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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Real behaviour change needed to address climate change

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Maintain social distance, wash your hands, sanitize frequently and now we are admonished to wear a “f-ing mask” ... societies worldwide have obediently adapted new behaviours, even new morals, to minimize the propagation of a disease that is essentially a temporary threat to a minority of the human population (Pique, July 16, “A simple message from Whistler’s medical director: ‘Be kind and wear a f---ing mask!’”).

I suppose that now that I have turned 60, I am a member of the more vulnerable demographic benefiting from this swift cultural transition. 

But why can we not similarly develop new behaviours and new morals to address a threat that is far more ominous and more enduring than COVID-19, a menace that will undoubtedly affect the welfare of everyone under 60, as well as seriously impacting all future generations of humans and non-humans alike?

I’m referring, of course, to global warming. When do we start to incorporate considerations of personal carbon footprint in the myriad decisions we make on a daily basis, all 8 billion of us? 

We could start with things a simple as bringing a “f-ing” bag to the grocery store and turning off your “f-ing” engine when you sit in your car chatting on the phone, or better yet, ride your “f-ing” bike.  

Tom DeMarco, MD // Whistler