The annual World Press Photo exhibition, which has just opened at Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal, provides a striking illustration of the paradox of the climate upheavals that have marked 2023.
In one image, we first think we see a man crossing the desert. But why is he carrying a fishing rod? Then we realize that he is walking in the bed of a branch of the Amazon River, in Brazil, completely dried up by the worst drought in 120 years.
But too much water is like not enough.
Another photo takes us to Fiji. A 72-year-old elder stands where the shoreline was when he was the same age as his grandson, whom he holds in his arms. Two generations later, they are up to their shoulders in water, due to rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
What will happen in two more generations?
This week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a global SOS at the Pacific Islands Forum. At the rate the waters are rising, some islands in this corner of paradise will be completely submerged within 30 years.
Global warming is throwing the planet out of whack. Warm air stores more moisture, while more water evaporates from the oceans. While some regions get floods, there is less water left for drier regions.
All this is catching up with Quebec. We experienced it this summer with the record rain that filled our basements with water. We also saw it last summer with the fires that devoured the forests of the Far North.
Another striking image from World Press Photo captures these dark hours.
It shows a firefighter, perched on a rock, scanning the charred horizon. The photo bears witness to his bravery in fighting the flames. But it can also be seen as a metaphor for the arrogance of humans, perched on a pedestal, while nature is in ashes.
Addressing the impacts of climate change is essential. But it is even more crucial to address the cause of the problem by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.
To achieve this, everyone will have to change their lifestyle. But by putting all the weight on the backs of individuals, we risk demoralizing them, making them feel guilty and turning them against each other.
Acting alone will get us nowhere. It is up to elected officials to assume their role. It is up to them to deploy the tools to reduce GHGs. But politicians are afraid of displeasing their voters.
This week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau chose to block the road to low-cost, Chinese-made green vehicles to protect Canadian manufacturing jobs. But this decision will delay our shift to electric cars.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre does much worse. He trumpets “Axe the tax” from every platform… even in Quebec, where the carbon tax does not apply. He never says what he would replace this tool with, whose effectiveness is recognized worldwide. Carbon pricing has the merit of being based on the fair and equitable principle of the polluter pays. By putting a price on pollution, it discourages harmful behavior and encourages innovation.
But a wind of economic populism is slowing down decarbonization efforts.
In the United States, Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance has even proposed eliminating subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles and instead offering a $7,500 rebate on all trucks and SUVs… that run on gasoline. In the “counterproductive” category, that’s hard to beat.
Quebec can boast of having maintained a consistent carbon pricing system for 10 years now, despite the passage of three political parties. But our carbon exchange needs a good tightening of the screws, as The Press has already pleaded it1.
Instead of imposing a tax, as elsewhere in Canada, our system caps GHG emission rights. Each year, major polluters – fuel suppliers, for example – must purchase rights, the number of which the government gradually reduces.
The problem is that the government issued too many rights in the first place. So we are stuck with a glut that means the carbon price is too low.
In addition, companies that want to continue to pollute are allowed to obtain compensatory rights, a bit like a traveler who would like to compensate for the effect of a plane trip by planting trees.
The unfortunate thing is that Quebec companies buy the bulk of these credits in California, which is a partner in our carbon market. However, studies show that carbon capture projects for forestry projects in California produce mixed results.
Ultimately, Quebec is sending money to California instead of making real efforts to decarbonize its economy. This is not desirable.
These compensatory duties should be eliminated. Surplus duties should be eliminated. These are some of the recommendations presented Wednesday by the Advisory Committee on Climate Change.2responsible for informing the government.
Let us listen to this voice of reason.
Let us not look away from climate change, the consequences of which are disrupting our lives, in Quebec and elsewhere.
1. Read the article “Our carbon exchange is in the field”
2. Consult the recommendations of the Climate Change Advisory Committee