CLIMATE CHAOS & CO2 UPDATE

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (July 29, 2022)

Hope: Northland Power is proposing a major project to convert the Marmora Mine property into a 400-megawatt pumped storage facility. The project would commit the site to long term clean energy production. Pumped storage stores and generates electricity by pumping water into an upper reservoir when energy demand and rates are low and then allows it to flow down through the same pump/generator system to generate electricity when it is needed by the grid. If approved, the facility would offer instantaneous power, providing important support for Ontario’s grid. See https://tinyurl.com/yc7bsbkb

Upcoming events: On August 8 at 7 pm, Jacob Rodenburg will be the guest speaker at 4RG Meets. Rodenburg is an award-winning educator and Executive Director of Camp Kawartha. He will help you refresh your connection to nature by introducing you to a whole suite of activities from his new book “The Book of Nature Connection: 70 Sensory Activities For All Ages”. From creating micro-trails to “drawing sound”, he will explain how to bring all of your senses into play. Register for this Zoom event at https://tinyurl.com/3nhnm6fm

Carbon dioxide: The atmospheric CO2 reading for the week ending July 23 was 418.43parts per million (ppm), compared to 417.14 ppm a year ago. The highest level deemed safe for the planet is 350 ppm. Rising CO2 means more climate chaos and increasingly severe storms ahead.

Take action: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (July 8, 2022)

Alarm: On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court restricted the ability of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate greenhouse gases. It upended decades of legal doctrine by ruling that Congress, on major issues, has to legislate specific direction for the EPA. Similar court-ordered restrictions might be applied to tougher methane emission rules that the EPA is writing up. This is very bad news because it seems to reject any wide-reaching regulatory attempt in the U.S. to deal with climate change. See https://tinyurl.com/nhdhb7dt

Carbon dioxide: The atmospheric CO2 reading for the week ending July 3 was 420.31 parts per million (ppm), compared to 418.14 ppm a year ago. Rising CO2 means more climate chaos and increasingly severe storms ahead.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (July 2, 2022)

Alarm: New data reveals that extraordinary global heating is now occurring in the Arctic, up to seven times faster than the global average. Temperatures in the Barents Sea region are “off the scale.” The heating is occurring in the North Barents Sea, a region where fast rising temperatures are suspected to trigger increases in extreme weather in North America, Europe and Asia.

The research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, said the heating in this region was an early warning of what could happen across the rest of the Arctic. The new figures show annual average temperatures in the area are rising across the year by up to 2.7C a decade, with particularly high rises in the months of autumn of up to 4C a decade. This makes the North Barents Sea and its islands the fastest warming place known on Earth. See https://tinyurl.com/2yey4frx https://bit.ly/3zUTVxj

Climate science basics: If you want to brush up on your understanding of the science of climate change, I recommend checking out Scott McKinlay’s recent talk at 4RGMeets. A former physics teacher, McKinlay clarifies the facts, de-bunks the fiction, outlines the repercussions, empowers effective action, and nurtures a sense of hope about the challenges of climate change. Go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca and click on 4RGMeets. You’ll also find a host of other climate-related presentations, including how climate change is affecting nature and gardening in the Kawarthas.

Carbon dioxide: The atmospheric CO2 reading for the week ending June 25 was 420.87 parts per million (ppm), compared to 418.62 ppm a year ago. The highest level deemed safe for the planet is 350 ppm. The steady upward trend in atmospheric CO2 continues: Pre-industrial (280 ppm), 1912 (300), 1988 (350), 2010 (390), 2014 (400), and 2020 (413). Rising CO2 means more climate chaos and increasingly severe storms ahead.

Take action: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (June 24, 2022)

Alarm: According to a new study, nearly half of the world’s existing fossil fuel production sites need to be shut down early if global heating is to be limited to 1.5C, the internationally agreed goal for avoiding climate catastrophe,. The new research reaches this conclusion by not assuming that new technologies will be able to remove the necessary amounts of CO₂from the atmosphere to compensate for the burning of coal, oil and gas. Experts say relying on such technologies is a risky gamble. See https://bit.ly/3zUTVxj

Upcoming events: To mark the anniversary of last summer’s Heat Dome in British Columbia which killed 619 people, communities across the country will be demonstrating on June 29 to hold our government accountable. Meet at the MNR building on Water Street at 11:00 am to call for Just Transition legislation and accelerated action for the shift off of fossil fuels. Sign up on the 350.org website at https://tinyurl.com/eaz77f9s .

Carbon dioxide: The atmospheric CO2 reading for the week ending June 18 was 421.03 parts per million (ppm), compared to 419.00 ppm a year ago. The highest level deemed safe for the planet is 350 ppm. Rising CO2 means more climate chaos and increasingly severe storms ahead.

Take action: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (June 10, 2022)

Hope: Zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) registrations in Canada hit 8.3 per cent in the first quarter (Q1) of 2022. British Columbia and Quebec, the two provinces providing a financial incentive for the purchase of these vehicles in addition to the federal incentive, had the largest percentage of ZEV sales. ZEV registrations in B.C. in Q1 2022 made up 17.1 per cent of the total market share of new vehicle registrations, up from 13.5 per cent in Q1 2021. Quebec saw zero-emission vehicle market share rise to 13.6 per cent in Q1, up from 8.6 per cent in 2021. See https://tinyurl.com/yc7jujdy

Upcoming events: On June 13 at 7 pm, Scott McKinlay will be the guest speaker at 4RG Meets. In his talk entitled Climate Science Basics and Beyond, McKinlay will help clarify the facts and de-bunk the fiction around climate science. He will also outline the impacts of climate change, empower effective action, and hopefully nurture a sense of optimism. McKinlay is a lifetime naturalist, former physics and science teacher, and is currently on the board of For Our Grandchildren, a local climate action group. Register for this Zoom event by emailing 4rgmeets@gmail.com

Carbon dioxide: The atmospheric CO2 reading for the week ending May 29 was 421.63 parts per million (ppm), compared to 419.53 ppm a year ago. The highest level deemed safe for the planet is 350 ppm. Rising CO2 means more climate chaos and increasingly severe storms ahead.

Take action: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (June 3, 2022)

New science: Slashing emissions of carbon dioxide by itself won’t be enough to prevent catastrophic global warming, a new study shows. However, if we simultaneously also reduce emissions of gases such as methane we could cut the rate of global warming in half by 2050 and give the world a fighting chance. The study is the first to assess the comparative impacts of cutting emissions of a broad range of climate pollutants versus targeting only carbon dioxide. The new research shows that focusing our efforts almost exclusively on cutting CO2 emissions can no longer prevent global temperatures from rising above pre-industrial levels by 1.5 degree centigrade. See https://tinyurl.com/bkx4e9be

Carbon dioxide: The atmospheric CO2 level hit an all-time high last week. The reading for the week ending May 28 was 421.46 parts per million (ppm), compared to 418.76 ppm a year ago. The highest level deemed safe for the planet is 350 ppm. Rising CO2 means more climate chaos and severe storms ahead.

Take action: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (May 20, 2022)

Hope: According to Kingsmill Bond, an international energy analysist, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means that global demand for fossil fuels has very likely peaked — for good. Putin’s war has brought instability, violence, and human tragedy on a massive scale with effects rippling across the world. The crisis has led to a huge increase in the cost of fossil fuels. High prices drive a reaction. “The twin forces of national security and energy economics are driving permanent system change away from fossil fuels quicker than ever,” according to Bond. Fossil fuel importing countries everywhere (80 percent of the world’s population) fear that, like Europe, they too could one day fall out with their fossil fuel supplier. See https://tinyurl.com/2p8xvc3p

Carbon dioxide: The atmospheric CO2 reading for the week ending May 14 was 421.13 parts per million (ppm), compared to 418.34 ppm a year ago. The highest level deemed safe for the planet is 350 ppm. Rising CO2 means more climate chaos ahead.

Take action: People often say there’s nothing they can do as individuals about climate change. Well, there is. How you vote on June 2 is vitally important. For a detailed look at party platforms, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on Ontario Provincial Election Actions. You’ll also find other personal actions you can take to help elect a local candidate whose party puts environmental protection front and centre. Hint: It’s not the Conservatives.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (May 13, 2022)

Alarm: Hundreds of millions of people in large parts of India and Pakistan have been suffering a deadly heat wave for nearly two months. At least 25 people have been killed in India, and more than 65 in Pakistan, but the true numbers are expected to be higher. Northwest and central India faced its hottest April in 122 years. New Delhi saw temperatures topping 43 C. These temperatures are considered a snapshot of what’s in store for the region as climate change worsens. See https://tinyurl.com/2×926967
Upcoming events: On Saturday, May 14 from 9 am to 3 pm, a “Trees for Canopy Conservation” event will be held at Beavermead Park. Learn about planting and caring for trees and how trees help in the fight against climate change. This is an event for the whole family with crafts and entertainment by The Paddling Puppeteer.
Carbon dioxide: The atmospheric CO2 reading for the week ending May 7 was 420.18 parts per million (ppm), compared to 419.81 ppm a year ago. The highest level deemed safe for the planet is 350 ppm. The steady upward trend in atmospheric CO2 continues: Pre-industrial (280 ppm), 1912 (300), 1988 (350), 2010 (390), 2014 (400), and 2020 (413). Rising CO2 means more climate chaos ahead.
Take action: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on an ACTION button.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (May 7, 2022)

Hope: Clean energy spending earmarked by governments in response to the Covid-19 crisis has risen by 50% over the past five months and now stands at over USD 710 billion worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This level of short-term government spending keeps the door open for the IEA’s global pathway to net zero emissions by 2050. See https://tinyurl.com/yc2yv2c6
Upcoming events: On May 9 from 7 to 8 pm, Deborah Pearson will speak at 4RG Meets. She will explain how to make your yard more resilient to weather extremes and discuss practices to support biodiversity and reduce your carbon footprint. Register by emailing 4rgmeets@gmail.com.
Carbon dioxide: The atmospheric CO2 reading for the week ending April 30 was 420.19 parts per million (ppm), compared to 419.68 ppm just one year ago. The highest level deemed safe for the planet is 350 ppm. The steady upward trend in atmospheric CO2 continues: Pre-industrial (280 ppm), 1912 (300), 1988 (350), 2010 (390), 2014 (400), and 2020 (413). Rising CO2 means more heating and climate chaos ahead.
Take action: We need to do everything we can to assure that on June 2 we elect a government that puts action on climate and environmental protection front and centre. It is NOT Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives. Go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on Ontario Provincial Election Actions for a list of things you can do right now.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (April 22, 2022)

Alarm: The latest UN climate report says huge carbon emission cuts are still needed. We have the technology, but the necessary reductions are not being made. Unless countries step up their efforts to cut emissions, the planet will, on average, be 2.4 to 3.5 C warmer by 2100. This is far above the 1.5 C level at which climate-related risks to human health, livelihoods, food security, and general well-being will all increase dramatically. See https://tinyurl.com/245rf4kj
Upcoming events: On May 9 from 7 to 8 pm, Deborah Pearson will speak at 4RG Meets. She will explain how to make your yard more resilient to weather extremes and discuss practices to support biodiversity and reduce your carbon footprint. Register by emailing 4rgmeets@gmail.com
Carbon dioxide: The atmospheric CO2 reading for the week ending April 16 was a record-high 420.16 parts per million (ppm), compared to 419.00 ppm just one year ago. The highest level deemed safe for the planet is 350 ppm. The steady upward trend in atmospheric CO2 continues: Pre-industrial (280 ppm), 1912 (300), 1988 (350), 2010 (390), 2014 (400), and 2020 (413).
Take action: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on an ACTION button.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (February 18, 2022)

HOPE: The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) has committed to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. CPP Investments manages over $550 billion of our pension savings on behalf of all Canadians outside of Quebec. While our national pension fund should be looking out for our best interests, until last week it had refused to set an emissions reduction goal in line with a climate-safe future. The CPP has finally joined four other public Canadian pension funds in taking this small first step. However, it stopped short of committing to any blanket divestments. See tinyurl.com/4dn524mn
UPCOMING EVENTS: On March 14 at 7 pm, 4RG Meets welcomes Dorothy Taylor, an Elder and Knowledge Keeper from Curve Lake First Nation. Her presentation will focus on the sacredness of water and the benefits of working together to help Mother Earth. Register by emailing 4rgmeets@gmail.com
Carbon dioxide: The atmospheric CO2 reading for the week ending February 12 was 418.38 parts per million (ppm), compared to 417.04 ppm just one year ago. The highest level deemed safe for the planet is 350 ppm. The steady upward trend in atmospheric CO2 continues: Pre-industrial (280 ppm), 1912 (300), 1988 (350), 2010 (390), 2014 (400), and 2020 (413).
TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on an ACTION button.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (February 11, 2022)

ALARM: The frightening rise of right-wing populism in much of the world is a clear and present danger for global action on climate change. Nor is Canada immune. What’s happened in Ottawa is just one example. Many populists completely reject the idea of human-caused global heating. They also repudiate decarbonization policies like carbon taxes and global initiatives such as the Paris Agreement. They see these measures as an elitist attack on the lives of ordinary people. The new brand of “freedom-loving” populists don’t even believe in expert opinion. Climate policy, like vaccines and pandemic restrictions, are seen through the lens of government curtailing our freedoms. For the future of this planet, we must push back against populism at every opportunity.
CO2: The atmospheric CO2 reading for the week ending February 5 was 419.19 parts per million (ppm), compared to 416.89 ppm just one year ago. The highest level deemed safe for the planet is 350 ppm. The steady upward trend in atmospheric CO2 continues: Pre-industrial (280 ppm), 1912 (300), 1988 (350), 2010 (390), 2014 (400), and 2020 (413).
TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on an ACTION button.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (February 4, 2022)

ALARM: Doug Ford and the PCs haven’t just stalled on climate action; they’ve been actively hostile. As just one example, Ford cancelled Ontario’s cap-and-trade program which led to the scrapping of numerous green initiatives like rebates for electric vehicles. Now, internal government forecasts reveal that the Ford government is nowhere near to achieving Ontario’s greenhouse gas emission-reduction targets. Present “committed policies” will achieve less than 20 per cent of the targeted cuts, and future policies like building Highway 413 will actually increase emissions by putting more cars on the road. See https://tinyurl.com/2p9a6xyw

CO2: A key measure of how much climate progress the world is making is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere. The highest level deemed safe for the planet is 350 ppm. Key past readings: Pre-industrial (280 ppm), 1912 (300), 1988 (350), 2010 (390), 2014 (400), and 2020 (413).

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on an ACTION button.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (January 11, 2022)

ALARM: In a report published Jan. 10 by the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, last year was the world’s fifth hottest on record. Levels of planet-warming carbon dioxide (see tracker below) and methane in the atmosphere also hit new highs in 2021. The report also stated that the last seven years were the world’s warmest “by a clear margin” in records dating back to 1850. The hottest years on record were 2020 and 2016. In Peterborough, 8 of 12 months in 2021 were warmer than the 1971-2000 normal. In fact, this same 2:1 ratio of warmer-than-average vs cooler-than-average months is true for the past 11 years. Among the warmest months in 2021 in Peterborough were January (3.3 C warmer), November (5 C warmer), and December (4 C warmer). None of the three cooler-than-average months were more than 0.8 C cooler.
CO2: A key measure of how much climate progress the world is making is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere and whether it is rising. The pre-industrial level was 280 ppm and the highest level deemed safe is 350 ppm. The graphic below shows the alarming current readings.
TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on an ACTION button.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (January 7, 2022)

RECOMMENDATIONS: I recently finished reading a truly inspiring climate fiction novel called “The Ministry for the Future” by Kim Stanley Robinson. This work of a growing literary genre called “cli-fi” inspires both hope and action. Set in the near future, it is both a story of how climate change will affect us in the years to come but also how people everywhere can come together to address this extraordinary challenge – mostly using solutions that exist already. Desperate and hopeful in equal measure, it’s probably the most original and impactful book on climate change I’ve ever read.

I also found time over Christmas to watch the Netflix movie “Don’t Look Up” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Although the threat to humanity is actually a comet bearing down on earth, the movie is very much an allegory of the obstacles we are facing up when it comes to action on climate change: the unwillingness in much of the media to tell hard truths, the non-stop distractions delivered via social media, and politicians mostly focused on winning elections. Being more aware of what serious climate action is up against – and demanding change on these fronts – is vitally important in moving forward.

CO2: A key measure of how much climate progress the world is making is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere and whether it is rising. The pre-industrial level was 280 ppm and the highest level deemed safe is 350 ppm. The graphic below shows the disturbing current readings.

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on an ACTION button.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (December 17, 2022)

PETERBOROUGH OFFICIAL PLAN: The City has enshrined climate change mitigation and adaptation into its new Official Plan. Here’s some of the ways: 1. By increasing the density of living accommodation, including infilling where possible, more mid-rise and high-rise buildings, and encouraging “complete communities”, in order to get more people within walking or cycling distance of amenities such as grocery stores. 2. By encouraging more energy-efficient buildings, on-site renewable energy, and district energy systems. 3. By flood-proofing buildings and infrastructure. 4. By protecting and enhancing the City’s urban forest. 5. By reducing heat-island effects with more vegetation and by using light-coloured paving and roofs to reflect more of the sun’s radiation back into space.
CO2: A key measure of how much climate progress the world is making is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere and whether it is rising. The pre-industrial level was 280 ppm and the highest level deemed safe is 350 ppm.

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on an ACTION button.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (December 10, 2021)

HOPE: According to a new International Energy Association Report (IEA) report, renewable electricity growth is accelerating faster than ever worldwide. Renewables are set to account for almost 95% of the increase in global power capacity through 2026, with solar PV alone providing more than half. See https://tinyurl.com/y6f5ubxp

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on an ACTION button.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (December 3, 2021)

Quotes to inspire action:
“When you are taking action for climate, it’s not for climate change, it’s for you. It’s for your family, it’s for everything you love, everyone you love, every place that you love – that’s why you’re doing it.” – Katharine Hayhoe, Canadian climate scientist
“Action is the antidote to despair.” – Edward Abbey
“Climate change isn’t an “issue” to add to the list of things to worry about, next to health care and taxes. It is a civilizational wake-up call. ” – Naomi Klein
“The earth is not dying. It is being killed, and the people killing it have names and addresses.”– Bruce Duncan Phillips
“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” – Albert Einstein

CO2 ppm: A key measure of how much climate progress the world is making is the amount of CO2 in parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere and whether it is rising. The pre-industrial level was 280 ppm and the highest level deemed safe is 350 ppm.

Take action: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on the ACTION buttons.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (November 19, 2021)

COP 26: Despite a weaker than hoped for statement to “phase down” rather than “phase out” coal, the final COP 26 climate summit agreement does include resolutions that show progress. For example, it sets an expectation that countries will quickly update their emissions-reductions pledges to put them in line with keeping global heating to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial times. Present commitments put the planet on course to hit 1.5 C by 2040 (heating is now at 1.1 C) and soar past 2 C in the following decades. According to the Globe and Mail editorial of Nov. 10, “To combat climate heating requires a never-before-seen level of global cooperation. The world has not been able to overcome domestic self-interest, but it has moved relatively quickly in a short amount of time.” COP 27 will be held next year in Egypt.
CO2 ppm: A key measure of how much climate progress the world is making is the amount of CO2 in parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere and whether it is rising. The pre-industrial level was 280 ppm and the highest level deemed safe is 350 ppm.
Take action: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on the ACTION buttons.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE (November 12, 2021)

COP 26 update:

Over 100 world leaders have agreed to reverse deforestation by 2030. Crucially, Brazil is among the signatories.
More than 90 nations, representing two-thirds of the global economy – have committed to reduce methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030.
Forty-six countries have signed an agreement to phase out existing coal-fuelled power plants and stop building new ones. However, Australia, India, the US, and China have not yet committed.
India has announced that it intends to generate half its electricity from renewables by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2070. Most observers consider this significant, given the huge challenges the country faces.
Despite the commitments countries have made, they’re not enough to avoid disastrous levels of global heating. Temperature rise is still on course to reach 2 C by 2050 and top 2.4C by the end of the century, according to the highly respected Climate Action Tracker coalition. Remember, the goal is to limit warming to 1.5 C.

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on the ACTION buttons.

CLIMATE CHAOS UPDATE – November 2, 2021

REMEMBER:

To avoid horrific climate chaos, we must limit global heating to 1.5 C. We’re at 1.1 C. Emissions are climbing. We’re heading to 2 C by 2050.
The key measure is how much CO2 in parts per million (ppm) is in the atmosphere. The highest safe level is 350 ppm.

COP 26: Although the climate summit in Glasgow has so far failed to achieve the ground-breaking emissions agreement it was hoping for, there has been progress. 1. The financial community has committed to weaning the global economy off fossil fuels. According to former Bank of England Governor, Mark Carney, the money is there and totals $130 trillion US. This includes the resources of asset managers, pension funds, banks, and insurance companies from around the world. 2. More than 100 world leaders have promised to end and reverse deforestation by 2030. The countries who have signed the pledge include Canada, Brazil, Russia, China, Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the US. Together, they represent 85% of the world’s forests.

EVENTS: On Nov. 8, at 7 pm, I will be speaking at 4RG Meets on how climate change is affecting nature in the Kawarthas. 4RG Meets are monthly meetings for anyone seeking an understanding and effective response to the climate crisis. Each meet consists of a 25 minute presentation followed by a question period. Email 4RGmeets@gmail.com for a Zoom link.

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/. Click on “This Month’s Action” or “Find Another Action for Today.”

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – October 22, 2021

On October 31, only 9 days from now, the all important COP26 climate summit will begin in Glasgow.

ALARM: The enormous, unprecedented pain and turmoil caused by the climate crisis is often discussed alongside what can seem like surprisingly small temperature increases – 1.5C or 2C hotter than it was in the era just before the car replaced the horse and cart.
These temperature thresholds will again be the focus of COP26 summit as countries variously dawdle or scramble to avert climate catastrophe. But the single digit numbers obscure the huge ramifications at stake. “We have built a civilization based on a world that doesn’t exist anymore,” as Katharine Hayhoe, a Canadian climate scientist at Texas Tech University puts it. The world has already heated up by around 1.2C, on average, since the preindustrial era, breaking many of the safe boundaries for a stable climate as dictated by physics and chemistry.

I’m now including a CO2 parts per million graphic in my column each week. (Mike McGee at CO2.earth)

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – October 15, 2021

On November 1, only 17 days from now, COP26 will begin in Glasgow. This climate summit of the world’s nations may be the last opportunity to coordinate the required global action to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

ALARM:Nearly six in 10 young people, aged 16 to 25, are very or extremely worried about the climate crisis. This was a key finding of the biggest scientific study yet on climate anxiety and young people, published on Sept. 14. A similar number said governments were not protecting them, the planet, or future generations, and felt betrayed by the older generation and governments. Four in 10 are also hesitant to have children. Earlier this month, UNICEF found that 1 billion children around the world are at “extreme risk” from the impacts of climate breakdown. To read more, go to https://tinyurl.com/4984tn96

HOPE: Canada’s largest single-profession pension plan plans to slash the carbon emissions intensity of its investments by 45% by 2025 and by two-thirds by 2030 from its 2019 baseline. See https://tinyurl.com/ncjchn54

EVENTS: On Nov. 8, at 7 pm, I will be speaking at 4RG Meets about how climate change is affecting nature in the Kawarthas. 4RG Meets are monthly meetings for anyone seeking an understanding and effective response to the climate crisis. Each meet consists of a 25 minute presentation followed by a question period. Email 4RGmeets@gmail.com for a Zoom link.

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/. Click on “This Month’s Action” or “Find Another Action for Today.”

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – September 24, 2021

In only 37 days, COP26 will begin in Glasgow. This climate summit of the world’s nations may be the last opportunity to coordinate the drastic mitigation measures that humanity’s future requires.

ALARM: A recent article from the David Suzuki Foundation at https://tinyurl.com/4fvjv5c2 explains how climate-altering negligence is endangering the world’s children. Most people try to keep their children and grandchildren safe and wouldn’t knowingly put them at risk. Maybe that’s why some ignore or downplay the climate crisis. It’s easier than admitting that, by our actions, we’re condemning those we love to an increasingly uncertain future. A new UNICEF report and “Children’s Climate Risk Index” show that almost half the world’s children — one billion — live in countries where they face “extremely high risk” from climate chaos and other environmental havoc.

HOPE: On September 7, Climateaction.org reported that Amazon and The Nature Conservancy have launched the “Agroforestry and Restoration Accelerator.” The initiative will focus on reforestation and regenerative agroforestry in the Amazon rainforest, removing up to 10 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions through 2050. The initial investment will support 3,000 farmers and restore approximately 20,000 hectares within three years. See https://tinyurl.com/3ybvpmke

ACTION: To see ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/. Click on “This Month’s Action” or “Find Another Action for Today”.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – September 17, 2021

In only 44 days, COP26 will begin in Glasgow. This climate summit of the world’s nations may be the last opportunity to coordinate the drastic mitigation action called for in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released this summer.

ALARM: It’s impossible to exaggerate how serious the climate crisis has become. The IPCC’s “code red for humanity” report from August 9 stated in the starkest terms possible that Earth is on the precipice of runaway, uncontrollable heating. Without unprecedented international action, we will continue our course towards nightmarish climate catastrophe for the entire planet.

ACTION: The most important climate action anyone can take right now is to vote with climate change top of mind. That means voting for a party that not only promises aggressive emission reductions but also has the best plan to make it happen. Given all that’s at stake, other considerations in how we vote really do have to take a back seat. For me, this means voting Liberal. I believe they have the best climate policies, an opinion shared by many experts. Highly respected climate policy academic Mark Jaccard of Simon Fraser University as well as the editorial board of the Globe and Mail give the Liberal plan top marks. As for what the Conservatives are proposing, their emissions reduction target of 30 per cent by 2030 is simply unacceptable, as is their poorly crafted carbon tax. A goal of 30 per cent flies in the face of what the science deems necessary, especially considering the COP26 summit in which countries are expected to greatly increase their ambitions – not keep them the same.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – August 27, 2021

On Nov. 1, only 65 days from now, the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) will begin in Glasgow. This climate summit of more than 190 nations is possibly the last opportunity to agree upon and co-ordinate the required global action to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

ALARM: A new report suggests that Canada’s biggest public pensions are still investing heavily in fossil fuels. The Canadian Pension Plan’s (CPP Investments) total fossil fuel investments across its entire portfolio have increased from $9.9 billion in 2016 to $11.6 billion in 2020, according to the report by Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). Quebec’s pension plan, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, reduced its investments in fossil fuel stocks by 14 per cent between 2016 and 2020 but still has 52 per cent more fossil fuel shares than CPP Investments. James Rowe, the lead researcher of the report, said that “Regardless of what steps you may be taking for the climate, the CPP is undermining them with these dirty investments made on our behalf and without our consent.” See https://tinyurl.com/7xyyekjc

HOPE: On Aug. 5, U.S. President Joe Biden announced much stricter auto emissions standards. The administration is seeking a fleetwide improvement in passenger vehicle fuel economy averaging 6.1 per cent annually from 2023 through 2026. Biden also signed an executive order setting a goal for zero-emissions vehicles to make up 50 per cent of new-car sales by 2030, up from two per cent in 2020. See https://tinyurl.com/ktv7x644

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https:// forourgrandchildren.ca/. Scroll down and click on “This Month’s Action” or “Find Another Action You Can Take Today.” Remember, one of the most important thing you can do is TALK about it with friends, family, and over social media.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – August 13, 2021

On Nov. 1, only 79 days from now, COP26 will begin in Glasgow. This climate summit of the world’s nations is a “now or never” opportunity to co-ordinate much more aggressive global action to bring the planet as we know it back from the brink.

ALARM: On Monday, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a code red warning on the climate catastrophe humanity is facing. In a report based on eight years of new data, the IPCC states that without a radical reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, global heating will have unimaginably grave consequences for everyone on this planet. This summer’s climate chaos is providing a frightening glimpse of what’s in store. The report also said that human activity is unequivocally the cause. So, what are we to do with this terrifying information? First, it’s not about saving the planet; it’s about saving us. Nor is it about sinking into despair or, even worse, believing that small, personal lifestyle changes combined with yet-tobe invented technologies will save us. What we need to do is get angry and demand a much shorter timeline for eliminating fossil fuels. Governments respond to pressure, but the public has to demand it. Here’s where each one of us come in. Politicians at all levels need to be hearing “Your meagre efforts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions are no longer acceptable!” But, even now at the last minute, far too many of us are remaining silent.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – August 6, 2021

In only 85 days, COP26 will begin in Glasgow. This climate summit of the world’s nations is a ‘now or never’ opportunity to coordinate much more aggressive global action to bring the planet as we know it back from the brink.

ALARM: I was thinking this week about the countless hours we spend talking with friends and family about the threats, solutions, and latest science concerning the Covid pandemic. But, when it comes to the vastly greater threat of climate chaos – many scientists fear societal collapse – we almost never have similar conversations or even share climate stories on social media. Isn’t there something pathologically wrong here? One result of this silence is that politicians are not feeling the necessary pressure from voters to take bolder action. This scares me to death and bodes very poorly for humanity ever being able to implement the necessary solutions in time.

HOPE: There have also been numerous examples of positive climate news in recent weeks. Peterborough City Council has officially adopted a new Cycling Master Plan and will invest in building new bike facilities across the city, including 80 kilometres of bike lanes and trails over 20 years. Helping people become less dependent on cars is a critically important climate action. In other news, Greenland has now banned all oil exploration; Maine has become first state in the US to pass a law that fines corporations that do not use sustainable packaging materials; and the EU has adopted a new forest strategy to protect old forests and plant 3 billion trees.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – July 23, 2021

ALARM: As of Wednesday, the historic rainfall and devastating flooding in Germany and northwestern Europe had killed more than 200 people and left hundreds more missing. Officials and scientists are pointing to climate change as the main culprit. German Minister of the Environment Svenja Schulze announced, “These are the harbingers of climate change that have now arrived in Germany.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the flooding “a clear indication of climate change.” Read more at tinyurl.com/ufeccpkx

HOPE: I highly recommend Fred Irwin’s new book “Now is the Time” in which he sets out a plan to make Peterborough and Peterborough County the Most Resilient Community in Canada by 2030. The book is the accumulation of his 15 years of volunteering with Transition Town Peterborough (TTP). Irwin and TTP are asking the city and county to adopt permaculture (i.e., permanent, resilient ways of living derived from whole systems thinking) as their operating system and decision-making lens. He explains in the book that the critical point is living locally with much more local food and energy. Irwin provides a Strategic Roadmap to make this happen. It is based on the 4 E’s of Energy, Economy, Environment, and Equity. He believes that local food (reaching 50 per cent of all food consumed by in Peterborough by 2030) is key to the other E’s and key to adapting to the climate crisis. To purchase the book and learn more, go to fredirwinauthor.com/

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to forourgrandchildren.ca/.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – July 16, 2021

ALARM: The devastating heat wave in the Pacific Northwest, which overwhelmed communities in both Canada and the U.S., would have been ‘virtually impossible’ in the absence of climate change, a recent report suggests. The impact of global heating made it at least 150 times more likely to happen. The authors’ estimate that such events in today’s climate, which is about 1.2 C warmer than before the industrial revolution, should only occur once every 1,000 years. However, if the planet becomes 2 C warmer, which could happen by 2050, the researchers say heat waves like this could happen at least once or twice a decade. See https://tinyurl.com/28z2bje2

HOPE: In two good news stories, the federal government has announced plans for new ‘high frequency’ rail lines connecting Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City, and passing through Peterborough. Up to 90 percent of the new service would run on electricity, contributing to a green economy and creating good jobs. See https://tinyurl.com/fw5epd8w The Senate has now passed bill C-12. Canada actually has a climate plan with some teeth, even if weaker teeth than many wanted. According to an article in iPolitics, “Bill C-12 would legislate targets for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, require regular reporting on Canada’s progress, and create an advisory panel to oversee the process. It’s modeled on similar legislation in countries like the U.K. and New Zealand.” See https://tinyurl.com/66ermsdx

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – July 9, 2021

ALARM: The extreme heat and wildfires in British Columbia represent a cascade of climate-change disasters that has captured international attention. “Heat records are usually broken by tenths of a degree, not 4.6 C,” Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg tweeted, referring to the previous Canadian high of 45, set in Saskatchewan in 1937. “We’re in a climate emergency that has never once been treated as an emergency.” In addition to the human tragedy of more than 700 heat-related deaths, we’ve now learned that the combination of low tides and shoreline temperatures above 50 C killed up to a billion seashore animals like sea stars and clams. While weather is naturally variable, this kind of heat event is made ever more intense – and will occur with increasing frequency – because of climate change. And, in case you were wondering, eastern Canada is as vulnerable as BC to an extreme heat catastrophe.

HOPE: Canada is setting a mandatory target for all new light-duty cars and passenger trucks sales to be zero-emission by 2035, accelerating Canada’s previous goal of 100 percent sales by 2040. The federal government will pursue a combination of investments and regulations to help Canadians and industry transition to achieve the 100 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/5c8acv2v

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – July 2, 2021

ALARM: The prolonged and dangerous heat wave in western Canada is a preview of the kind of extreme weather event that will become much more common with global heating. New daily record-high temperatures were recorded in every region of B.C. The town of Lytton hit 47.9 C which is hotter than the hottest temperature ever recorded in Las Vegas. “This is absolutely connected to climate change,” said CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe . “First of all, our baseline has shifted. Our new normals are already one to three degrees warmer across the province, even up to four or five degrees warmer through the north… This is consistent with what climate change will continue to do to our province.” See https://tinyurl.com/65fekhmx

HOPE: On June 22, the House of Commons passed Bill C-12. This legislation, if passed by the Senate, will be an effective tool to hold governments accountable for real climate action. Thousands of engaged Canadians signed petitions and called and emailed their MPs to improve the legislation. It now includes a 2026 emissions objective; stronger, more frequent progress reports; an independent advisory body that combines Indigenous and climate science expertise; and submit a plan within six months to meet our 2026 emissions objective and 2030 target. See https://tinyurl.com/4kydfsx8

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – June 18, 2020

ALARM: Scientists announced Monday that the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is now at its highest in more than four million years. To make matters worse, we are still adding roughly 40 billion metric tons of CO2 pollution annually. CO2 levels averaged 419 parts per million (ppm) in May when carbon levels in the air reach their annual peak. This is 1.82 ppm higher than in May 2020 and 20% above the highest level considered safe for the planet (350 ppm). The global economic disruption caused by the pandemic appears to have made no difference to carbon levels. The more CO2 there is in the atmosphere, the more the planet heats up. See https://tinyurl.com/3uzw2tux

HOPE: Thanks to a report presented by Mayor Diane Therrien, Peterborough city council has approved the creation of a Portfolio for Environment and Climate Change. This is an important step forward in supporting the goals in the city’s Climate Change Action Plan. Councillor Kim Zippel will chair the new portfolio. Sadly, Zippel has decided not to run in the next municipal election. She has been council’s strongest voice for environmental protection.

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/. Scroll down and click on “This Month’s Action” or “Find Another Action You Can Take Today”. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to watch “Breaking Boundaries” on Netflix.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – June 11, 2020

ALARM: Scientists are warning that climate tipping points could topple like dominoes. Tipping points occur when global heating pushes temperatures beyond a critical threshold, leading to runaway and irreversible impacts. Their analysis shows significant risk of cascading events even at 2C or lower of heating. We are already at 1.1 C. Ice sheets and ocean currents at risk of climate tipping points can destabilise each other as the world heats up, leading to a domino effect with catastrophic consequences for humanity. Ice sheets in west Antarctica are thought to have already passed their tipping points, meaning unstoppable sea-level rise. Much of the Amazon is close to a tipping point, too, and therefore at risk of becoming a savannah. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/sza4tstu

HOPE: May 26 was a great day for the planet, thanks to a stunning series of defeats for the oil industry. Shell was ordered by a Dutch court to cut its own CO2 emissions and those of its suppliers and customers by 45 percent by the end of 2030 from 2019 levels. This decision could have far reaching consequences for the rest of the global fossil fuel industry. The same day, shareholders at Chevron voted in favor of a proposal to cut emissions generated by the use of the company’s products, and Exxon Mobil lost a fight with its own shareholders. With the support of Blackrock, the world’s largest asset manager, a small investor group convinced a majority of Exxon shareholders to install at least two of its nominees on the oil company’s board. They had argued that Exxon’s reluctance to change its business strategy to account for climate change was endangering profits. For more details, go to https://tinyurl.com/76zrc6v5

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/. Scroll down and click on “This Month’s Action” or “Find Another Action You Can Take Today”. Finally, be sure to watch “Breaking Boundaries” on Netflix.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – June 4, 2021

ALARM & HOPE: In what may be the most important documentary of all time, “Breaking Boundaries” explains how the 2020s is the make it or break it decade for a livable planet. Available starting today on Netflix, the documentary takes us on a journey of discovery of planetary thresholds or boundaries we must not exceed. Breaking enough of these boundaries will trigger non-linear, abrupt change to the planet-scale systems on which a stable climate and civilization itself depend. Boundaries that are already beyond the point of repair are tropical coral reefs, summer Arctic Sea ice, and the West Antarctic ice sheets. I recommend watching this with a young person. Everyone has to know the facts. Yes, they’re frightening, but facts are what trigger the necessary scale of public outrage and activism to bring about radical change. Just like they did when we saw with our very eyes what happened to George Floyd. There can be no more turning our eyes away from the dire climate calamity we’re facing. See the trailer at https://tinyurl.com/5ybuenvu

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on “This Month’s Action” or “Find Another Action You Can Take Today”.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – May 21, 2021

HOPE: City staff has delivered a comprehensive and progressive new tree by-law, and Council has responded positively. This is excellent news, and Council and staff should be congratulated. The by-law passed general committee first vote on May 10. It is shaped with climate change front of mind, thanks in no small part to the city’s declaration of a climate emergency in 2019. The by-law will be presented again on May 25 for public input and final vote.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – May 14, 2021

HOPE: Thanks in large measure to the efforts of Caley Bedore, Global-Peterborough TV is now giving the daily carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere as part of the 6 pm weather report. As far as I know, Global Peterborough is only the second media outlet in Canada to do so. For Our Grandchildren, a local climate activist group for people of all ages, hopes that similar daily CO2 reports will soon be provided by newspapers, radio and television stations and Internet media across the country. The atmospheric concentration of CO2 is directly related to the amount of global heating that occurs. The concentration, now at 417 parts per million, continues to rise. It has increased by 50 percent since the Industrial Revolution. For the latest figures, go to https://www.co2.earth/daily-co2

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – May 7, 2021

ALARM: As Canada strengthens its Paris Agreement targets to a 40% emissions reduction by 2030, critics point to the elephant in the room — the continued expansion of the Canadian oil and gas sector. This is an industry that represents more than one-quarter of our emissions. Many experts agree that Canada cannot meet this target without a plan to phase out fossil fuel production and to drastically reduce the financial support given to this sector. Trudeau needs to be honest about what the future of gas and oil looks like in Canada. For the details, listen to the “What on Earth” podcast with Laura Lynch at https://tinyurl.com/4swapcw5

HOPE: Banks and financial institutions with more than $70 trillion in assets have pledged to cut their greenhouse gas emissions and ensure their investment portfolios align with climate science. In the initiative, chaired by Canadian Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, 160 companies, including 43 banks from 23 countries, will set targets to cut the carbon content of their assets by 2030, in line with an overall goal of net zero emissions by 2050. For details, go to https://tinyurl.com/53hntscj

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on “This Month’s Action”. Speak out on Bill C-12 or “Find Another Action You Can Take Today” (Learn, Influence Others, Personal Change).

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – April 23, 2021

HOPE: Three news items this week illustrate the huge momentum we’re seeing on climate action. 1. The climate plan announced by Conservative leader Erin O’Toole is serious and even adopts a form of carbon pricing. “After years of carbon price wars, the partisan divide over a climate policy in Canada just got a lot smaller,” said Stewart Elgie of the Smart Prosperity Institute. 2. The new federal budget provides $17.6 billion towards a green recovery. Reducing emissions from heavy industry is at the centre of the new funding. Ottawa is now saying that it will exceed its Paris Agreement commitments by lowering emissions 36 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. 3. Ahead of the COP26 climate talks to be hosted in Glasgow in November, the UK is set to announce a much bolder climate commitments, setting a course for a 78% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 from 1990 levels.

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on “This Month’s Action” (speak out on Bill C-12) or “Find Another Action You Can Take Today” (Learn, Influence Others, Personal Change).

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – April 16, 2021

HOPE: On March 2, City Council approved a series of initiatives and recommendations for Climate Mitigation and Climate Adaptation. The City’s report on building Fire Station 2 recommends that the station be built following the Canada Green Building Council Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) Standard. Zero carbon buildings can provide a positive financial return over a 25-year life cycle. This financial return will only grow as the cost of carbon rises, while zero carbon buildings also promise to mitigate future costs for utilities and retrofits. According to a report voted on by city councillors on April 12, Northcrest Arena in Peterborough’s north end will be torn down and replaced with the new fire station. Please let your councillor know that you support the Zero Carbon Building recommendation!

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on the ACTION button.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – April 9, 2021

ALARM: A new study has found that big meat and dairy companies have spent millions lobbying against climate action. The companies have been slow to make emissions reductions pledges and have worked to undercut climate and environmental legislation. Emissions produced by Switzerland-based Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, and New Zealand-based dairy giant, Fonterra, were so high that they would eclipse their respective home country’s emissions pledges. Read more at https://bit.ly/31QP2mX

HOPE: Two major financial management firms, BlackRock and Meketa, have separately concluded that investment funds have experienced no negative financial impacts from divesting from fossil fuels. In fact, they found evidence of modest improvement in fund return, according to draft reports undertaken at the request of New York City’s comptroller on behalf of three of the city’s pension funds. Read more at https://bit.ly/3cYNtd3

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on the ACTION buttons.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – April 3, 2021

HOPE: Canada’s Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government’s imposition of carbon taxes in provinces that oppose them is constitutional. “This matter is critical to our response to an existential threat to human life in Canada and around the world,” the court wrote. It also detailed the dangers of climate change to Canada’s coastlines, Arctic region, and Indigenous people in particular. The concept of carbon pricing has been widely endorsed by economists as one of the best ways to reduce emissions and encourage efficiency. The tax is now $40 a ton but will reach $170 a ton in 2030. Individual Canadians receive carbon tax rebates from the government to compensate for the surcharge on fuel.

CO2 IN ATMOSPHERE: As the level of carbon dioxide (in parts per million) continues to rise, global warming is accelerating. On March 26, it was 417.5 ppm, up from 414.3 ppm a year ago. The highest safe level for the planet is 350 ppm. To see daily CO2 levels and much more, go to https://www.co2.earth/daily-co2/

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on the ACTION button.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – March 12, 2021

HOPE: After declaring a Climate Emergency in 2019, Peterborough has started reporting on its progress. It’s not much, but it’s a start. According to the report at https://bit.ly/30vDEfq, the City has applied for funding to develop a residential home energy efficiency program and to install eight dual-charging stations for electric vehicles at four City facilities. An organic waste collection program and centralized composting facility is expected to launch in fall 2023.

ALARM: A new study from Harvard and universities in the U.K. has found that eight million people died from fossil fuel pollution in 2018, accounting for about one in five premature deaths worldwide. This is significantly more than previously thought. Co-author Eloise Marais said in a statement, “We can’t in good conscience continue to rely on fossil fuels when we know that there are such severe effects on health, and there are viable, clean alternatives.” See https://bit.ly/30HXTXD

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take action on addressing climate change, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on the ACTION button.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – March 5, 2021

HOPE: A proposed Energy-From-Waste facility to eliminate landfills is a wonderful example of how local citizens are taking action to address the climate crisis. Landfills are the source of nearly one-quarter of Canada’s methane gas emissions. Methane is 25 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Thirty-three Energy-From-Waste facilities are already operating in Sweden, despite the country’s small population of only 10 million. By contrast, Canada has a population of 37 million, thousands of landfills, and only three such facilities. In Peterborough, a group of 18 professionals is recommending a regional facility to service five counties. It would get rid of 78 landfills, produce an annual profit of $5 million, and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 160,000 metric tonnes. The facility would be modelled on the existing Energy-From-Waste plant in Clarington. For more information, contact Ed McLellan at el.mclellan@sympatico.ca or at 705-748-3923

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take action on addressing climate change, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on the ACTION button.

CLIMATE ACTION NEWS – February 5, 2021

HOPE: The election of Joe Biden is a reason for much greater optimism in the fight against climate change. A February 1 article in The Washington Post (https://wapo.st/36AkWH4 ) by Ishaan Tharoor provides a great overview of how Biden has swept away Trump’s climate change denialism. In a blizzard of executive orders, the new president has already announced the return of the U.S. to the Paris climate agreement, halted the Keystone XL pipeline, imposed a moratorium on oil and gas leases on federal lands, initiated a process to invest in minority and low-income communities that historically bore the brunt of pollution, and mandated that climate change become a policy priority for virtually every federal agency. He has also overturned 10 of Trump’s environmental protection rollbacks and is targeting 60 others. The Biden administration’s ambitious $2 trillion climate plan will create millions of new renewable energy and clean tech jobs.

Biden has also created two new cabinet positions focused on climate action. Gina McCarthy, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is the new domestic climate advisor, while John Kerry, the former secretary of state, is now serving as Biden’s special climate envoy for international matters. Last week, Kerry addressed the World Economic Forum’s virtual gathering of global policymakers and business elites. “We know we’ve wasted four years in which we were inexcusably absent,” he said, describing the climate crisis as a “war” that “we’re losing.” For Kerry, the stakes on climate change couldn’t be any higher than they are right now.

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take action on addressing climate change, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on the ACTION button.

CLIMATE ACTION NEWS – January 15, 2021

HOPE: The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be prompting a shift towards healthier cities. At theconversation.com, Anne-Marie Broudehoux of the Université du Québec explains how containment and physical distancing measures have contributed to an increased recognition of the importance of parks and other public spaces for people’s physical and psychological well-being. As part of the “pedestrianization” of streets, cities like Montreal are rethinking their entire urban mobility system. Learn more at https://bit.ly/38jwmQQ

ALARM: Peterborough experienced another record-warm year in 2020. No fewer than eight of the 12 months were warmer than usual. Five months – January, March, July, November, and December- were at least 3 C warmer than the 1971-2000 average for the same months. This year was not an anomaly. The mean annual temperature in Peterborough for the 11-year period from 2010 through 2020 was 6.88 C compared to 5.9 C for the 30-year period from 1971 to 2000. In other words, an average year in Peterborough is now about 1 C warmer than it used to be. Many temperature extremes need to be recorded (e.g., the record 35 days above 30 C we saw this summer) in order to see this level of warming. More details can be found at https://www.drewmonkman.com/temperatures/

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take action on addressing climate change, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on the ACTION button.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – December 18, 2021

To be inspired to take an active role in addressing the climate crisis, people need to feel a deep sense of alarm at how serious the situation is. However, we should also be encouraged by the many reasons for hope, hence these news items from both perspectives.

HOPE: More and more countries seem to be taking climate change seriously. The federal government has just announced a new plan to push Canada beyond its Paris commitment of reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below the level of 2005. “I think the big takeaway here is that, for the first time, Canada has a plan with policy action that is consistent with ambition,” said Dale Beugin, vice president of research and analysis at the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices. The editorial in the Globe and Mail on December 14 voiced full support for a more aggressively rising carbon tax – $15 per tonne each year between 2022 and 2030 – that is central to the plan, writing “The necessity of a serious carbon tax has long been clear. It is now poised to become a reality.” I think Canadians should take pride in what is clearly brave and ambitious climate policy. For more details, go to https://bit.ly/38e1hfU

ALARM: On December 7, European researchers announced that last month was the hottest November for the planet as a whole on record. The relentlessly warming climate proved too much even for any possible effects of cooler ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific. Scientists with the Copernicus Climate Change Service said that global temperatures in November were 0.1 C above the previous record-warm Novembers of 2016 and 2019. Here in Peterborough, November was 3.1 C warmer than the 1971-2000 average for the month, making it the warmest November in at least the past ten years – and possibly ever.

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take action on addressing climate change, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on the ACTION button.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – December 11, 2021

HOPE: In what is probably the most hopeful news on the climate front in years, President-elect Joe Biden has appointed John Kerry as his special presidential envoy for climate. This underscores Biden’s commitment to tackling the global crisis and offering a rebuke to President Donald Trump’s lack of leadership on the issue. Kerry, who has worked on climate issues for years, will be a cabinet level official in the Biden government and sit on the National Security Council.As secretary of state in the Obama administration, Kerry played a key role in negotiating the Paris agreement, which was adopted by nearly 200 nations in 2015. In 2019, he also co-founded a bipartisan initiative of world leaders to combat the climate crisis called World War Zero.Learn more about Kerry’s appointment athttps://cnn.it/36WfnU3

ALARM: I can’t recommend strongly enough that everyone listen to the landmark speech made on December 2 by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, on the state of the planet. It sets the stage for dramatically scaled-up ambition on climate change over the coming year. “We are facing a devastating pandemic, new heights of global heating, new lows of ecological degradation and new setbacks in our work towards global goals for more equitable, inclusive and sustainable development. To put it simply, the state of the planet is broken.” To listen to the speech, go to https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/un-secretary-general-speaks-state-planet

TAKE ACTION: To see a list of ways YOU can take action on addressing climate change, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and click on the ACTION button.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – November 20, 2020

To be inspired to take an active role in addressing the climate crisis, people need to feel alarmed at how serious it is but also feel encouraged by the many reasons for hope, hence these news items from both perspectives.

ALARM: This year, roughly a quarter of the vast Pantanal wetland in Brazil has burned in wildfires worsened by climate change. As one of the most bio-diverse places in the world, tourists flock here to see exceptionally high concentrations of iconic wildlife like jaguars, endangered giant otters, and bright blue hyacinth macaws. Drought worsened by climate change had turned the wetlands into a tinderbox, and the fires are still not completely under control. Details at https://cnn.it/36FwXKk

HOPE: Toronto-Dominion Bank has announced that it will no longer provide project-specific financial services for oil and gas-related activities in the Arctic. This is part of its plan to get to net-zero emissions by 2050. TD has joined a host of other global lenders who have taken similar action. Last month, RBC, which is Canada’s biggest lender, became the first Canadian bank to say it will not directly finance exploration or development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Read this story at https://bit.ly/2INBp1R

TAKE ACTION: For local climate news and ways to take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ Be sure to also check out the For Our Grandchildren Facebook page.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – November 12, 2020

ALARM: According to the “New Energy Outlook 2020” report https://about.bnef.com/new-energy-outlook/, the world is still on track to warm by 3.3 degrees Celsius by 2100. To keep global warming well below 2 degrees C, emissions need to fall 10 times faster, at 6 percent per year until 2050. This would require investing tens of trillions of dollars in clean energy between now and 2050

HOPE: One of Joe Biden’s most exciting ideas is to bring back the Great Depression’s massive work program known as the Civilian Conservation Corps. It would put millions of Americans back to work in projects such as restoring ecosystems, managing forests to reduce wildfire risk, removing invasive species, and updating infrastructure in public natural spaces. It would also bring a huge number of people closer to nature. Learn more about it at https://www.wired.com/story/the-case-for-reviving-the-civilian-conservation-corps/

TAKE ACTION: For local climate news and ways to take climate action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ Be sure to also check out the For Our Grandchildren Facebook page.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – October 30, 2020

ALARM: For the first time since records began, the main nursery of Arctic sea ice in Siberia has yet to start freezing in late October. The delayed annual freeze in the Laptev Sea has been caused by unprecedented protracted warmth in northern Russia and the intrusion of Atlantic waters. Scientists warn that this could have knock-on effects across the entire polar region. Ocean temperatures in the area recently climbed to more than 5 C above average.

ENCOURAGEMENT: If Joe Biden is elected president, he has promised to “transition” America away from dependence on oil. He would wind down the oil industry, eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, and focus on building renewables. Let’s hope he wins.

TAKE ACTION: For local climate news and ways to take action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and subscribe to the newsletter. Be sure to also check out the For Our Grandchildren Facebook page.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – October 16, 2020

Only a tiny fraction of the public feels a true sense of alarm for what’s in store for us if we continue on the present climate trajectory. But just explaining why we should be more alarmed won’t necessarily inspire action. Most people need to be equally aware of reasons for hope and encouragement, hence this weekly update from both perspectives.

ALARM: September 2020 was the warmest on record for the planet as a whole, topping the previous record set just last year. The announcement by the Copernicus Climate Change Service comes after nine months of devastating wildfires in Siberia, the Amazon, and the western U.S. It also comes as Arctic sea ice has plunged to its second-lowest levels on record, driven by record temperatures in late June.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out plans last week for Britain to become the “Saudi Arabia of wind power” by using offshore wind power as the backbone of the country’s carbon-neutral energy future. The plans call for 10 times the existing offshore wind capacity by 2030, including 1GW of floating turbines. This is one of the most ambitious British industrial endeavours ever and would guarantee thousands of high-paying long-term jobs.

For more encouragement, I recommend watching the film “2040”. Director Damon Garneau structures the film as a letter to his four-year old daughter in which he imagines a future where the climate crisis has been solved. Damon travels around the world investigating solutions that are available today. To watch 2040, go to https://vimeo.com/ondemand/2040now/ where you can create a free account. Share the link with family and friends!

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – October 9, 2020

ALARM: It is believed that the recent mass die-off of hundreds of thousands of migrating birds in the southwestern U.S. is related to climate change. Smoke from the historic wildfires in California, Oregon, and Washington may have triggered birds to start their migration early, before having had time to built up sufficient fat reserves. They may also have had to re-route their migration away from resource-rich coastal areas and move inland over the Chihuahuan desert, where food and water are scarce, essentially meaning they starved to death. Many of the dead birds were emaciated. States like New Mexico have recently experienced extremely dry conditions—believed to be linked to the climate crisis—meaning there are fewer insects. Another possibility is that the smoke may have damaged their lungs. Since 1970, 3 billion birds have been lost in the US and Canada.

ENCOURAGEMENT: On September 23, Peterborough County council approved a report proposing several actions for addressing climate change as an alternative to declaring a climate emergency for the county. The report suggests the county enter into a pilot partnership agreement with Peterborough GreenUp to support achieving targets in collaboration with county townships, Hiawatha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation. The report further suggests that a community advisory group be created to support the county and Peterborough GreenUp in implementing and executing actions.

For local climate news and ways to take action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and subscribe to the newsletter. Be sure to also check out the For Our Grandchildren Facebook page.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – October 2, 2020

ALARM: As severe weather events and environmental catastrophes like wildfires become more regular, so too do the psychological consequences. Seeing loss in the natural world causes “ecological grief” and anxiety. According to Ashlee Cunsolo, who studies the links between ecological change and mental health at Memorial University, “You might not be at the front lines of the wildfires … but you certainly are still affected when you see the smoke,” Cunsolo told CBC Radio’s What on Earth. “It’s also a reminder of the suffering that other people and other ecosystems are going through — a reminder of the precarity of our own safety.” Cunsolo said the emotional response can range from acute feelings of fear, dread and anxiety to unshakeable unease, helplessness, and sleeplessness.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Based on last week’s Speech from the Throne, the Trudeau government is stepping up its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, investing in climate adaptation, and protecting nature. Measures include creating thousands of jobs in energy efficient building retrofits, continuing carbon pricing, supporting investment in renewable energy, providing more money for public transit, making zero-emissions vehicles more affordable, and investing in measures to reduce the impact of floods and wildfires. The Liberals also reiterated their commitment to exceeding Canada’s 2030 climate targets and to immediately bring forward a plan to do so. The government said it is committed to protecting 25 per cent of Canada’s land and oceans in five years and to planting two billion trees.

For local climate news and ways to take action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and subscribe to the newsletter. For Our Grandchildren also makes regular posts on Facebook.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – September 18, 2020

Only a tiny fraction of the public feels a true sense of alarm for what’s in store for us if we continue on the present climate trajectory. But even alarming people won’t necessarily inspire action. Most people need to be equally aware of reasons for hope and encouragement, hence this weekly update from both perspectives.

ALARM: According to a new United Nations report, the world is closing in on the temperature limit set by global leaders five years ago, namely 1.5 C degrees of warming above pre-industrial times. In fact, we may exceed this limit in the next decade. July 2020 was the hottest July ever in the Northern Hemisphere and the second hottest for the planet as a whole. Arctic sea ice shrank to a record low.

ENCOURAGEMENT: The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has ruled against the Ford government’s anti-carbon tax stickers. The Court found that the stickers were a form of compelled political expression that violated the constitutional protection of free expression. It also found that a government cannot legislate a requirement that private retailers post a sticker designed to “stick it to” another tier of government. A carbon tax is considered the most cost-efficient and least bureaucratic way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, Canada’s tax on carbon is still far too low to change people’s behaviour.

For local climate news and ways to take action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and subscribe to the newsletter. For Our Grandchildren is also on Facebook.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – September 11, 2020

Only a tiny fraction of the public feels a true sense of alarm for what is in store for us if we continue on the present climate trajectory. But even alarming people won’t necessarily inspire action. Most people need to be equally aware of reasons for hope and encouragement, hence this weekly update from both perspectives.

ALARM: California is experiencing record heat and its worst wildfire season ever. More than 16,000 square kilometres have already burned. However, the historically worst months for fires – October and November – are yet to come. According to Mike Flanaghan, a wildfire researcher at the University of Alberta, climate change-induced wildfires like those this year in Australia, the Amazon, and California are “only going to get worse and worse.”

ENCOURAGEMENT: According to the recent Climate Insights 2020 report from Stanford University, the number of Americans who feel passionately about climate change is rising sharply. The issue also appears to be more important in this year’s election than ever before. Despite the turmoil caused by overlapping crises such as COVID-19 and racism, support for action to curb climate change has not diminished.

For local climate news and ways to take action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and subscribe to the newsletter. For Our Grandchildren is also on Facebook.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – September 4, 2020

ALARM: The California wildfires, which have already burned 2,800 structures and 1.5 million acres, have hastened another climate crisis: homeowners who can’t get insurance. Because of the staggering losses insurers face, they have been pulling back from the huge swath of fire-prone areas across the state. The insurance crisis is making California a test case for the financial dangers of climate change, as wildfires, floods, hurricanes, and other disasters create economic shockwaves around the world. (CO2 update: September 1 – 412 parts per million and rising. Pre-industrial Revolution – 280 ppm. Highest safe level – 350 ppm)

ENCOURAGEMENT: A British firm hopes by the end of 2020 to begin manufacturing the world’s most efficient solar panels. Oxford PV claims that its panels will be able to generate almost a third more electricity than traditional silicon-based solar panels. This is achieved by coating the panels with a thin layer of a crystal material called perovskite. The breakthrough represents the biggest improvement in solar power generation since the technology emerged in the 1950s.

For local climate news and ways to take action, go to https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and subscribe to the newsletter. For Our Grandchildren is also on Facebook.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – August 21, 2020

ALARM: Normalization, or the “boiling frog” effect, is a worrisome phenomenon associated with climate change. We quickly accept as normal a gradually more hostile or extreme environment rather than choosing to take action to correct this environment. This has been a common reaction to the California wildfires. “We’ve always had fires,” is the justification of many residents, despite the growing frequency and intensity of the fires. We’re seeing the phenomenon locally this summer as few people appear concerned by the 30 days so far above 30C. The average in the 1990s was 6.3 days. (CO2 update: August 8 – 413 parts per million and rising. Pre-Industrial Revolution – 280 ppm. Highest safe level – 350 ppm)

ENCOURAGEMENT: Yale Climate Connections reports that it is possible to avoid catastrophic climate change by ramping up solutions that already exist today. That’s the conclusion of a recent report by Project Drawdown. The non-profit works to analyze the potential impact of a range of climate actions – from building wind farms to eating less meat and restoring abandoned farmland. “We have mapped 80 existing technologies and practices that are real, that are workable, that are tangible,” says Chad Frischmann, research director of Project Drawdown. But Frischmann says solving the climate crisis requires action on all fronts – from how we produce energy to what we eat.

For local climate news and ways to take action, visit https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and subscribe to the newsletter.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – August 7, 2020

ALARM: Hopes for a green recovery in Canada are fading fast. Pandemic recovery programs to date have sent just C$300 million to clean energy, compared to more than $16 billion to fossil fuels, according to new data released by Energy Policy Tracker https://www.energypolicytracker.org/. The totals include C$13.55 billion for 42 policies that deliver unconditional support to fossil fuel companies, C$1.59 billion for three fossil support policies that carry environmental conditions, plus C$300.5 million for unconditional clean energy funding.

ENCOURAGEMENT: On July 27, German banking giant Deutsche Bank announced it is immediately stopping financing for new oil sands and Arctic oil and gas projects. In a related decision, the Zurich insurance company has decided not to renew coverage for the Canadian government’s Trans Mountain oil pipeline. These moves are the latest warnings that doubling down on oil and gas is quickly becoming a dead-end economic strategy. However, in positive news for the Alberta economy, construction of Canada’s largest solar farm near Lomond, Alberta, is poised to proceed with the infusion of $500 million from a Denmark-based investment group.

For local climate news and ways to take action, visit https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and subscribe to the newsletter.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – July 24, 2020

ALARM: As the RCMP investigation into the Columbia Icefield tragedy continues, the Edmonton Journal is reporting that a contributing factor may have been instability in the moraine – ground-up rocks, silt, sand, and ice strewn aside by the glacier as it moves – surrounding the terminus of the ice sheet. According to glacier expert, Dr. Jeffrey Kavanaugh of the University of Alberta, it’s possible that part of the steep slope of the moraine where the bus was travelling may have collapsed. “As the sediments (in the moraine) are warmed by the sun, it melts the ice,” said Kavanaugh. It can become runny and mucky and even cause a landslide. As global warming causes glaciers around the world to melt – the Athabasca glacier may entirely disappear by 2100 – unstable moraines are an emerging hazard in the mountains.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Britain’s Guardian newspaper has decided to put global CO2 levels on its weather forecast page. As CO2 levels continue to climb, the carbon count will serve as a daily reminder that we must drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions now. At an unprecedented 414 parts per million (ppm) as of July 20, the level of CO2 in the atmosphere is the highest it’s been in millions of years. At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, the level was 280 ppm. A concentration of 350 ppm is the highest seen as manageable. I would encourage people to ask Environment Canada, the Weather Network, the CBC, and CHEX-Global Peterborough to do the same on all their weather platforms, including on-air weather reports.

For local climate news and ways to take action, visit https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and subscribe to the newsletter.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – JULY 17, 2020

ALARM: Scientists have now determined that the unprecedented heat wave we just experienced is another manifestation of climate change. Human-caused warming of the Arctic has resulted in a weakened Jet Stream. This is the high-altitude wind that pushes around air masses and affects weather patterns. The Jet Stream has become “loopy” (like an S laying on its side), locking in weather systems for weeks on end. BC has been cool and wet, while points east have suffered from extreme heat. The same phenomenon explains the devastating fires in Siberia.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Joe Biden has just released a $2 trillion plan to boost investment in clean energy and stop all greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants by 2035. He argues that dramatic action of this kind addresses both climate change and reviving the economy.

For local climate news and ways to take action, visit https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and subscribe to the newsletter.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – JULY 10, 2020

ALARM: If the 14-day weather forecast for Peterborough proves accurate, we will have had 24 days of temperatures above 30 C by July 20 – and still eight weeks of summer to go. Just two years ago, the temperature soared above 30 C on 28 days, based on data from Peterborough Trent U station. (See https://bit.ly/2W0SpFn ) However, keep in mind that in the 1990s, an average year saw only 6.3 days above this threshold. Climatic projections for Peterborough predict an average 23.3 days above 30 C by the 2030s. Statistics like these need to be part of local TV and radio weather reports, because most people have no idea how fast the Kawarthas are warming.

ENCOURAGEMENT: We may be approaching a tipping point in the transition off fossil fuels. Two mammoth fossil fuel companies declared in the last two weeks that they will downgrade the value of their own assets by as much as US$39.5 billion. Royal Dutch Shell said it would slash the value of its oil and gas assets by up to $22 billion amid a crash in oil prices. In late June, British Petroleum also declared “stranded assets”. A stranded asset is something — a resource, for example — that once had value or produced income but no longer does, usually due to some kind of external change. BP said it would reduce the value of its assets by up to $17.5 billion. Both companies said the accounting moves were a response to both the coronavirus-driven recession and global efforts to tackle climate change.

For local climate news and ways to take action, visit https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and subscribe to the newsletter.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – July 3, 2020

ALARM: At the coldest point on Earth, temperatures are rising fast. Data from the South Pole shows that over the past 30 years, the region has warmed three times faster than the warming rate of the planet as a whole. The study was published Monday in the journal “Nature Climate Change”. “The South Pole seemed to be isolated from what was going on across the rest of the world,” said researcher Kyle Clem. “But all of a sudden, it ramps up with rapid warming, some of the strongest warming on the planet.” The researchers believe that part of the warming is part of a multi-decade natural process, but that the rest is due to human-induced climate change. So far, the temperature changes haven’t been significant enough to cause any massive ice loss at Antarctica’s interior. Still, the bottom line is that the Antarctic is “waking up” to climate change – and that is alarming.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Members of the local climate group, For Our Grandchildren, along with Malaika Collette of Peterborough Youth Empowerment, presented a motion to Peterborough County Council last week to declare a climate change emergency. The motion was passed with no changes after a long and largely positive discussion. The matter has now been referred to the Director, Corporate Projects & Services, for a report back to Council. Let’s hope the declaration is made!

For local climate news and ways to take action, visit https://forourgrandchildren.ca/ and subscribe to the newsletter.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – JUNE 19, 2020

OUTRAGE: A new report by Environment and Climate Change Canada (https://bit.ly/30K6BFX ) confirms that climate change has made rainfall events more frequent, more severe, and the cause of billions of dollars of damages. It also notes a marked increase in claims from extreme weather damage in Canada. It stated that so-called ‘one-in-20, 50 or 100-year’ events can be expected to occur with far greater frequency with just a 1C temperature increase over pre-industrial averages. Earth is now approaching 1.3C of warming.

OPTIMISM: Unilever NV is now the most ambitious of any consumer goods company when it comes to reducing carbon emissions. The maker of Dove skincare and Q-tips cotton swabs now aims to cut all emissions associated with its products by half by 2030 and to zero by 2039. Each of the company’s 70,000 products will also show on their labels how much greenhouse gas was emitted during manufacturing and shipping.

CLIMATE CRISIS NEWS – June 12, 2020

The racial inequality crisis is also intertwined with the climate crisis. People of colour disproportionately bear climate impacts, from storms to heat waves to pollution. We also need people of all races involved in this fight. Diversity of opinion and perspective leads to better decision-making and more effective strategies. We need to work on both at the same time, just like we need to recognize that the emergence of new deadly viruses will only increase as climate change worsens.

As COVID-19 and the unparalleled public outcry against racism occupy nearly all of the media’s attention, we might need reminding that the climate crisis is only getting worse. Last month was Earth’s hottest May on record. At the same time, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere hit a record 417 parts per million (ppm), up from 414.8 ppm the previous May. Before the Industrial Revolution, global average CO2 was about 280 ppm. What’s more, the 12-month period that ended in May saw average global temperatures reach 1.3 degrees Celsius above the preindustrialnorm. The consensus among climate scientists is that we must avoid warming of more than 1.5 degrees above that benchmark.

Climate Crisis News – June 5, 2020

Christina Figueres, who headed up the UN climate change convention that achieved the 2015 Paris Agreement, wrote the following in The Guardian on June 1. “The recovery packages designed and implemented by governments to rescue the ailing global economy could rise as high as 20 trillion dollars over the next 18 months. The scale of this stimulus will shape the contours of the global economy over the next decade, if not longer. This is precisely the decade when climate scientists have warned global emissions will need to be cut by half in order to reach a sustainable trajectory. In the midst of the crisis wreaked by the pandemic is an opportunity: to ensure rescue packages don’t merely recover the high carbon economy of yesterday, but help us build a healthier economy that is low on carbon, high in resilience and centred on human well-being.”

Climate Crisis News – May 22, 2020

As the extent of the economic damage caused by COVID-19 becomes clear, a new Canadian task force has been established whose goal is to help seize a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to pursue a green recovery. The 14 members include people like Mitchell Davidson, the former director of policy for Premier Doug Ford. The group wants to focus on projects that can start quickly and fit within larger goals like reducing emissions. Areas for potential action include retrofitting homes and buildings, expanding the production of hydrogen (particularly in Alberta), and providing more federal funding of electric buses.

Climate Crisis News – May 15, 2020

Yuval Noah Harari, the international bestselling author of “Sapiens”, was a recent guest on the “Outrage and Optimism” podcast mentioned above. When asked about the pandemic, he said he’s very encouraged by the apparent change in attitude by so many politicians and much of the public when it comes to science. “We’re seeing that people all over the world are turning to the scientists as the best authority on what to do… I hope that this spirit will carry on even after this immediate crisis is over and that when scientists warn us about climate change, we will take it as seriously as we now take what they say about the pandemic. And, it’s a much bigger danger than COVID-19. It’s ecological collapse. Hopefully, this is a necessary wake-up call for humanity.”

Climate Crisis News – May 08, 2020

Although climate change is not receiving the same media attention it did only two months ago, the crisis is not going away. Here are some recent news items – some unsettling but others inspiring – that we should all be aware of.

2020 has more than a 70 percent chance of being the warmest year on record.
March 2020 was the planet’s second-warmest March since records began in 1880. Because there is no El Nino this year to boost temperatures, the near-record March temperatures are all the more notable.
Numerous scientists have been pointing out recently that many of the root causes of climate change also increase the risk of pandemics. Deforestation, which is the largest cause of habitat loss worldwide, forces animals to migrate and potentially contact other animals or people and share germs.
The world’s richest nations must ensure their COVID-19 recovery plans are sustainable and help meet the goals of the Paris climate accord. While some of the world’s 20 biggest economies such as Canada, Britain, France and Germany have made statements about doing just that, the biggest emitters such as China and the United States have yet to do so.
As Amsterdam plans for its post-coronavirus recovery, it’s not looking at traditional financial measures of recovery. Instead, it will be the first city in the world to officially adopt the “doughnut” model of economics. The model, which is shaped like a doughnut, is avisual framework for sustainable development, which combines the concept of planetary boundaries with the complementary concept of social boundaries.^[1] The model regards the performance of an economy by the extent to which the needs of people are met without overshooting Earth’s ecological ceiling. Amsterdam wants to answer the question: “How can our city be home to thriving people, in a thriving place, while respecting the well-being of all people and the health of the whole planet?”

Climate Crisis Update – Jan. 24, 2020

One reason the climate crisis takes such a heavy psychological toll is the knowledge that the root cause is the way we live. It is no wonder we feel powerless. What can one person do? A January 10 article in the New York Times by Emma Marris provides some useful guidance. Step 1: Ditch the shame. The way our society is structured – mostly because of systems constructed by powerful corporations and complicit governments – make effective individual action nearly impossible. Step 2: Focus on systems, not yourself. The crisis can only be solved through electing the right people, implementing the right laws and regulations, and signing the right treaties. Step 3: Join an effective climate group, or volunteer for a political party or candidate. Step 4: Define your role. Offer the skills and resources you already have, even if all you can do is donate money. Working with a group can also reduce your climate anxiety. Step 5: Know what you are fighting for, namely a realistically good future for all – a future in which children no longer need to protest in the streets because their parents and grandparents took action. Imagine dense but livable cities veined with public transit and leafy parks, plant-based diets, durable and repairable consumer goods, species recovering… As Marris says, “This future is still possible. But it will only come to pass if we shed our shame, stop focusing on ourselves, join together, and demand it”

Climate Action Event – January 17, 2020

On Saturday, January 18, elder Dorothy Taylor from Curve Lake First Nation will join For Our Grandchildren and the Sacred Water Circle to help launch an exciting initiative and website called Kina gdi-gwendaagininaanig – To All Our Relatives. The purpose of the website at toallourrelatives.ca/ is to share your climate concerns and action promises with someone you love in order to let them know you care. This can be done through a short video, a simple letter, or a photo of yourself with a sign, all of which can be uploaded to the website. The event takes place from 2-4 pm in Trinity United Church hall, off Simcoe St.

This project arose from a wonderful conversation For Our Grandchildren representatives had with two Anishinaabe Elders as they searched for the best way to address the climate crisis. The Anishinaabe way of including all life in the circle of responsibility, reciprocity, respect, and recognition are at the root of this website. If all Canadians understood the need to connect with the earth deeply, and to live a life of gratitude, we would not be facing a climate crisis. Even if you are not able to attend the event itself, please take time to visit the website and enter the message you want for your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, friends, or even your future self.

Climate Crisis Update – December 20, 2019

The COP25 climate talks wrapped up in Madrid last Sunday. Here are six takeaways. 1. There was no agreement on a global system of carbon markets and offsets. The issue is back on the agenda for climate talks next year. 2. There was agreement on a call to boost emissions reductions. 3. Finance remains a major sticking point as developed nations watered down any calls for new financial support for those nations most vulnerable to climate change. 4. The divide between old emitters (e.g., the U.S) and new emitters (e.g., China, India and Brazil) over the responsibility to cut emissions remains. 5. There is a widening gulf between the expectations of climate activists – especially youth – and climate negotiators. “The climate talks are over for this year, but citizen activism is not,” May Boeve, the executive director of grassroots movement 350.org, said Sunday, pledging “to keep marching and disrupting and pressuring our politicians.” 6. There is a sense that global climate efforts are in a political and procedural crisis. Jennifer Morgan, Greenpeace International’s director, said that “governments need to completely rethink how they do this, because the outcome of COP25 is totally unacceptable.” The bottom line is that for most corporate and political leaders in the world, there is still no sense that we’re in the midst of a climate emergency.

Climate Crisis Update – December 13, 2019

A recent study (https://bit.ly/34csewG) of computer climate models from all the way back to the 1970s found a high degree of accuracy when compared to what actually happened with Earth’s climate in the decades that followed. This raises confidence in modern models, which are far more sophisticated and factor in many more variables. These models, of course, are predicting catastrophic changes for the climate if drastic action is not taken immediately.
A peer-reviewed study in Ecology Letters (https://bit.ly/35cvwRU) has revealed that migratory birds in North America are shrinking, most likely as a result of warming temperatures caused by climate change. Not only are they losing body weight, but the birds’ legs are growing shorter. Their wings, however, are getting longer. The researchers analyzed the measurements of 70,716 bird specimens of 52 species over a 40-year period. The ﬁndings suggest that warming-induced body size reduction is a general response to climate change. The same phenomenon is being seen in salamanders.

Climate Crisis Update – December 6, 2019

A plethora of major climate reports have come out in recent weeks to help set the stage for the COP 25 climate talks, which continue in Madrid. Here are some of the key findings: 1. The United Nations Emissions Gap report for 2019 (unenvironment.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2019https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2019) says that despite scientific warnings and political commitments, greenhouse gas emissions are continuing to rise at about 1.5 percent per year. There is no sign of emissions peaking in the next few years. 2. According to the World Meteorological Organization (public.wmo.int/en/media), levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached another new record high in 2018 at 407.8 parts per million. Concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide also surged. 3. Another United Nations study (productiongap.org/2019report/) found that governments are planning to produce about 50% more fossil fuels by 2030 than would be consistent with limiting warming to 2°C and 120% more than would keep warming to 1.5 C. This is putting the world on track to warm by a disastrous 3 degrees C by 2100 and makes meeting the Paris targets virtually impossible. Canada’s oil and natural gas production is projected to increase 60% and 34%, respectively, between 2017 and 2040. The report says that “once built, new infrastructure (e.g., pipelines) is difficult to turn away from.” 4. A frightening commentary in the journal Nature (nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03595-0) reports growing evidence that irreversible “tipping points” in which one shift amplifies another could be triggered within a few decades. Some models suggest that the Greenland ice sheet could be doomed to disappear if the world warms by just 1.5 C. The Amundsen Sea embayment of West Antarctica might have already passed a tipping point, which could lead to the rest of the West Antarctic ice sheet toppling like dominoes. On a positive note, an article in the Independent (independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news) says that headteachers and psychotherapists in the U.K. report that involvement in climate change activism is reducing symptoms of “eco-anxiety” among young people and boosting their wellbeing.

Climate Crisis Update – November 8, 2019

The world’s largest oil and gas companies would need to slash their production by more than a third by 2040 to meet international climate targets, according to a new report from Carbon Tracker. You can read the report at carbontracker.org/reports/balancing-the-budget/. The seven listed oil majors, which include ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell, would need to cut daily production by 35 percent to avoid driving temperatures 1.5 degrees C higher than pre-industrial levels. This means that governments would also need to stop issuing new oil and gas licenses for fossil fuel exploration. The report showed that global oil projects that have already been approved are almost enough to meet demand in a 1.6 degrees C scenario and there is “very little headroom for new fossil fuel projects.” Reports such as these question the advisability of any future expansion of the Alberta oilsands.

Climate Crisis Update – November 1, 2019

Although the outcome of the federal election provides reason for guarded optimism for more aggressive greenhouse gas reduction, few of us really understand the scale of the climate challenge. This is why I recommend reading “The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming”, by David Wallace-Wells. As he writes in the first sentence of the book, “It is worse, much worse, than you think.” The author lays out in terrifying detail what the coming decades will look like should we continue on our present carbon emissions trajectory. In fact, the elements of climate chaos are so horrendous that halfway through the book Wallace-Wells commends any reader who has “made it this far”. At the same time, he points out that we already have all the tools we need to avoid a worst case scenario. These include “a carbon tax and the political apparatus to aggressively phase out dirty energy; a new approach to agricultural practices and a shift away from beef and dairy in the global diet; and public investment in green energy and carbon capture”. However, Wallace-Wells acknowledges that acting quickly enough will be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible.

Climate Crisis Update – October 18, 2019

As we head to the polls on Monday, let’s remember the importance of keeping the climate crisis front and centre in our minds. A recent article in Maclean’s by Canadian climate scientist, Kathyrn Hayhoe, and economist, Andrew Leach, graded each party’s climate plan. They give the Liberal’s plan a B for ambition and an A for feasibility; the NDP’s plan an A for ambition and a D for feasibility; the Green’s plan an A+ for ambition and a C- for feasibility; and the Conservative’s plan a D for ambition and a F for feasibility. The high marks given by experts to the Liberal plan have made my decision much easier.

Climate Crisis Events – September 20, 2019

Be sure to drop by the climate-crisis booth at the Purple Onion Festival at Millennium Park on Sunday, Sept. 22. There will be information on how to reduce your personal carbon footprint as well as petitions to be signed to urge city council to declare a climate emergency as soon as possible. Other climate events scheduled for the coming weeks include the Global Climate Action Day (Sept. 27 at Millennium Park from 12:00-3:00 pm) and 100 Debates on the Environment (Oct. 3 at the Students Centre at Trent University from 7:00-9:00 pm.) The local candidates in the federal election will be taking part. This event had previously been scheduled to take place at Trinity United Church. 100 Debates for the Environment is a non-partisan, nationwide effort to highlight environmental issues in the election. More information can be found at 100debates.ca.

Climate Crisis Update – September 13, 2019

The most disappointing climate news this week was Monday’s decision by city council to defer declaring a climate emergency this fall and, instead, ask for a staff report on the matter. The report is not expected until early 2020. Given the urgency of addressing the quickly worsening climate crisis, this decision is most troubling. When we cast our votes next month, climate change should be front and centre in our minds. Declaring a climate emergency in Peterborough ahead of the election is therefore incredibly important. It would be a powerful tool in focusing voters’ attention.

There might be a compromise solution, however. A climate emergency could still be brought forward and ratified by council on September 23, while specific actions tied to the declaration would be announced when reports are received from city staff and from the new Environmental Advisory Committee in early 2020.

On Wednesday evening, Kingston city councillor Robert Kylie spoke at a standing-room-only meeting on climate change, organized by Peterborough Youth Empowerment. He explained how Kingston went about declaring a climate emergency last March. One of the “whys” for the declaration is the huge impact that the coming extreme heat events will have on Kingston’s large population of seniors. As in Peterborough, they are among Kingston’s most vulnerable people. To their credit, Peterborough councillors Clarke, Parnell, Vassiliadis, Baldwin, Riel, and Akapo attended the event. Let’s hope that they, too, feel the urgency of supporting an immediate climate emergency declaration the same way that Kingston councillors did. In Kingston, support for the declaration was unanimous.

Climate Crisis Event – September 6, 2019

On September 11, Peterborough Youth Empowerment will hold a forum to discuss what Peterborough can do at the municipal level to address the Climate Crisis. The meeting takes place at the Peterborough Public Library from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Robert Kiley, a Kingston municipal councillor, will explain how his council found the will to declare a Climate Emergency and how Peterborough can follow suit. Local climate activist, Al Slavin, will speak on some of the actions that are possible at the municipal level. Other climate events scheduled for the coming weeks include the Global Climate Action Day (Sept. 27 at Millennium Park from 12:00-3:00 pm) and 100 Debates on the Environment (Oct. 3 at Trinity United Church from 7:00 – 9:00 pm). The quickly worsening climate crisis should be top-of-mind when we cast our votes in October.

Climate Crisis Update – August 9, 2019

Quickly accelerating climate change is once again the story this summer. July was the hottest of any month in our planet’s recorded history. All-time high temperature records were shattered across Europe with Paris reaching a historic 42.6 C (108.7 F). On August 1, Greenland shedded a record 12.5 billion tons of meltwater into the sea, enough to fill 5 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. We also learned that if the IPCC’s target of a 45% carbon cut by 2030 is to be met, the plans need to be on the table by the end of 2020. This underscores the importance of assuring Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives do not take power in October.

If there is any good news, it’s the marked increase in public interest in climate change and a hunger for solutions that people can put in place in their own lives. As Sarah Lazarovic pointed out in the August issue of MacLean’s magazine, the first rule of the climate crisis is: TALK ABOUT THE CLIMATE CRISIS. With friends, with family, and even with strangers. Share your fears about your family’s future and your desire for aggressive climate policies.

Climate Crisis Update – July 19, 2019

Climate alarm bells just keep on ringing. Boosted by a historic heat wave in Europe with temperatures reaching 45.9 C in France, Earth just registered its warmest June ever. July is on track to set a new heat record as well. Unprecedented warming is also continuing unabated in the Arctic. This past Sunday, Canadian Forces Station Alert, located at the tip of Ellesmere Island, hit a record 21 C, which was warmer than Victoria, B.C. The normal is 7 C. For a sobering overview of just how serious the climate crisis is – and what can be done about it – pick up the August issue of MacLean’s magazine. It includes a 26-page section entitled “The Climate Crisis. And how to stop it.”

Climate Crisis Update – July 19, 2019

If you’re looking for a good book to read this summer, I highly recommend “The Overstory”, by Richard Powers. It won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction and is being touted as the first great American ecological novel. In telling the story of people whose lives have been profoundly affected by trees, Powers incorporates the latest tree science. This includes how trees engage in social behaviours and communicate with one another. The Overstory also fits well within the growing genre of “climate fiction” by exploring the effects of humans’ impact on the Earth. As Powers writes, “Life will cook; the seas will rise. The planet’s lungs will be ripped out. And the law will let this happen, because harm was never imminent enough. Imminent, at the time of people, is too late. The law must judge imminent at the speed of trees.”

Climate Crisis Update – June 21, 2019

Don’t miss the CBC News series on the climate crisis called In Our Backyard. As the series’ website states, “Climate change is real, it’s happening right now, and it’s in our backyard in devastating, even deadly ways. Its fingerprints are all over this spring’s floods and wildfires.” In addition to looking at floods and fires, the series details how the climate crisis is affecting the lives of Canadians through extreme heat and Arctic thaw. To find the series online, go to cbc.ca/confrontingcarbon and scroll down to the In Our Backyard links. I would also recommend subscribing to CBC’s environmental newsletter, What on Earth? and the CBC podcast entitled Front Burner, especially the episode from June 18 on what it would take for Canada to meet its climate targets. As Diane Saxe, the former Environment Commissioner for Ontario says repeatedly, the climate crisis is far worse than you think. For an excellent overview of the situation in Ontario, search “Diane Saxe speaking on Climate Action – YouTube”

Climate Crisis Update – June 14, 2019

A growing number of local groups and citizens want the City of Peterborough to declare a Climate Emergency. Several hundred Canadian municipalities have already done so, including Kingston, London, Burlington, Halton Hills, and Ottawa. There are still too many Peterborough citizens who are not engaged with this issue. Some people still think, “If things were that serious, our elected officials would be saying so.” This is the essence of why a declaration is so necessary. It would be a call to action on the part of the entire community. A Climate Emergency declaration would also support the Greater Peterborough Climate Action Plan, which city council has endorsed. Strategies in the plan include the need to “foster a culture of climate change awareness” and to “encourage civic engagement around climate change.” Citizens need to be informed in they’re to act in their own best interests, such as preparing our homes for the coming severe weather events. A declaration might also inspire people to get involved in the upcoming election and provide the “social license” to share their concerns about the climate crisis with others. Right now, it’s a no-go zone for many people. In many ways, the quickest path to meaningful action on climate change is at the municipal level.

Climate Change Update – June 7, 2019

Although it seems counter-intuitive, the cold, wet weather we’ve experienced this spring in the Kawarthas may be due to a quickly warming Arctic. Research is now linking increased Arctic warming to a weakened jet stream – the narrow band of high-altitude wind that blows west to east across the Northern Hemisphere and controls our daily weather. Instead of usually blowing straight as it used to, the jet stream is now meandering much more to the north and south like an S lying on its side. It is also becoming stuck in place. When this happens, the same weather conditions can last for weeks on end. Right now, a bend to the south over eastern Canada is allowing cold Arctic air to drop down into our latitudes. The opposite happened last summer when a bend to the north ushered in blistering heat from the south, which lasted for weeks and killed scores of people in Quebec.

Climate Crisis Event – May 24, 2019

Across the country people are gathering to brainstorm solutions to the climate crisis. The ideas will be compiled to form a collective vision for Canada’s Green New Deal – one that provides a vision for a new economy where no one gets left behind. Your input is needed! The Peterborough meeting will take place May 30 at Trinity United Church, 360 Reid St., starting at 6 p.m. For more information, go to Facebook and search for “Green New Deal – Peterborough” I also invite people to listen to the latest episode of Tapestry on CBC radio to get a true sense of the magnitude of the climate crisis.

Climate Crisis Update & Arguments – May 10, 2019

In a U.N. report released this week, we learned that up to 1 million of the Earth’s plant and animal species are at risk of extinction — and many within decades. In the Kawarthas, this will mean saying goodbye to species such as Golden-winged Warbler, Least Bittern, Eastern Wolf and Spotted Turtle. The burgeoning growth of humanity is putting the world’s biodiversity at perilous risk with alarming implications for human survival. Climate change is a major driver of the extinction crisis and is on track to become the dominant pressure on many natural systems in coming decades. It is already exacerbating the effects of over-fishing, pesticide use, pollution and both urban and agricultural expansion into the natural world. Sustained public pressure on politicians for enlightened climate action is absolutely necessary. The Ford government’s environmental policies are the antithesis of enlightened action. It’s heart-wrenching to think that the so many of the wild animals in the bedtime stories we read to our children and grandchildren will soon be gone.

When talking about climate change with friends and family, remind them that a majority of Canadians in every province, except for Alberta and Saskatchewan, are in favour of a carbon tax. A majority also believes that government must lead the climate effort and that individual action won’t be enough. When people say, “Well, what can I do?”, the answer is simple: support strong government action. In addition to a carbon tax, this includes phasing out coal and implementing stronger regulations like more aggressive clean fuel standards. Point out that 70 percent of Canada’s emissions are industry-related. All these initiatives, of course, involve costs to taxpayers – either transparent at the gas pump or hidden when it comes to regulations affecting industry – so paying these costs is “what you can do”.

Arguments for Climate Action – May 3, 2019

Arguments for Climate Action – April 12, 2019

Some people argue that Canada is such a small greenhouse gas emitter that it is irrelevant whether we cut our emissions or not. You can counter this by pointing out that: 1. Canada is actually the world’s 10th biggest emitter, ahead of even France and Brazil. 2. On a per capital basis, Canadians are the fourth largest emitters in the world – about the same as Americans and quadruple that of Swedes who live in a similar climate. 3. No one argued during WW II that given our small population, any contribution by Canada to the war effort would be meaningless. Sixteen times more Americans fought in the war than Canadians, but Canada still played a very significant role in the war. The same logic applies to climate change. We have a moral imperative to do our part in this fight, which requires no less than a war-level response.

Climate Crisis Event – February 8, 2019

Well-known Canadian author and journalist, Gwynne Dyer, will present “The Climate Horizon: A Lecture” on Feb. 11 at 7:30 pm at Gzowski College, Trent University. “Climate change will have exponential influences on our military, politics, environment, social systems and economy, but with an unprecedented level of global co-operation, there might be a way through it,” according to Dyer. Please register at Eventbrite.ca for this free event.

Climate Crisis Event – February 1, 2019

Many of us with investments, either personal or through pension plans, are concerned about how to manage the risk in the stock market with looming climate chaos. Do we divest from fossil fuels? When and how? Financial planner Tim Nash, aka “The Sustainable Economist” and recently featured on CBC’s The National, will explain how to invest safely, profitably, sustainably, and ethically in these precarious times. This free event will be of interest to individual investors, investment dealers as well as representatives of institutions with investments. The talk takes place at Trinity United Church (Simcoe St. entrance) on February 7 at 7 pm.

Climate Crisis Event – January 18, 2019

Many of us with investments, either personal or through pension plans, are concerned about how to manage the risk in the stock market that will come with the looming climate crisis. Do we divest from fossil fuels? When and how? We can’t just sell all our investments and put the cash under our mattress. On February 7, Tim Nash, also known as the Sustainable Economist, will show us how to invest safely, profitably, sustainably, and ethically in a time of climate chaos. Tim was recently featured on The National, on CBC television. A Question and Answer period will follow Tim’s talk. This event will be of interest to individual investors, investment dealers as well as representatives of institutions with investments. The event takes place at Trinity United Church at 7 PM. Please use the Simcoe Street entrance.

Climate Crisis Update – January 11, 2019

On my website, I have been keeping track of the monthly average temperatures in Peterborough since January 2010, using the “Daily Data Report” from Environment Canada. Over the past 108 months, 77 months have been warmer than the 1971 – 2000 Normal for each month. This is a 2.5/1 ratio for warmer versus cooler months. The mean annual temperature in Peterborough from 1971 to 2000 was 5.93 C. The means for the past 10 years are as follows: 2010 (7.38 C), 2011 (7.24 C), 2012 (8.15 C), 2013 (6.4 C), 2014 (5.93 C), 2015 (6.35 C), 2016 (7.08 C), 2017 (6.8 C), and 2018 (7.06 C). This gives a mean annual temperature from 2010-2018 of 6.93 C. In other words, Peterborough is now 1 C warmer than the 1971-2000 year mean. Canada as a whole warmed by 1.7 C from 1948 to 2016, while the mean temperature north of 60 degrees latitude increased by 2.3 C during the same period. Approximately 1 C of warming has occurred for the planet as a whole. In October 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that planet-wide warming must be limited to 1.5 C to avoid run-away, non-stoppable climate chaos. The bottom line is that Canada has already warmed to more than the maximum of 1.5 C allowed for Earth as a whole to maintain an acceptable climate.

Climate Crisis Update – January 4, 2019

Be sure to check out the current issue of “Greenzine”, the community magazine of Transition Town Peterborough. The entire issue focuses on climate change and asks, “Are we prepared?” As Cheryl Lyon writes, “No other threat to humanity has ever been like the one now. Ever. This time it’s different. It’s growing; it’s everywhere…Groups like Transition Town, the Climate Change Coalition, Sustainable Peterborough and GreenUp are among many in local communities trying to advance the ‘change between our ears’ and in our heart that we must make to understand and adapt to the (coming) stark realities.” Greenzine profiles community efforts in sustainability and environmentally friendly practice as well as focusing on the agricultural and creative economies of Peterborough. The magazine is published quarterly and available throughout Peterborough and various regional locations. You can also read this and other issues of the magazine online at http://www.new.transitiontownpeterborough.ca/ttp/greenzine/

Climate Crisis Update – December 21, 2018

As part of a global movement in response to this fall’s dire climate science reports, Kadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has declared a Climate Emergency. He believes that ecological breakdown poses an existential threat to civilization as we know it. He told the Guardian newspaper, “We are in the midst of a climate emergency which poses a threat to our health, our planet and our children and grandchildren’s future.” Other cities in the U.K. and Australia have made similar declarations, as has Berkeley, California. The city has committed to a just emergency climate mobilization to end greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible. Also in the U.S., congresswoman elect, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is calling for a WWII scale climate mobilization. She describes it as a “Green New Deal” to achieve 100% renewable energy in a decade or less and to implement a green job guarantee for every American who wants one. There is no more time for multi-decade solutions. For civilization to have a fighting chance, we require massive, sustained reductions in carbon emissions, and concerted collaborative action on a speed and scale we haven’t seen since the home front mobilization during World War II. Is it not time for Peterborough to join this movement and declare its own Climate Emergency?

Climate Crisis Update – December 14, 2018

Camp Kawartha has undertaken a $3.5 million capital campaign to support its vision of becoming a national leader in environmental programming. The Camp plans to build a new dining hall, kitchen and sleeping quarters, all demonstrating the latest in green architecture. This certified “living building” would be the second of its kind in all of Canada. From living walls and a living roof, to geothermal heating and the use of all-natural materials, the building would show how people and nature can live together and be healthy for both. The building will be “net zero”, which means zero toxins, zero waste and zero carbon and therefore be a showpiece for sustainability. Please consider donating to the campaign at campkawartha.ca.

At the Camp Kawartha’s Annual General Meeting this week, Chris Magwood delivered a wonderful talk on “How Buildings Can (help) Save the World”. Chris is Executive Director of The Endeavour Centre, a not-for-profit sustainable building school based in Peterborough. He pointed out that buildings are responsible for 25% or more of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Surprisingly, from a GHG perspective, a building’s energy efficiency is not the main issue. Rather, we need to look at “embodied emissions”, which are the GHGs associated with producing the building materials. They represent 60% of a building’s carbon footprint, which is much more than the operational emissions from heating and cooling the building. Magwood emphasized that reducing embodied emissions should be the building industry’s main focus in fighting climate change. Buildings made from materials such as straw, hemp, bamboo and fibreboard are actually net storers of carbon, emit zero toxins and can be affordably built right now. Go to endeavourcentre.org for more information.

Climate Crisis Update & Event – December 7, 2018

If you haven’t already done so, check out the For Our Grandchildren (4RG) website at forourgrandchildren.ca. In the Learn More section, you will find 4RG videos, climate change websites, and suggestions on how to write a letter to the editor or a politician. In the Blog, you can read about the impact of climate change on insurance rates and even read climate change news from 1954 published in a Millbrook newspaper. The website also includes upcoming events such as “Your Investments in a Changing Climate”. This talk by Tim Nash will take place February 7 at Trinity United Church. The vision of 4RG is to connect and empower grandparents and prospective grandparents who are concerned about the impending effects of climate change, and enable them to join a movement to counter and prepare for these effects on behalf of all of our children and grandchildren.

Climate Crisis Event – November 23, 2018

Climate Action Event – January 17, 2020

As severe weather becomes increasingly common, insurers will have to recover their costs by raising premiums. Eventually, the cost of insurance could become unaffordable for many of us or not be available at all. On November 27, my brother, Eric Monkman, of Monkman, Gracie & Johnson Insurance will speak on “How climate change will affect your insurance rates”. Eric will also talk about his company’s experience with the 2004 Peterborough Flood and then put this into a 2018 context. He will also touch on the devastating psychological impact of damage to homes from severe weather events. Kate Grierson, an Al Gore-trained climate change communicator, will provide a brief update on the larger picture of climate change in 2018.

The event will take place at Trinity United Church, 360 Reid Street in Peterborough, starting at 7:00 pm. Please use the Simcoe Street entrance on the south side of the church. A question and answer session will follow the talk. This event is hosted by For Our Grandchildren, Peterborough. http://forourgrandchildren.ca/ More information is available by contacting Drew Monkman at dmonkman1@cogeco.ca and on the For Our Grandchildren Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/events/525500077924290/