B.C. Conservative Party Faces Firestorm Over Climate Change Response
British Columbia's Conservative Party is facing criticism for its handling of recent natural disasters and land deals. According to Alexander Brown, the party must shift out of 'second gear' to project sensibility and security in the face of these crises.
The province has been plagued by forest fires, with some blaming human-caused climate change for their ferocity and historic nature. Premier David Eby has repeatedly linked the fires to ecological footprints and oil and gas, calling recent federal concessions to Alberta's oil interests 'rewarding bad behaviour'.
Despite this, Alexander Brown notes that 'firebugs or human negligence are responsible for as many as 60 percent of British Columbia's fires annually'. The party's messaging has been criticized for being out of touch with the public's concerns about natural disasters and the environment.