Canadians Combatting Climate Change Climate change, produced by global warming, is the natural fluctuations in global or regional climate patterns. Global warming affecting this would primarily alter the Earth’s weather patterns to lead into numerous consequences. This worsening issue has affected numerous regions of the world with bizarre events and catastrophes ranging throughout the entire world. Among these regions, Canada is one that is often affected with its Arctic Circle and colder regions altered by the heat of the Earth, what’s worse is the fact that the temperature is also rising. From 1948 to 2013, the average annual temperature of Canada has raised by 1.6 °C (Government of Canada, 2015) with the temperature affecting other factors …show more content…
However, how does Canada compare with a similar country? America, being Canada’s neighbor, also owns a portion of the Great Lakes and shares similar conditions with Canada. Forcing them to face the same issue being the algal blooms of the lakes. These hazards altering the behavior of the environment and the ecosystem itself, algal blooms can cause trophic cascades: when the predators of the food web suppresses the abundance or alters the behavior of their prey (Stephen Carpenter, 2016). This results in dramatic changes in the ecosystem structure and nutrient cycling in the environment. Occurring in Canada as well, the algal bloom in Lake Erie of 2011 and once again last year in 2015 (Scott Sutherland, 2015) this issue is recurring throughout the years, gradually worsening. Canada and America share many similarities, algal blooms affected by temperature (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2016) states that the temperature in the regions are incredibly similar being able to force the same hazards. Just as Canada has, the temperature of the United States of America has increased by roughly 0.65-1.1 °C since 1895 (John Walsh et al., 2014), however, most of this rise occurred during and since the 1970s, the main period when industrialization began. Though it is lower than Canada’s 1.6 °C escalation, it is still an immense change in temperature if the effects were considered. In terms of GHG emissions, America has always been above Canada. Since the 1990s, both countries have had a D rank in GHG emissions, though the US had originally declined the Kyoto protocol, has actually decreased in emissions by 5.2% which still exactly met the Kyoto protocol requirement in 2008 (Anthony Watts, 2013) while Canada who had originally signed the protocol had instead raised their emissions by 24.1% since the
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Show MoreThough there has been a tendency among Canadians to blame former Stephen Harper and his Conservative government for Canada’s poor environmental performance,
(http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/climate-change/projects/race-to-the-top/) Race to the Top is a project that involves the Canadian government as well as the David Suzuki Foundation working together to change climate policies, looking into provincial climate change programs while encouraging them to take their efforts even further. This project is not only working with the government, but with Canadian citizens as well by informing them on the impacts of climate change as well as what they can do to help stop
Now, this can also be changed by Canada’s political aspect.
The federal government of Canada is working with provinces and territories to reach ambitious stated in international agreements and lead the world towards a low-carbon, climate resilient economy. Particularly, for helping more people to adapt the climate change in the world, the government will deliver on Canada’s international climate-finance commitment of $2.65 billion by 2020. This actions could help support the poorest and most vulnerable countries to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change, and help achieve sustained emissions reductions in developing countries. Besides, the government also explores tools related to acquiring internationally transferred mitigation outcomes under the Paris Agreement and engages international partners to ensure that trade rules support climate
Oh my gosh why are they dumping trash in Lake Erie! Did you know that in the 1960’s Lake Erie had an algae problem like it does now. “By the 1960s, Lake Erie had become extremely polluted” (Michael Rotman). In the 1960’s Lake Erie was heavily polluted by industrial pollution from Cleveland and other cities with large or small industries.
This article presents the impact of climate change in the Chesapeake Bay. Scientists predict climate change will increase the water temperatures, CO2 levels, and stream-channels which will affect the Chesapeake 's physical, chemical, and biological processes. Greater CO2 levels will increase the water temperatures and the precipitation amount and precipitation intensity. Excess precipitation will create stream-channels to the bay, and increase the fluxes of NPS sediment, phosphorus pollution, and nitrogen. Stream-channels deliver sediments and nutrients to the bay, driven to non-point sources.
This change in weather has already had negative impacts on tourism and jobs that surround Southeastern Michigan’s wonderful recreational activities, but heavy rainfall can cause sewers to “overflow into Lake Michigan more often, which could pollute beaches in Michigan” (EPA, 2016). Also, the warmer weather year round has caused a decrease in ice cover on The Great Lakes dramatically in the last few years. Since the early 1970s, “winter ice coverage in the Great Lakes has decreased by 63 percent” (EPA, 2016). This causes a change in the time people can do winter activities such as ice skating and ice fishing, creating a change in culture and the reputation Southeastern
An oil development project in Alaska has recently been approved despite the devastating impact it will have on the environment. Zach Brown and Bill McKibben wrote about the project in a Los Angeles Times article “an oil development on Alaska's North Slope that Interior says would release as much as 284 million metric tons of carbon dioxide over its 30-year lifetime, and perhaps more” (Brown and McKibben). The Arctic is responsible for regulating most of the earth's temperatures as ice from arctic regions reflects sunlight into the atmosphere and back into space. However, as the ice melts that light is absorbed into the ocean causing the earth's temperatures to rise and causing the arctic to melt faster. Each decade the ice in the arctic decreases by at least 3% and it is presumed that if the amount of carbon emissions continues to rise all the ice in the arctic will have melted by 2050 (Global Climate Change).
Lake Erie Hurry, Lake Erie needs your help! In 1960 there was severe pollution in Lake Erie and now, 3 years later, the pollution is back and has created an extensive amount of algae. In the 1960s Lake Erie was extremely polluted. “As a result of these pollutants, Lake Erie contained increased levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, which contributed to eutrophication - a process that encourages the development of algal blooms.” (Michael Rotman).
The Great Lakes had many benefits for Canada, which include: the transportation of goods, home for many aquatic species, and the provision of drinking water. Although, the lakes provided a great abundance to Canada they became over polluted after World War two, leading to a challenge Canada had to face. As a result “The Canadian Government became aware of the pollution in the great great lakes, to reduce the problem the Great Lakes Water Quality and Clean Water Act were created.” (www.Great-lakes.net)
Climate change is now recognized as a global issue, which affects ecosystem, human and economy. The impact of changing climate happens everywhere, but Canada has more proactively addressed than other countries due to the geography and diversity. However, government remains some challenges openly. Recently, Catherine McKenna, who is Canada’s minister of environment and climate change, was appointed newly on November 4th (Prystupa, 2015).
Stephen Harper Essay Rough Draft Stephen Harper positively change Canada many ways. Harper cut GST from 7% to 5% over the course of his terms. Harbour conducted many free-trade agreements especially with the European Union Union. Launching consultations for the Canada job grant which would help ensure that Canadians are able to to obtain skills and qualities that are needed to get jobs in high demand fields. What Harpers cut taxes for many Canadians.
Global warming and greenhouse gas emissions are severe problems that have become issues all around the world. Numbers are changing over the years and eventually it will lead to the deterioration of the world. Many people throughout Canada rely on fossil fuels and have adapted to clear cutting forests for their own needs. Consequently this is leading to climate change, ozone layer depletion and the overuse and misuse of water. To prevent these numbers from rising, Canadian citizens and the government have tried reducing their impact on the environment by establishing the Montreal Protocol, using new technologies to manage water consumption, and creating sustainable energy sources.
In Nunavut there is prevailing and widespread belief among hunters that climate changes are already well under way. Here, they now see an alarming melting of sea ice earlier in the spring and a later freeze –up in the fall, all due to global warming. There is now also the appearance of flora and fauna, never before seen in the region. There is widespread general agreement among the population that there are climate changes occurring here now and these changes are becoming a source of growing local concern. Nunavut’s capital Iqaluit, population about 4300, the old Frobisher Bay, is now the largest town in Canada’s entire arctic.
To all fellow tree huggers and hipsters today myself and other hipsters have learned that In the near future global warming will cause the ice in Antarctica and Greenland to melt completely. As (inhales) top scientist (exhales) from India say, that if we don't fix the global warming problem the ocean will over flow due to melting ice In those two locations and will cause the earth to be enclosed in water and will erase the human race from existence unless you can swim. Some solutions that the hippie committee have come up with are to: stop using cars, ban plastic bags & light bulbs, go back to the stone age, vertical farming, cover Greenland with a blanket. we are aware that these solutions may seem a little ridiculous but possible