencing a climate emergencysa国际传媒� and itsa国际传媒檚 time that we really do an honest re-think about how we manage forests in British Columbia, sa国际传媒渟aid Anna Hooper.sa国际传媒� I want the NDP to stand up and make good on their word that they would defer old growth logging. Theysa国际传媒檙e not following their own recommendations.sa国际传媒�
Embedded in Victoriasa国际传媒檚 gathering was Georgina Kirkman, who said shesa国际传媒檚 not against logging but wants to see a more sustainable forestry approach as shesa国际传媒檚 concerned about clear-cuts amplifying floods and fires.
sa国际传媒淭here are lots of scientific reasons to not clear-cut,sa国际传媒� Kirkman said. sa国际传媒淚 Donsa国际传媒檛 hate loggers, I donsa国际传媒檛 hate logging, but wesa国际传媒檝e got to do it right, wesa国际传媒檝e got to think of the future.sa国际传媒�
Forests Minister Bruce Ralston said the province created a silviculture program thatsa国际传媒檚 implementing more alternatives to clear-cutting as B.C. shares the desire to protect old-growth forests.
The province has taken steps to shift from industry developed stewardship plans as Ralston said theysa国际传媒檙e prioritizing ecosystem health and community resiliency by supporting co-governance of the land with First Nations.
sa国际传媒淚n the past year, we have reached 2.25 million hectares of old growth deferred or protected since November 2021, with work on further deferrals underway with rights and title holders,sa国际传媒� he said in a statement. sa国际传媒淏y taking action now and building generational change, we can protect the most at-risk old-growth forests around the province while we move to new ways to manage B.C. forests.sa国际传媒�
Elizabeth Borek waved to honking drivers and bus riders who pulled out their phones to video as traffic funnelled into the single-lane adjacent to the demonstration.
sa国际传媒淲e thought the fires and floods were bad this year, well wait until next year when all the old-growth forests thatsa国际传媒檚 been either burned or chopped down starts emitting greenhouse gases. Itsa国际传媒檚 going to be much worse for B.C. and the entire world,sa国际传媒� Borek said.
sa国际传媒淚 just donsa国际传媒檛 understand why they cansa国际传媒檛 take action.sa国际传媒�
She wants the government to implement the calls made in the Old Growth Strategic Review. The 2020 reviewsa国际传媒檚 final report includes a roadmap giving the government until the end of 2023 to complete and approve a plan to guide the implementation of all 14 recommendations.
Ralston said the government is committed to all the recommendations.
sa国际传媒� with files from Bailey Seymour and Marc Kitteringham
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