A tiny beetle and huge damage in British Columbia

Professor Tom Pederson explained has how and why a tiny beetle had had a huge impact impact in Canada’s British Columbia.

Professor Tom Pederson.

The Pine Bark Beetle, luxuriating in a climatic opening brought on by climate change, has decimated forests in the western-most province of Canada.

The Japanese Room at the University of Melbourne’s School of Design was to capacity to hear Professor of Paleoclimatology and Marine Geochemistry from Canada’s University of Victoria.

Professor Pedersen said injury to the province’s extensive pine forest was already evident when Gordon Campbell become Premier in 2001and fortunately he was sensitive to climate change its causes and impact.

Driven by that, and of course the huge economic costs, he instituted many changes across society, including a cost against the use of fossil fuels.

That, according to Prof Pedersen was hugely successful and had wide community support, including an increasing charge against fuel costs to motorists, and was having measurable  success in slowing British Columbia’s carbon dioxide emissions.

The Pine Bark Beetle on a match -
climate change has allowed it to
proliferate costing British Columbia millions.

Sadly, he noted, Mr Campbell made a political mistake and so resigned from the role allowing him to be replaced by Ms Kristy Clark, whose behaviour resembled that of Australia’s Tony Abbott.

British Columbia had been a world leader in terms of its response to climate change, but now was among the laggards.

Prof Pedersen is presently at the University of Melbourne working with the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, but will soon be returning to Canada.