This Letter to the Editor was written by Ray Nakano and was published in the Globe & Mail on July 26, 2024.

Re “Jasper National Park evacuations complete after massive effort to help thousands flee wildfire” (July 24):

We can only imagine what the campers and residents of Jasper and the surrounding Jasper National Park are going through. Worry, fear, anxiety. Our hearts and minds go out to them because of this unnatural disaster. Climate change is harming us directly – burning homes, communities and places we know and love. Disasters like these are increasing in frequency because of climate change. These unnatural disasters are fueled by burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal. Canada’s actions alone won’t stop wildfires. But every tonne of fossil fuel pollution we reduce matters, and Canada is a big source of this pollution. Canada needs to regulate pollution and innovate. We need to show the way and keep up with record setting investments in renewable energy in countries such as China. We’re all facing this together. Let’s pull together to protect the people and places we care about.

Ray Nakano, Toronto