BRITISH COLUMBIA— Climate change is a concern for many people around the world. In British Columbia, there are local people taking action on climate change right here in our forests.

One approach to tackle climate change is to adapt to increases in drought, wildfires, flooding, and other extreme weather occurrences. As a society, we could learn to adapt.

The second approach is to take action to prevent or at least limit further climate change. To do that, we need to improve the management of greenhouse gases. International carbon accounting standards recognize that forestry helps mitigate climate change which makes our forests the biggest nature-based tool we have. The government of British Columbia has climate scientists and expert carbon modellers on staff who evaluate projects for potential greenhouse gas benefits and carbon expenditures to determine how much net benefit there will be.

Trees will absorb carbon dioxide once they start growing and will continue to absorb carbon for many years. Planting trees that otherwise would not be planted, usually following natural disasters such as insect epidemics or catastrophic wildfires, is a significant way to help mitigate climate change. We can also fertilize trees to help them grow faster and therefore absorb carbon dioxide faster. And finally, we can reduce the burning of wood waste so there are less greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions profile from the open burning of wood contains not only carbon dioxide but also very potent greenhouse gases including methane and nitrous oxide. Using the wood instead of burning it helps reduce these greenhouse gases.

Our B.C. Forestry Workers Are Climate Change Heroes brochure highlights several local climate change heroes working on projects funded by the Forest Enhancement Society of BC. We also invite you to watch our newly released B.C. Forestry Workers Are Climate Change Heroes Video so that you can support the action being taken on climate change by sharing it with the people in your networks.

Together, we can all be Climate Change Heroes.

Watch the Climate Change Heroes Video

Read more about Climate Change Heroes

For an interview with FESBC, contact:
Aleece Laird, FESBC Communications Liaison | communications@fesbc.ca | 250.574.0221