This summer, as Saskatchewan experiences its worst wildfire season yet, citizens are appalled by the government’s inadequate response. 

Equally shocking for environmentalists is listening to update after update by Scott Moe, never once mentioning the connection between climate change and these fires. He appears, beyond belief, to be acting like these super fires are just a normal cycle for our province, while Denare Beach residents and others lost everything and watched their homes burn to the ground, due to the inaction of Scott Moe and the provincial response.

Wildfires are intensifying, primarily due to the climate crisis, which is creating conditions that allow these fires to become much more intense and frequent. Canadians are paying the cost in billions every year for lost economic productivity, recovery and human health. Not to mention the severe trauma of the many people displaced by these fires. 

Somehow, despite the clear evidence in front of us, we have politicians pushing forward fossil fuel growth as though cause and effect don’t exist. We must be less dependent on a fossil fuel-driven economy as well as less dependent on the USA. More immediately, we can’t let our response to Trump accelerate the conditions for forest fires. Clean energy solutions exist for the sake of our air and our forests. We must make the transition. 

Smoke from prairie wildfires triggered an air quality alert in Ontario yesterday (July 29). Residents were advised to limit outdoor activity until the situation improves. In the 1990s, Ontario had many air quality advisory days as a result of the province's coal-fired power plants. Thankfully, they had the wisdom to close them. Those days are now back due to wildfire smoke from the Prairies, ironically, while Saskatchewan pushes ahead with coal-fired power.

As Scott Moe lets our province burn, he cites far off Small Modular Nuclear Reactors as an answer.  Meanwhile, for a quarter of the cost, we could get the same amount of electricity from already proven safe, reliable, and Saskatchewan-made renewable energy as we can get from only one small modular nuclear reactor. 

One SMNR will cost us $5 billion. This is a province where residents suffering due to their homes being threatened or lost by fire are struggling to get adequate financial support. Mismanagement and mixed-up priorities always come out when you look at where money is going and not going. Follow the paper trail…

I urge all residents to reach out to your MLA and make your views known on these issues.

Saskatchewan could be leading in clean solar and wind energy production. Instead, our government is betting on outdated coal tech and pie-in-the-sky dreams involving expensive and untested nuclear projects. 

Also, if you haven’t signed yet, please sign this petition that numerous groups are circulating together, to show opposition to Saskatchewan extending our dependency on coal power. 

https://win.newmode.net/saskatoonclimatehub/stopcoalpowerinsk

Yours in solidarity,

Naomi Hunter,

Saskatchewan Green Party Leader