CLIMATE CHANGE: THE PROBLEM
“Earth Provides Enough to Satisfy Every Man’s Needs, but not Every Man’s Greed…”
~ Mahatma Gandhi
Our planet is delicate and fragile environment. Ecosystems around the globe are made up of biodiversity and numerous species that contribute to the balance of our world. Almost every eco-system is at risk, resulting in an unstable state of the Earth’s foundation heading into the future.
Climate Change is essentially the long term shift in balance of the Earth's energy entering our atmosphere versus energy being released into the atmosphere. Simply put - the more energy being released will make our planet cooler, and the more energy entering will make our planet warmer.
Our demand for non-renewable resources and human impact on our beautiful planet has been devastating…and is the largest contribution to climate change.
There is an overwhelming consensus by many of the world’s top scientists, that the increase of the Earth’s temperature since the industrial era boils down to human activity. Practices such as burning coal, gas, oil, cutting down our forests and peatlands, emitting greenhouse gases and many other human activities have contributed to disastrous effects for us and our environment.
Although natural phenomenon occur that contribute to global warming such as volcanic eruptions, seismic activity and the sun’s solar heat, the fact remains, our efforts can make a difference one way or another.
On October 2018, a UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report stated we have 12 years to keep within a range of 1.5-2°C. The risks of global warming increasing beyond this range would be catastrophic.
In, Canada’s Changing Climate Report (CCCR) 2019 the following headlines outline the extreme issues we are facing:
•Canada’s climate has warmed and will warm further in the future, driven by human influence
•Both past and future warming in Canada is, on average, about double the magnitude of global warming
•Oceans surrounding Canada have warmed, become more acidic, and less oxygenated, consistent with observed global ocean changes over the past century
•The effects of widespread warming are evident in many parts of Canada and are projected to intensify in the future
•Precipitation is projected to increase for most of Canada, on average, although summer rainfall may decrease in some areas
•The seasonal availability of freshwater is changing, with an increased risk of water supply shortages in summer
•A warmer climate will intensify some weather extremes in the future
•Canadian areas of the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans have experienced longer and more widespread sea-ice-free conditions
•Coastal flooding is expected to increase in many areas of Canada due to local sea level rise
•The rate and magnitude of climate change under high versus low emission scenarios project two very different futures for Canada
Since 1948, Canada’s average temperature has been estimated to have increased 1.7°C. Northern Canada and the Prairies being even higher at an increased 2.3°C. Canadian winters have also become warmer with a 4.2°C increase in temperature in this time.
Historically, over billions of years, the Earth has never lost when challenged with instability. Rather, it has restored balance through drastic global changes and eliminated threats to its existence.