SaanichB次元官网网址檚 six-week workshop on climate change should make council pause to take a look in the mirror and reflect on their own actions, instead of blaming the residents for climate impact, when the districtB次元官网网址檚 own actions and/or lack thereof, are major contributors.

We the residents are patronizingly being told about how things like heat pumps and better window insulation can help reduce our climate impact, when the council couldnB次元官网网址檛 even bring itself to ban gas-powered leaf blowers, which are far worse for the environment than SUVs due to their lack of catalytic converters and often two-stroke engines, in which full combustion doesnB次元官网网址檛 take place, not to mention the noise levels, which harm the natural world, or at least what is left of it here.

The workshop will talk about B次元官网网址渓iving minimallyB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渓iving lightlyB次元官网网址�, while Saanich is in a wild construction frenzy in places like Shelbourne/McKenzie, Cordova Bay, Cadboro Bay (planned), Elk/Beaver Lake (planned) and various other locations, often at the cost of local habitat in the process. How about a minimalist approach from Saanich for a change when it comes to development, or are they too busy looking to Langford and Victoria for their visions of sustainability?

The workshop will talk about sustainable transportation options, while the municipalityB次元官网网址檚 expansionism has left transport arteries clogging with lengthy traffic jams and cars idling away incessantly. I hope they donB次元官网网址檛 at least have the gall to call this an B次元官网网址榠dle-free municipalityB次元官网网址� like Victoria. Then we are supposed to believe that CNG-powered buses are actually green, when even the EPA recognizes that CNG does not mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and much of it is derived from fracking, one of the worst contributors in the world.

Meanwhile, the residents are left being told about our purchasing choices, which are steadily dwindling due to our rapidly increasing property taxes and inflation.

Josephine Marshall

Saanich