I am writing about the Nov. 4 declaration of a climate emergency by the St. John’s city council. This measure should be applauded, and I congratulate the council for taking this historic step.
The climate crisis is an emergency because it is an urgent and real physical threat to all cities on Earth, including St. John’s.
The emergency declaration is important because it signals that the city understands the issue and the role that it has to play, both in reducing its own emissions and in planning for a climate-altered future.
Declaring this as an emergency is appropriate because time matters.
The faster we reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the less severe the consequences will be. Further, the faster we plan and adapt, the more equipped we will be as the situation worsens.
But most importantly, this unanimous declaration shows that this council is firmly rooted in reality.
And that is something that should be celebrated by all citizens of St. John’s.
Brett Favaro,
St. John’s
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