OTTAWA – As wildfires rage across New Jersey, burning over 8,500 acres and forcing thousands of people to evacuate, the Green Party of Canada is calling on all political leaders to recognize what scientists have long warned: climate change is not a distant threat, it’s here—and it’s accelerating.
“It’s mid-April and a northeastern state–not California!- is already battling wildfires,” said Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May. “Dry conditions, intensified by climate change, are creating the perfect storm. This is yet another wake-up call—how many do we need before we act with the urgency this crisis demands?”
The fires in New Jersey are just the latest in a growing list of climate-related disasters devastating communities across North America. Unseasonably dry conditions, fueled by rising global temperatures, are making wildfires more intense and more frequent—even in regions that traditionally experience wet springs.
“While this federal campaign has focused on the rising political instability of a second Trump presidency, we must not forget that climate change is the more pervasive, existential threat,” said Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault. “We are failing to confront it with the seriousness required. Only the Green Party is addressing it with clear, science-based policies and solutions.”
The Green Party is calling out the major parties for their failure to prioritize the climate emergency during the 2025 campaign. At a time when the economic and human costs of inaction grow by the day, discussions remain stuck in outdated ideas about fossil fuel expansion and short-term political gains.
“Canada keeps clinging to an antiquated fossil fuel economy,” added May. “But the economic risks of the climate crisis—billions in damages, destroyed infrastructure, death of hundreds of Canadians—are far worse. The Greens are the only party offering a credible plan to shift our economy to renewables and resilience.”
As the fires in New Jersey continue to burn, the Green Party urges Canadians and political leaders alike to treat the climate emergency as the defining issue of our time.
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