Date post: | 13-Jul-2015 |
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Upload: | mark-callaghan |
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Climate Change
• Change in the earth’s climate causing an increase in temperature known as “Global Warming”
• Direct cause from Human Activity
– Global temperature has risen 1 degree Celsius over the past 130 years and is on a steep incline unless we take immediate actions to reduce our C02 emissions
Why is C02 relevant?
• Light coloured surfaces such as clouds, ice caps and desert sands reflect 50% of sunrays away from earth while 50% warm the earth
• As reflected long wave radiation exits earth some are captured by C02 which traps the energy, heating the earth
• More C02 results in more sunrays trapped…causing the earth to become warmer
• Fossil fuel is the major contributor of C02
– 1/5 emissions from the manufacturing of products
– 2/5 emissions from residential and commercial electricity production
– 1/5 emissions from deforestation
– 1/5 emissions from transportation
• Humans have contributed 29 BILLION tonnesof C02 from fossil fuels and land use
• We have upset the natural balance and we continue to unnaturally burn fossil fuels
• Our contribution of C02 emissions have put our existence and our earth at a severe risk
Climate change impacts
• Loss of Biodiversity- forests, plants and animals
• Alpine Glaciers and ice sheets shrinking and retreating at an extreme pace
• Arctic Ocean’s ice decreasing 10% per decade• Ocean increasing in temperature• Global sea level rise
– By 2100, 1 meter expected rise displacing millions of people
• Unexpected environment conditions– Extreme wildfires, flooding, heavy stream bank scouring
from extreme rainfall, food and water shortages
Our shrinking forests
• Our climate conditions make it easier for the destructive pine beetle to survive
If you didn’t know that, now you do!
• As much as you don’t want to believe, we have to face the truth
• We are headed towards an irreversible and fatal path
If Climate Change is SO important, what has the Canadian Government done?
• The Canadian Climate change has been an utter FAILURE!
• Our government has put our economy ahead of our future
• Are we not able to establish both?
Kyoto Protocol
• The goal of the protocol is to stabilize Green House Gas emissions to halt a destructive path for humans and our climate
• In 1997, Canadian target set out to the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change to reduce Green House Gas emissions to 6% below 1990 levels by 2012
Canadian Climate Change Failure
• Canada wasn’t able to reduce their emissions by 6%, in fact, emissions increased by 27% between 1990-2012
• Canadian Federal and Provincial Government have abandoned the reduction goal, without withdrawing from the Kyoto Accord
• Canada has fallen to pieces with uncoordinated different objectives, instruments and programs
• Our government is failing our planet!
• Where is our leader for Climate Change Policy– Absent
• Alberta, the veto state– Lobbied against climate change policy
– Conservative government obeys due to their huge economic contribution
– Green initiatives have an extremely hard time becoming a policy due to Alberta’s veto power
• The government’s system is weak and unless the people of Canada do something, we can only blame ourselves
Background Conditions for changing Policy
• Most powerful forces for significant change in policy
• 5 exogenous conditions• 1) Public Opinion• 2) Elections• 3) Economic Conditions• 4) Macro Political system• 5) Other policy sectors
• Without driving forces, nothing will change!
Public Opinion
• People around the world have the capacity to change the way we live
• Boycotts, petitions, protests and elections are simple ways to spread public opinion to our government
• In the late 1990s, Green Peace International targeted industrial consumers of BC forest products and convinced them to find alternative suppliers until Forest practices were more ethical– It was a success and BC forest industry were forced to
change their ways
What is causing us not to change?
• Where we live…far distances, cold winters– Forced to drive, crank the heat for your home
• Capitalism…can’t pass up on making money– Hard to support green plans if your job is a negative force
on climate change policy
• Infrastructure problems…biking across a bridge– Doesn’t make sense to walk/bike in some areas
• Legislation cant get passed for a change in policy– Not enough public support
• New/ethical technology is expensive– Hybrid/electrical cars are far more expensive
Business practices that need to commence now!
• Trading using less/zero fossil fuels
• Factories use more ecological production practices
• Local suppliers
• Green Initiatives
– Agriculture industry to capture methane gas, improve fertilizers, expand research in biomass and city farms
Changing our food habits
• Eating less red meat will reduce our carbon foot print…how?
• Cattle and sheep release methane gas from being grain fed
• Methane is responsible for trapping heat in our atmosphere warming our planet
• Livestock sector is responsible for massive amounts of land degradation, water usage, air pollution and loss of Biodiversity
• With more ecological farming practices such as feeding our animals grass instead of grain reduces our impact on climate change
• Stay away from purchasing foods from places that feed their animals grains or unethical practices
• Remember…Public opinion helps change policies around the world!
All hope is NOT lost• Mitigation: The action of reducing the
severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something
• Adaptation: adjusting to different conditions in order to survive
What are you doing to mitigate our carbon footprint?
• Things to keep in mind:– Walk, bike and use public transit more
– Turn off the lights when you aren't using them
– Buy local and organic foods
– Eat less red meat
– Use energy efficient instruments like solar panels
– Recycle
– Support green movements
– Tell the government what is important to you!
Adapt
• We will have to find ways to adapt to our changing climate
• Prepare ourselves before disasters occur
– Flooding, lack of food/water, pine beetle and many more
• We need to plan for our future to make sure we don’t become extinct like the Neanderthals or some unfortunate animals