Jasper Wildfires Highlight Urgent Need to Address Climate Crisis and Fossil Fuel Pollution

Jasper Wildfires Highlight Urgent Need to Address Climate Crisis and Fossil Fuel Pollution

For Immediate Release: July 25, 2024
Media Contact: Cathy Orlando, 705-929-4043 cathy@citizensclimate.org

Late on Wednesday, July 24, a fast-moving wildfire swept through Jasper National Park and its townsite, causing significant loss and devastation.The Maligne Lodge has been completely destroyed. Flames have reached the grounds of the historic Jasper Park Lodge, but the extent of the damage remains unknown at this time. 

“I live in the Boreal Forest; wildfires terrify me. I have stayed at both the Maligne Lodge and the Jasper Park Lodge—this is heartbreaking. I lost my home in 2019 due to unnatural weather. I truly feel for all those impacted,” says Cathy Orlando, Director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada.  

Alberta has been grappling with an historic heatwave. Currently, Alberta has 176 active fires, 54 of which are out of control. These more intense heat waves and wildfires are not natural—this is climate change endangering our lives and the people and places we love, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Jasper National Park, which receives over two million visitors annually. 

“The urgency is palpable. Sunday, July 21, marked the hottest day on record globally, only to be surpassed on Monday, July 22, 2024. On Monday, alongside over three dozen cities globally, in Sudbury we marked that there are less than five years to achieve our Paris Agreement Goals. We must accelerate our efforts to make a real difference,” declared Orlando.

The climate crisis is fundamentally a fossil fuel pollution crisis. Most people are unaware that 91 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution comes from  fossil fuels. Why is this the case? The fossil fuel industry has funded climate disinformation for decades. Research by InfluenceMap, reported earlier this month, revealed that the oil and gas industry has used a playbook to systematically oppose, weaken, and delay the energy transition since at least 1967.

Climate change is a global issue, and while Canada’s actions alone won’t halt heat waves, every tonne of fossil fuel pollution we reduce is important. Canada ranks second in the world for per-capita emissions from burning fossil fuels, and our greenhouse gas emissions have not decreased as they have in other G7 countries. As a major source of emissions, advanced economies like Canada must regulate polluters and innovate to avoid being left behind.

This week, the Rocky Mountain Institute reported that the cleantech revolution is exponential and we are now in the accelerated phase of global decarbonization. China has now become the World’s first “electrostate”. Why? Due to a lack of oil and gas, China is massively increasing its electrification efforts. The USA is also rapidly electrifying, likely because cleantech costs have dropped dramatically..

However, the pace must be accelerated if we are to meet our Paris Agreement goals, with less than five years remaining.

The vast majority of economists agree that the most efficient and effective method to reduce emissions is to put a price on carbon and rebate the people. This is Canada’s carbon pricing policy. By making fossil fuels more expensive, it creates a strong financial incentive for businesses and individuals to invest in clean energy alternatives. As the price of pollution rises, the economic benefits of renewable energy sources become increasingly attractive, accelerating the transition to renewables. Additionally, because Canadians receive rebates, the financial burden to the taxpayer of the transition is mitigated.

The millions of Canadians concerned about climate change must unite and demand that all politicians hold big polluters accountable. There is real danger ahead but there is hope. The age of renewables is upon us, and Canada must not be left behind.

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