Climate Impacts on Water Availability in Canada

 

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The Climate is Changing - Public Presentation

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ACT Releases ‘Climate Change Adaptation and Water Governance’ report

Climate Change Threatens Canada’s Water: Report

Coordinated national and regional water conservation guidelines are required to address the detrimental impact climate change is having on Canada’s water system, according to Simon Fraser University’s Adaptation to Climate Change Team (ACT).
“The days when Canadians take an endless abundance of fresh water for granted are numbered,” warns Bob Sandford, lead author of ACT’s new report Climate Change Adaptation and Water Governance.  “Increasing average temperatures, climate change impacts on weather patterns and extensive changes in land use are seriously affecting the way water moves through the hydrological cycle in many parts of Canada, which is seriously impacting water quantity and quality.”
“If Canada doesn’t become a water conservation society, water security in many parts of this country will be compromised.” Read more

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Climate change and population growth

More and more people are migrating to our area and this is changing the land. Do you ever wonder how this impacts our community forests and whether we can still aim at being sustainable? Come hear experts discuss different scenarios for the future of our land and community forests.

WHAT: Dr Romella Glorioso, renowned landscape and strategic planner, will present multiple scenarios to address how Climate Change and the migration of more and more people to our area, affect Community Forests. She will discuss how local forest planning and land use will be impacted and whether we can be sustainable.

After the talk, a panel of forestry and sustainability experts will tie Dr. Glorioso's ideas to what is happening locally.

WHEN: September 22, 7:00 pm.

WHERE: Schubert Centre, 3505 30 Ave, Vernon.

This is sponsored by SENS. Entrance if free and everyone is welcome.

For more information please contact me at 250-547-0272 or Julia Lissau at 250-542-0892

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Public Forum “Redirecting Progress”

- Immediate PRESS RELEASE –

April 13, 2010

The rapid pace of climate change is forcing governments around the world to take action.

Professor Kenneth Carlaw of UBC Okanagan is helping them formulate plans to mitigate the worst calamities of food shortage, drought, inundation, migration, pandemics. “Those of us working on the ‘Climate Justice Project’ believe the preponderance of climate science, which demonstrates that today’s rapid change in climate is fueled by our unprecedented emission of post industrial greenhouse gases. The majority of GHG results from burning fossil fuels. That means we must de-carbonize future industrial production & consumer consumption”, professor Carlaw told an audience in Armstrong attending a Public Forum, Sunday, on ‘The Economy & Towns in Transition’.

BC’s industrial output is based on resource extracting industries, transportation & manufacturing that emit high amounts of GHG. Reducing BC’s carbon footprint will require technological change in these industries. Government must also create policies to encourage value-added products that can be shipped with less bulk, shorter distances for both export & domestic consumption, professor Carlaw explained.

“Responding to climate change could produce more ‘green jobs’; jobs that provide decent, well paying, creative work with social benefits, while minimizing GHG emissions”, he said. “The boom-to-bust cycle of many BC communities is unhealthy for workers’ families, bad for the environment, & not sustainable. Governments need to plan for long term growth in a future low carbon economy”. How we produce energy & whether it is owned by the public, individual homeowners or private industry will have an important impact on future wellbeing.

Consumers ultimately have the power to drive industry toward carbon neutral production & distribution systems. By demanding high quality, locally produced goods with a reduced carbon footprint, professor Carlaw believes consumers can lead the transition to green jobs & sustainable living. This may mean “Less is best” or “Growth is OK”. The point is; “Consumer choices matter”.

While change is difficult, professor Carlaw warns that personal & industrial habits must adapt quickly to avoid the worst effects of climate change. “Humans love to solve problems. Engineers, scientists, construction workers, nurses, etc are trained to solve problems. But governments need to set policies that facilitate change in coherent & meaningful ways. They need to decide what sectors of the economy should grow & how to make it happen”.

Professor Carlaw spoke Sunday, April 11, 2010, at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Armstrong, following The Annual General Meeting of the Okanagan-Shuswap Green Party.

CONTACT: Greig Crockett; 250-260-5877; clhull@telus.net

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