Should Kelowna declare a climate emergency?

An average summer day seven degrees hotter than it is now.

As many as 30 more days above 30C each summer.

More frequent and more severe floods in the spring and fall.

All of these are possibilities in Kelowna by 2070, should global temperatures edge or surpass the much -discussed 1.5-degree mark.

To prepare, staff at city hall are working towards establishing a new climate resiliency plan to both reduce Kelowna’s green house gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate.

And to bolster local engagement, at least two Kelowna councillors believe a declaration of a climate crisis is needed.

“It really means we are recognizing and acknowledging something that experts the world over … are saying: we need to take drastic action,” Coun. Gord Lovegrove told Kelowna10.

Lovegrove said his brief mention of the idea at a council meeting in early April spurred volumes of feedback, with both support and questions about the move.

Lovegrove takes the initiative personally, having firsthand experience with the dangers of a warming world. He had close family friends pass away during the 2021 heat dome, and knew many others impacted by recent flooding.

During the fall 2022 election, Lovegrove campaigned on a slate of environmental policies, and said the declaration would also be a follow-thru on his promises.

“We need to say, ‘folks, business as usual is not an option,’” he said. “We will thrive, but we have to make a plan that is effective and practical.”

Ensuring any low carbon economic transition is practical and effective is a key pillar of Coun. Mohini Singh’s support for the declaration.

The fourth-term lawmaker said it is crucial to convey that “preserving the environment isn’t just a nice to have, it’s something we must do.

“This is the only Earth we have, and we all have to do our bit to protect it.”

But before she raises her hand to back any resolution, Singh wants to dive deeper into the implications of the move.

Declaring a climate emergency would not be unique to Kelowna. In fact, 649 local governments in Canada have already done it, according to environmental monitoring group Random Acts of Green.

Singh wants to examine what these and others in the United States and around the globe have done.

She also wants to hear from environmental economists.

“How can we come to a meeting point where we work towards a sustainable environment as well as towards development, and business, and industry,” she said. “I want to study this to see what can be the best outcome for our taxpayers.”