B.C. planners and policy analysts say the benefits of air conditioners during extreme heat situations are very clear and concerns over their environmental and financial impact show misplaced priorities.
B.C. is preparing for the possibility of another deadly heat event after hundreds died last summer from extreme heat, but some worry the provincial government isn't doing enough.
As the one-year anniversary of a lethal heatwave in Western Canada approaches, the British Columbia and Canadian governments need to ensure that support is in place for those most at risk from climate change-exacerbated extreme heat.
When the provincial health officer told British Columbians she was removing isolation requirements and testing for most of the population and compared managing COVID-19 in similar terms to the flu or common cold, many people were shocked and some instantly alarmed.