BC Climate News through November 27th

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This is a weekly update on what you need to know about the global and ecological crisis and the steps leaders are taking in BC and around the world for the week of November 21-27, 2022. is.

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Climate news of the week:

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• Liberals announce climate adaptation strategies
• Less green space in BC cities
• Climate activists disrupt German air traffic

United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned for a decade that the climate crisis will lead to more frequent and intense wildfires, droughts, severe weather, such as the deadly heat dome in British Columbia last June, and flooding.

Last August, it issued a “Code Red” for Humanity, and earlier this year, a committee of hundreds of scientists from around the world announced a plan to stop global warming from exceeding 1.5C. said the windows were being closed. in April, Released report with solution How to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, primarily by moving away from fossil fuels.

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There is scientific consensus on climate change (NASA reports that 97% of climate scientists agree that the climate is warming and human activity is to blame. ) Several studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals show that greenhouse gas emissions are a major contributor to global warming.

We’ll be back here every Saturday to round up our latest climate and environmental articles. You can also get the latest BC focused news delivered to your inbox by 7am by subscribing to our newsletter here.

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BC carbon number summary:

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A quick fact about climate change:

• The Earth is now about 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer than it was in the 1800s.
• Globally, 2021 was the fifth hottest year on record.
• Human activity has increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere₂ Nearly 49% above pre-industrial levels since 1850.
• The world is not on track to meet the Paris Agreement goal of no more than 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, the upper limit for avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. .
• 2015-2019 were the five hottest years on record, and 2010-2019 were the ten hottest years on record.
• Current pathways for carbon dioxide emissions could see temperatures rise as much as 4.4 degrees by the end of the century.
• Greenhouse gas concentrations will hit new record highs in April 2022 and show no signs of slowing down.
• Emissions should be reduced by 7.6% per year from 2020 to 2030 to keep temperatures below 1.5C and by 2.7% per year to keep them below 2C.
• 97% of climate scientists agree that the climate is warming and that humans are to blame.

(Source: United Nations IPCC, World Meteorological Organization, UNEP, NASA, climatedata.ca)

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latest climate news

Green space has decreased across BC cities since 2000: StatCan

New statistics from Statistics Canada show that since 2000, virtually every BC city has seen a decline in the amount of urban green space.

Penticton, Chilliwack and Kelowna experienced the biggest declines in BC, but Vancouver and Abbotsford were not far behind.

The pattern is the same across the country, with all states seeing a decline in urban green space, the report said.

“All large population centers have seen a reduction in greenery,” the study authors wrote, largely due to development and climate change.

Metro Vancouver ranks second in terms of greenness among Canada’s largest cities, with an average of 68% of metro urban areas rated as green, with features such as parks, trees along streets, trees on private property and other green spaces. Ranked 2nd.

Read the full text here.

— Nathan Griffith

Climate change: Adaptation strategies promise financing to fight heat, floods and fires

The National Climate Adaptation Strategy announced Thursday includes $1.6 billion in new spending to help communities face risks ranging from deadly heatwaves and wildfires to floods and storms. I’m here.

Federal Emergency Preparedness Secretary Bill Blair has announced plans for Prince Edward Island, where tropical storm Fiona caused extensive damage to power systems, farms and fisheries after hitting the region on September 24. .

Blair, who was touring Redhead Harbor just before the press conference, heard from the harbor master how the piers had been destroyed by the storm surge and said the fishermen were unsure when they would be able to return to work.

“What we are seeing in recent years is an increase in the frequency and severity of climate-related events, requiring action not just from specific government mandates, but from all of us. Canada People,” Blair said at a press conference.

Read the full text here.

—Canadian Press

Activists make climate problem worse for arts insurer

Climate activists’ attacks on some of the world’s most precious paintings have added to fears among insurers over threats to art from climate change itself, and fears are expected to lead to higher art insurance premiums. .

In recent weeks, activists have thrown tomato soup at Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” in the National Gallery in London and black liquid at Gustav Klimt’s “Death and Life” in the Leopold Museum in Vienna. , has drawn attention to the causes of climate change. Use of fossil fuels.

The painting was behind glass or a screen, and a National Gallery spokesman said there was only “minor damage” to the sunflower frame.

The Leopold Museum said Klimt was unharmed, but did not respond to requests for further comment.

But many in the art and insurance industries say it may be only a matter of time before the artwork is destroyed.

Read the full text here.

— Reuters

Security review after protesters disrupt Berlin air traffic

German authorities were reviewing security measures at Berlin’s airport on Friday after six climate activists broke into the premises and temporarily disrupted flights.

German news agency dpa quoted a spokesman at Berlin Brandenburg Airport saying Thursday’s incident is being investigated to determine what further action may be required.

Police said four demonstrators stuck themselves to the ground near the runway while two others cycled across the runway. The Last Generation Uprising, a group that has staged numerous roadblocks and other stunts to underscore the need for action on climate change, has claimed responsibility.

The group said it wanted to focus on the issue of fossil fuel subsidies such as jet fuel. This allows a minority of the world’s population to fly, while the majority suffer the consequences of climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

Activists reportedly notified police of their plans before entering the airport grounds.

Read the full text here.

— Associated Press

Wildlife Council Boosts Shark, Turtle Conservation

The International Wildlife Council has moved to enact some of the most important protections for shark species targeted by the fin trade and for the large number of turtles, lizards and frogs whose numbers are being decimated by the pet trade.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known by its acronyms CITES, ended in Panama on Friday. With the protection of more than 500 species, representatives of the UN Wildlife Council have rejected proposals to reopen the ivory trade. In 1989 an ivory ban was enacted.

“Good news from CITES is good news for wildlife, because the treaty is one of the pillars of international conservation and will help address the interconnected global crises of biodiversity collapse, climate change and pandemics. It is essential to ensure that nations come together to fight,” said the president of international policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society.

“Many of the proposals adopted here reflect the ongoing over-exploitation and unsustainable trade and escalating Some are due to a complex interplay of other threats that reduce species populations due to habitat loss,” she added.

Read the full text here.

— Associated Press

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