Dear Editor,
The climate crisis is at our doorstep. We see it with worsening heat waves across the country and around the globe every year. The extreme heat events we are experiencing can have life-threatening consequences as evidenced by the 2021 Heat Dome which killed over 619 people in B.C.
That’s why we need a universal heat pump program that ensures everyone gets a free heat pump, an energy efficient appliance that can both heat and clean homes.
A universal heat pump program would not only help us keep people safe in a climate emergency, it would help us tackle the climate crisis while creating thousands of jobs. By building a publicly-owned enterprise to produce, distribute and install heat pumps, we could create new opportunities for tradespeople and manufacturing workers.
Workers currently employed in fossil fuel industries, such as pipeline construction, could transition to installing heat pumps, building on their skills while moving into cleaner, more sustainable careers.
Our federal government must move rapidly to deliver heat pumps for all with a universal heat pump program that saves lives, cuts our bills and reduces emissions.
Salim Kassam
Calgary