We must prepare for more powerful fires and storms

For decades, Green parties across this country and the world have been sounding the alarm, warning about the very events we now experience. We were ignored and, in some cases, ridiculed because the truths of climate change are unpleasant and the actions needed were seen as too costly or "unrealistic."

We can no longer turn a blind eye to the undeniable truths before us. To avoid cataclysmic climate breakdown, we must urgently free ourselves from our dependence on fossil fuels. Simultaneously, to save lives, we must adapt to those levels of climate change we can no longer avoid. The fires are raging, the storms are brewing, and the Earth is sending us a clear message: “Prepare to face the consequences."

Prior to our political engagement, we both witnessed the devastating impact of emergencies. Unlike many other politicians in this country, we have experienced the core of several war zones or blazing fires first-hand. We have seen the best and worst of humanity and believe deeply in our capacity for resilience and courage in times of crisis.

It's time to harness that resilience and channel our courage as a nation. We must come together as communities and individuals to prepare for the challenges ahead. The fires burning through our lands are just the beginning. The hurricane season gathering on the horizon will soon be at our Eastern shores.

There’s no stopping the storms immediately.

But we can mitigate the damage.

We can save lives.

We can protect our homes and neighbours.

It starts with each of us taking responsibility for our own preparedness, creating our own contingency plans, stocking up on essentials and helping those around us who may struggle.

Yet, individual efforts alone won’t be enough to face tornadoes, diluvian rains, landslides, fires, telecommunication breakdowns or prolonged electricity shortages during a heat dome or an ice storm. Our governments must step up and act with urgency.

Provincial and federal governments must lead the response and pool all available resources under a unified national command. These should then be immediately allocated and deployed preemptively to all vulnerable areas — from coast to coast to coast.

At this point, whatever happens in one community can impact another and the same goes within the country, between the provinces. It is unwise and unfair to neighbouring areas to leave the strength, rapidity and efficiency of any given response up to varying sets of local and provincial politicians of various creeds and degrees of optimism.

Unlike our southern neighbour, which spends upward of US$25 billion each year on emergency preparedness and response through its Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Canadians rely on a mosaic of provincial and municipal services in times of emergencies, which can occasionally be supplemented with federal money and resources or the assistance of the Canadian Forces.

This horrific summer shows us that simply isn’t good enough anymore.

We call for a co-ordinated effort that combines municipal and provincial firefighting and emergency response resources under a national command that can quickly dispatch resources and establish evacuation plans for all vulnerable communities, with standard operating procedures and triggers communicated early and clearly to all citizens.

The usual chicken games that play out between local, provincial or territorial and federal authorities will otherwise end up costing lives.

Our best ally in establishing such a national command is the Canadian Forces. But we need to ensure that more of them are prepared, trained and equipped to domestically aid in firefighting, evacuation, first aid, and search-and-rescue efforts.

This will be costly. Establishing a real national emergency response agency will cost tens of billions of dollars. But we've seen governments pour billions into industries that harm our environment and cost us even more. Isn't it time we invest in our own future? It's time to redirect our resources towards serious climate action, safeguarding our homes, our families and our environment. The needed short-term sacrifices pale in comparison to the heartache and pain the climate emergency will unleash on us if we remain passive.

As our colleague Elizabeth May said last week in Ottawa, this summer may well be the best “we can remember for the rest of our lives.” We better use our time wisely to prepare, collaborate and act with courage if we are to keep our communities safe and save lives.

Magical thinking, hopes and prayers and political dishonesty will kill Canadians.

It is time we all prepare for a long fight, take care of one another and accept that voluntary sacrifices will be less costly and painful than the ones the climate emergency is imparting on us.

Jonathan Pedneault is the deputy leader of the Green Party of Canada and worked for 14 years as a journalist and human rights investigator in dozens of conflict zones, most recently in Ukraine.

Jordan Wilkie is the leader of the Green Party of Alberta, holds a masters in disaster emergency management and has been a firefighter for more than 15 years.