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Climate change is driving up the cost of living, with one estimate suggesting the average Canadian household already spends an additional $700 per year on things like food, insurance, infrastructure repairs, and disaster relief because of it.
We need to stop pretending that ignoring the problem is an affordable option. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will limit the severity of climate change, and proactively adapting where we live to these worsening conditions can help limit the scale of hardship we experience in the coming years.
These investments will save us money in the long term and prepare us for the worst impacts of climate change, but they also result in better living standards in the short and medium term as well.
We need investments in sustainable housing built to withstand climate change, municipal flood prevention, grid infrastructure upgrades, sustainable and secure access to affordable food and water.
To deal with this impending crisis, we need thoughtful and determined political leaders who are actively deepening their understanding of climate change. We need leaders who incorporate that knowledge in their decision making at every opportunity, and who are willing to make these important investments.
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We also need engaged citizens to demand this of their representatives. This election season, climate change will be the first topic I raise with any candidate at my doorstep.
Caylin Lee, Saskatoon
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