VANCOUVER—Real estate is often considered a key driver of social inequity in Vancouver, but now there is another: wildfires.
Last week, Metro Vancouver authorities warned that we’re going to face yet another dry and smoky summer this year. They sounded the usual cautions for people with asthma and other breathing difficulties.
But as severe wildfire seasons become the normal-abnormal, the smoke and flame won’t just affect people with physiological challenges. It will also exacerbate social inequity that already exists in Vancouver and around the province.
Take for example the California wildfires last year: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West reportedly hired private firefighters to protect their $60-million mansion. The situation ignited a fiery public debate on whether the wealthy should be allowed to sit out the climate crisis while everyone else endured the disaster.
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