David Suzuki – environmentalist, academic, and broadcaster – endorsed Jeremy Valeriote, the BC Green candidate in the race to become the MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky. In an emailed statement to the campaign, Dr. Suzuki highlighted his concerns over climate inaction, criticizing both major BC parties for failing to respond.
“BC is being hammered by the impacts of climate change from forest fires to heat domes, melting glaciers, floods and warming ocean waters,” he wrote. “The leader of the BC Conservatives was kicked out of the BC Liberal party for being a climate denier, while the BC NDP supports more LNG projects that will exacerbate the climate crisis.”
He concluded that voters for whom climate is important have a clear choice: “If climate change concerns you, you must vote for Jeremy Valeriote of the BC Greens.”
Valeriote is the only candidate in the riding opposing the Woodfibre LNG project (WLNG), having spoken up and campaigned against it for years.
Valeriote said he was very grateful for Dr Suzuki’s support, noting that riding residents feel strongly motivated to vote for a climate champion. “People in West Van – Sea to Sky don’t take nature and incredible landscapes for granted. That’s why they agree that we should invest in the new green economy instead of subsidizing fossil fuel projects. Woodfibre LNG is expensive, polluting and irresponsible in a climate emergency, and our communities don’t want it,” he said.
