August 13th, 2009
While Premiers Fuddled Around, the Forest Burned
Anil Kanji
Last week in Regina , Canada’s premiers blew a valuable opportunity to confront the climate crisis head on. Rick Smith from Environmental Defense did a great job of outlining our hopes for the Council of the Federation: Mainly that Quebec, Ontario, and other pro-clean energy provinces should have spoken up against Alberta and Saskatchewan, who want to profit from old, dirty technologies by exploiting the tar sands. The Council avoided any contention, instead releasing a lukewarm statement on the climate, saying just that Canada “would be well served to work with the United States on a continental approach.” Regina could have been used to redefine Canada’s wealth, highlighting a wealth of green jobs available in a a clean energy economy. Instead it was a failed opportunity, and a symbol of the short-sighted approach to addressing climate change in this country.
It’s not as though we are immune to climate impacts - every day we feel them more and more. Take forest fires - although they are actually supposed to be a natural part of the Boreal ecosystem, they’re becoming more intense and more frequent, with over 580 new fires this week. Aside from the cost of fighting the fires (currently $3-5million per day in BC alone), and the risk to human populations, there’s also the carbon feedback loop, discussed in our report Turning Up the Heat: “As global temperatures continue to warm, the trend toward more frequent, longer, more intense fires in parts of the Boreal is projected to continue, driving the vicious circle wherein global warming causes carbon to be released from the forest, and the carbon that’s released worsens global warming.” Another forest-related impact is the increase of insect outbreaks - insects that would have traditionally died off during the cold winter months are now surviving the warmer winters, and increasing in population to an extent that they’re causing severe damage, such as the ongoing mountain pine beetle outbreak in the western provinces of British Columbia and Alberta.
Outside of the forests, another impact that caught my eye this week was this report on the possible correlation between warmer temperatures and a decreased salmon population in the Fraser river, one of Canada’s biggest producers of the fish. Increased water temperatures cause salmon to die before spawning, which in turn disrupts the feeding habits of bears and eagles. Still other studies show how warming waters lead to smaller fish.
And finally, one more high-profile impact that’s regularly making headlines is drought across the Prairies, including Alberta’s worst in 80 years. And the worst is yet to come, as records show that the frequency and severity of droughts are increasing.
There are so many impacts already being felt by Canadians, making the news every day. Has the government given up on mitigation, leaving painful adaptation to a new generation? Drop your MP a line, demanding real action on climate change, now.
While Premiers Fuddled Around, the Forest Burned
Categories: Agriculture, Climate Defenders, Forests, Greenpeace, KYOTOplus, Oceans, Out of Stock
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August 14th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
What in the world does “continental approach” mean!? Let’s make the MP’s start doing their job!
August 14th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I agree with Greenpeace. We MUST stop climarte change…NOW.
Sincerely,
Eunice de Gruchy
Chateauguay
August 15th, 2009 at 10:59 am
I AGREE WITH GREENPEACE MY CONGRATULATION!
ROBSON RAFAEL DE FREITAS
BRASIL, RIO GRANDE DO NORTE
August 15th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Thank you for fighting our battle.
London, Ontario, Canada.
August 15th, 2009 at 11:57 am
In Canada, drought and forest fires in the West, cool wet weather in the East, torrential rains and flooding in the Far East and our public servants can see a possible correlation due to climate change. Wow! how clever and insightful…! How soon can we vote these clowns out of office? Where are our opposition parties and what do they have to say?
August 15th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
This is so frustrating. If Alberta and Saskatchewan would at least agree to stop new development until more sustainable ways of obtaining the oil could be implemented. If Alberta - home of the Chinook wind - would implement the kind of wind farms this area is capable of sustaining, this could be turned around. If there’s one thing countries like Germany and the United States are showing us - leadership makes the difference. Now is not the time to sit back and say nothing can be done. Let’s make sure to support people who are working for change.
August 17th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Good for you, Greenpeacers for making yourselves seen & heard in such a visible, dramatic way in Regina. May our leaders begin listening & acting now in response to your truth-telling!
August 17th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
I wonder if Stephen Harper ever reads Greenpeace. I would like to forward one of their News letters if I could find his e-mail address.
August 18th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Thanks Norma - you can email him at: HarpeS@parl.gc.ca
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:26 pm
It seems extremely likely that the correct email address for the Prime Minister is HarperS@parl.gc.ca rather than the inadvertently shortened version given above.
i.e.: you dropped the r in Harper by mistake? I don’t know if the upper case letters are necessary either?
Best wishes to everyone who takes the time to email anyone at the federal or provincial levels. Activism takes a little energy but how else do you achieve unease in high-level politicians but by getting up-their-grill and explicating clearly to them that you won’t be put to sleep by their trite dialogues and managed processes. The commercial media will let us trivialize the urgency of the climate predicament; they’ll give it equal status to the daily role-call of human pursuits and mishaps, but this issue is logarithmically immense in magnitude. Dissent based on knowledge is a hallmark of a responsible adult life.