The Hawaiian island of Maui has been devastated by wildfires, leaving at least 80 dead at the time of writing. The inferno has been described as the deadliest natural disaster in the history of the state of Hawaii. But in fact, there was little natural about this tragedy. It was an accident waiting to happen, facilitated by the capitalism-created climate crisis, and disproportionately affecting poorer neighborhoods on an island treated as a luxurious plaything by the wealthy.

An unprecedented number of wildfires have set Europe alight in the past month. Nine Mediterranean countries have been hit, leading to many people losing their homes and even their lives. These are the deadly consequences of capitalism’s climate catastrophe.

On July 21 Nova Scotia was hit by devastating floods. Four people are dead, including two six year-olds and one 14 year-old, after the vehicles they were evacuating in were swept off the road and submerged in floodwaters. We must be clear that the blame for the damage and tragic loss of life lies squarely at the feet of the bosses and the capitalist system.

Canada is currently experiencing its worst wildfire season of the 21st century, and scientific research undeniably points to the fact that this is linked to the climate crisis—undeniably, that is, if you actually care about finding the truth. But the right wing and the capitalist media do not, and they have been busy finding a million and one ways to lie about why Canada is burning. 

The consequence of this continued investment in fossil fuels is nothing short of global disaster, and RBC has been rightly criticized by environmental groups and activists for their part in perpetuating global warming. These same groups, however, have very little to offer when it comes to proposing concrete and realizable solutions to the climate crisis.

The second-largest forest fire in B.C. history. The town of Chibougamau, Que., evacuated in the middle of the night. A Halifax suburb burned down. Toronto and Montreal covered in smog. All of this occurring as early as May and June.

As of May 9, 86 wildfires are burning throughout the province of Alberta—this total is down from over 100 a few days prior, but perhaps not for long. There is a sense of dread among Albertans, not just because of the inherent horror of wildfires, but because of the feeling that the province can’t get the situation under control.

Imperial Oil’s Kearl oil sands facility has been leaking tailings wastewater, which risks seeping into the groundwater and nearby streams. The initial leak was ignored by the company for nine months without any notification of the incident to the public.

It’s no secret that orphan oil and gas wells in Alberta have been a growing environmental concern for quite some time. Farmers and rural municipalities have been struggling to cope with derelict equipment and the hazards that come with it, but little has been done to mitigate this problem. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has recently announced a pilot project based on a proposal from lobbyists: the RStar program, which would give $20 billion to oil companies to “incentivize” cleanup of the abandoned wells that litter the province. 

Unprecedented weather events have grounded planes, flooded communities, and destroyed cities at an increasing pace over the past few years as the climate crisis looms large over the future. And so the federal Liberals are now proposing a “just transition”, promising an end to carbon pollution without a loss of good jobs. Given the Liberals’ track record of broken promises, there’s good reason for suspicion.