The most wonderful time of the year is right around the corner. Climate change doesn’t care.
When storms bring record rainfall that batters our infrastructure, like the widespread power outages on Nov. 4, people in thousands of affected homes will complain of lost Wi-Fi or a chillier-than-usual evening.
Yet the discomfort is familiar. These events may happen more often now, but they are part of normal life and for the most part pass easily into the rear view.
The news that more extreme weather is taking away our Christmas trees, and perhaps the beloved traditions that surround them, is an unfamiliar discomfort.
Grand firs that warm the souls of goers to the Dundarave Festival of Lights will likely be smaller and twice the price going forward, because barely any are surviving B.C.’s increasing droughts, heat waves and flooding, suppliers say.
These tidings carry an outsized sting. The tie to a joyful tradition triggers extra sadness, even denial, at the idea of their loss.
But make no mistake – climate change is a Grinch that doesn’t give a hoot about your holidays. Unless more is done to curb rising temperatures, these unfeeling forces will take away things more precious than festive flora.
And as we peel back carbon-reduction policies to cool consumer frustration, when moves like that are likely to drive up costs in the long run, the irony is heating up too.
So let’s not be the Ebenezer Scrooge who desperately pleads with the Ghost of Christmas Future for a second chance. We all know the Scrooge who acts prudently in the present also brings the most joy.
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