Climate Change in a Nutshell - A report from the Renewable Energy Program at KO
Climate change is happening.
The debate within the scientific community has shifted, from the question of whether or not humans are causing change in global climate, to a discussion of how serious the impacts will be. By all indications the results will severely change the course of ecosystems and human societies around the world in the decades to come.
Enhanced droughts, floods, heat waves and air pollution are wreaking havoc in many parts of the world. Years of drought on the Canadian prairie are devastating famers, while floods in Europe in summer 2002 were the largest in centuries. As climate change progresses, extreme events such as these will become far more common.
Climate change is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases, most of which are generated by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) and deforestation. Industrialized nations have produced almost all of the greenhouse gases now present in the atmosphere during the past two centuries, and their emissions continue to grow.
It is possible to stabilize the climate by acting now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Kyoto Protocol defines emission reduction targets and flexibility mechanisms by which the targets can be met. It is the only such document available to the international community and represents five years of negotiations.
Solutions to climate change include measures to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, such as more fuel efficient cars, better public transportation and building upgrades. These will create thousands of jobs in the hi-tech and construction industries as we shift to a cleaner energy future. Economic analysis done by Ottawa and the provinces in May showed that with Kyoto the Alberta economy would continue to grow rapidly including the oil and gas sector.
Now that Canada has decided to ratify Kyoto, it's time to conclude discussions on how to meet the target and begin the transition to a low emissions future.