Susan Belford

As of July 12, 2023 fires had engulfed nearly 10 million hectares (100,000 square kilometers), a combined area which dwarfs the province of New Brunswick (72,908 square kilometers). On July 13, severe storms in eastern Ontario spawned tornados near Ottawa and Montreal. Catastrophic floods and landslides have destroyed towns and displaced millions from New York and Vermont, to India, to China, to Spain in recent days. The costs, in human, animal and ecosystem life are great; the financial costs, for emergency rescue and housing, lost livelihoods, repairs and restoration are steadily rising.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada and Federation of Canadian Municipalities estimate that Canadian local governments need about $5.3 billion per year to prepare for climate change. That’s a lot, but the cost of not preparing is greater. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has calculated that when including non-insured losses “the… economic hit in B.C. from 2021’s extreme weather events is between $10.6 billion and $17.1 billion.  

Who’s going to pay these costs? Taxpayers?

We all bear some responsibility for climate change; after all, most of us have blissfully used fossil fuels in our cars and homes our whole lives. But most of us didn’t know till the last 20 years or so that burning fossil fuels adds a layer of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, trapping the sun’s heat, causing the heat waves, wildfires and storms we know as climate change.  

Consumers didn’t know, but the fossil fuel industry sure did. They did their own studies in the 1950’s but they’ve known since 1912 that the products they extract, process and sell could eventually destroy life on earth. They chose to increase production while spending millions to deceive the public, co-opt politicians, foster conspiracy theories and climate denial to prevent useful climate action. 

Last year the top four oil companies gained $190 Billion in profit. 

I think that they should be called to account and pay their fair share of the costs of climate destruction.

Sue Big Oil is a movement here in BC– a class action law suit brought on behalf of municipalities by West Coast Environmental Law. Gibsons and View Royal have signed on so far, and others in the CRD aren’t far behind. There is a Sue Big Oil group here in Sooke. If you want to know more, email us. To support the campaign, click here to sign the Sue Big Oil declaration.

Fossil fuels have been known to be damaging to the environment for more than 100 years, as the clipping below indicates.