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The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.

The second-best time is now.

- Chinese Proverb

Climate change is a bit like one of those psychology ink blot tests – ask people what our local governments should do about it and you get a wide range of answers, from water to plastics.

This was apparent when One Cowichan surveyed citizens about it. It is also apparent in the recent statements of some local elected officials who say they are already working on it, which when left loosely defined can mean anything we want it to, or if we’re not careful could mean pretty much the status quo with a green coat of paint.

What a fantastic community turnout for the Beyond Climate film and discussion Tuesday evening. It was standing room only at the Duncan United Church, which is impressive for a weeknight and an indication--along with the climate emergency petition that now has 1,203 signatures --of the local appetite for swift and effective climate action.

On July 17, the Municipality of North Cowichan officially acknowledged that the community is facing a climate emergency and committed to developing an integrated climate action strategy.

This follows on the heels of the climate emergency declared by the City of Duncan earlier this week. We applaud these commitments to look at local decisions through the lens of climate disruption and we hope this spurs similar action by our three other local governments: The Town of Ladysmith, The Town of Lake Cowichan and the CVRD.