In her open letter in the June 7 Salmon Arm Observer to Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo, Julia Beatty is right to call out governments – both provincial and federal – for their continued support of the oil and gas industry and lack of ambitious action on climate change.
The wildfires and smoke that are impacting large areas of Canada are a stark reminder of the climate crisis, which is an existential threat facing humankind. Other threats are growing poverty, both in Canada and internationally; also the refugee crisis which poses a massive political and humanitarian challenge.
I am concerned that scarce public dollars that are needed to address these crises are being increasingly absorbed by the war in Ukraine.
I am also concerned that the more protracted the war, the greater is the risk that tactical nuclear weapons will be used.
These weapons can range from under one kiloton to 100 kilotons. The nuclear bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 were 12 kilotons and 21 kilotons respectively.
At a meeting of the UN Security Council in February, ministers, senior officials, and representatives from around the world, while decrying the crimes being committed against Ukrainian civilians and children, warned against escalation of the conflict into a third world war. They called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, and for peace talks to commence.
Negotiations are not a sign of weakness, or a call to appeasement. They are the necessary beginning of a pathway to peace.
The war in Ukraine must end sooner or later at the negotiating table. I believe we should call on the Canadian government to work for a comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine, and for multilateral diplomatic negotiations by all parties in the conflict – the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and NATO – in order to ensure lasting peace and security in Ukraine, Russia, and Eastern Europe.
Anne Morris
Read more: Parking fines jump in Salmon Arm to keep on-street parking open for customers
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