Warning labels for climate change on gas pumps, like the ones you’d see about health risks on cigarette boxes, won’t likely be coming to a Burnaby gas station in the near future.
This week, the city’s environment committee slammed the brakes on a request by the group Our Horizon to put warning labels regarding climate change on gas pump nozzles.
Instead, the city has recommended council consider future opportunities for public communication about climate change in the context of the regional and municipal sustainability policy.
However, a staff report on the issue suggested gas pump nozzle signage in general as a way to communicate about climate change is an option for future consideration.
A delegation from Our Horizon appeared at council back in July requesting the warning labels, and council asked for a report before making a decision.
Coun. Anne Kang, a member of environment committee, said the committee agrees that climate change is a global issue that needs to be addressed, but the nozzle labels were not approved for a number of reasons, including the wording and messaging.
She suggested, for example, messages around polar bears and drought-stricken farmers in an African country have little relevance to residents living in the Metro Vancouver.
She also argued that climate change is not due to only driving cars, and it’s a change in lifestyle choices that can also make a difference.
“Climate change is a complex problem involving many facets of our society in the areas of social, economic and environmental. It is not as straight forward as smoking, which has a direct negative impact to human health,” Kang told the NOW in an email. She also said council would need more consultation with fuel vendors, noting the business associations that represent the industry have voiced their opposition. The staff report also noted the authority of local governments to legislate gas pump warning labels has yet to be tested in court and due to the potential for a legal challenge and the costs, the bylaw was not recommended.
Our Horizon’s executive director Rob Shirkey said the city’s concerns are reasonable, adding Burnaby is opting to take a more cautious approach, which the group respects. Specifically, he said he understands the concerns around questions of jurisdiction and the specific designs of the labels.
"As other communities take the lead on implementation, questions of jurisdiction will be resolved by the courts and we'll have more information on which designs are the most impactful. I'm hoping to revisit the idea with Mayor [Derek] Corrigan and council at a later date as Burnaby continues to explore its environmental strategy," Shirkey told the NOW in an email.
A similar resolution to the one put forward by Our Horizon was endorsed last month at the Union of B.C. Municipalities meeting.
