Signs of a changing climate are everywhere.
Ocean warming is melting the ice pack, causing rising sea levels and the tornadoes that killed 24 people last week.
B.C. forests have been eaten up by bugs once killed off in cold winters. Longer, drier summers extend the forest fire season.
We established the BC Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) in 1973 to avoid a future food crisis. That crisis has arrived.
Drought in Texas and the southwest is causing rising beef prices as ranchers sell off their starving cattle. The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions warns that California is running out of water for irrigation, with only 20 per cent of its normal supply in the key food producing San Joaquin Valley.
Their report indicates that B.C.'s temperature will increase by 1.8 degrees, with six to seven per cent more rain in the winter and more frequent summer droughts in the B.C. Interior.
Here at the coast, our population is growing, from 2.5 million today to 3.5 million by 2040. Only five per cent of B.C. is arable and only one per cent is prime farmland. In 1973, B.C. produced 86 per cent of its small fruit and vegetables, mostly in the Lower Mainland. Today we produce 43 per cent; exactly half. The Lower Mainland and Southern Vancouver Island has the best land and most moderate climate in Canada. The BC Ministry of Agriculture estimates we will have to add 240,000 acres of irrigated farmland here and a million acres of un-irrigated land elsewhere in the province to feed our growing population.
Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) sees if differently.
According to a report prepared for PMV by Avison Young on May 22, "We are rapidly approaching a crossroads that will determine whether the promise of jobs and growth ... will be realized." A 1968 study called "Our Southwestern Shores" targeted the rich Delta and Richmond farmlands for port expansion.
In spite of the ALR, the port has been methodically moving out of Vancouver Harbour into the Fraser River Estuary ever since.
According to Avison Young, there is only 28,614,721 sq. ft. of industrial building inventory left in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
There is 56,803,052 sq. ft. of inventory in Delta and Richmond, but the Port wants more. "The (ALR) remains a potential source of new industrial lands" the report states, calling for "an equitable solution" and a "new amended approach to industrial land use policy in (B.C.)" That means the industrialization of the Fraser River that we were trying to prevent.
Now Port Moody wants to re-develop another 1,000 acres of Burrard Inlet industrial land that was once home to IOCO.
The Port has shown no interest in keeping it industrial. Last week, Richmond council opposed such a change, and asked staff to prepare a report on the ripple effect on Richmond and Delta farmland.
The Port is also promoting the export of low quality "dirty" burning coal from the U.S. through Fraser Surrey Docks.
Coal dust escaping along the way through White Rock and blown from barges to pollute the Fraser River Estuary is the price of progress.
Cities in Washington and Oregon have refused to export the coal because of its major effect on increasing global warming.
Increasing global warming increases the need to save the farmland the port is intent on destroying.
On June 14, the Metro Vancouver Board will be hearing delegations on an Environment Committee recommendation to "oppose coal shipments from the Fraser River Estuary other than the existing Roberts Bank Superport."
At the same time we are expected to accept the risk of oil spills from Panamex supertankers carrying jet fuel through the estuary.
In the war against climate change, PMV is clearly on the other side.
