GLOBAL MELTING

GLOBAL MELTING

The canary in the coalmine has come and gone. If you need proof of global warming, look north. Things are BAD up there. A global thaw spells big trouble on many different levels.

The northern hemisphere is warming up faster than the southern hemisphere, directly affecting the polar ice cap, which covers the Arctic Ocean and extends into Greenland, Siberia, Canada and Alaska. It’s receding at an incredible rate: twice as fast as anywhere else in the world, and an area larger than Wales melts each year.

The floating ice in the Arctic is relatively thin (less than 10 feet thick) which makes it especially susceptible to warming. As more ice disappears, seawater that was once covered absorbs more of the sun’s heat. This only exacerbates the melting effect. It’s a nasty little cycle that accelerates the effects of global warming throughout the rest of the planet. Another problem? The Arctic is surrounded by permafrost. Permafrost is land that remains permanently frozen, with only the top few inches melting during the summer months. Permafrost throws another wrench into the global ‘cause and effect’ chain. Parts of Siberia, for example, have been frozen since the last ice age, some 10,000 years ago, and contain 70 billion tonnes of stored methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas twenty-one times more potent than carbon dioxide. As long as that permafrost remains frozen, no sweat. But when it thaws and the methane is released, we’re looking at 10 times the amount emitted annually from human activity escaping into our atmosphere. Many permafrost zones contain enough plant matter buried in their frozen interiors to generate methane for centuries to come.¹

^{Illustration: Jason Thompson}

Melting permafrost is also turning once-frozen land into mud and lakes, dramatically altering the landscape, and threatening habitats and communities. The world’s oil and gas companies have been established in the Arctic for decades. Pipelines, oilfields and mines that were built on frozen land now face serious instability as this land begins to thaw. Highways become muddy impassable roads, and transporting these materials becomes a dangerous issue. One of Russia’s major nuclear stations was built on the assumption that the frozen ground would never thaw. The environmental and health implications for humans and hundreds, if not thousands, of species are frightening. And why are we still drilling in pristine Arctic wildlife reserves if the infrastructure needed to do so is thawing right underfoot?! Isn't it ironic.

^{1 Source: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/Impacts/GlobalMeltdown/Arctic.asp}

EXTREME WEATHER

EXTREME WEATHER

A warmer climate provides fuel for all kinds of weather on a much larger scale. Everything from increased rainfall to droughts to cyclones will become awfully familiar. Where? When? How?

HURRICANES

Warmer ocean temperatures colliding with our increasingly warm, moist atmosphere creates a breeding ground that fuels tropical storms. Hurricanes in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans have intensified by 50% since the 1970s, in both wind speed and duration. The past few years have witnessed the emergence of a new kind of hurricane—they’re getting stronger, wetter and much more powerful.




In 2004, the state of Florida was visited by four large hurricanes while Japan was hit by a record-breaking 10 typhoons. That same year the United States experienced the most tornado activity ever recorded. The summer of 2005 saw Hurricane Katrina devastate New Orleans while Australia was hit by several category-5 hurricanes.^1,2





SERIOUS DOWNPOURS

Just because you don’t live in the tropics or on the coast, that's no reason to feel secure. Annual precipitation is expected to increase in the 21st century, to the tune of 1% for every degree of global warming. It goes without saying that more rain, and heavier rain, creates problems that range from the small to the stupendous.





Heavy, frequent rains run off the ground, rather than becoming absorbed into the soil. This means nutrient-rich topsoil washes away into sewers, rivers and other bodies of water. In the case of major weather events—hurricanes, tornadoes and thunderstorms—anything can happen. Crops drown, power lines are downed, and bridges and roads can be swept away. Severe flooding occurs. Disrupted slabs of earth can cause landslides. And then, in warmer climates, the shallow, stagnant pools of water left after a storm become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other disease-carrying species.

HEAT WAVES

An increase in our average temperature by just one or two degrees will make our hottest summer scorchers even more scorching. For all those people without air conditioning, the heat could become unbearable—think of the elderly, and people who are sick. In fact, just think of the majority of the earth’s population, for whom air conditioning is an unimaginable luxury. Large, densely populated cities are often hit hardest by heat waves, because the asphalt, concrete and glass act as insulators that trap the heat and keep it from escaping. This trapped heat also releases allergens. People with asthma and respiratory ailments are at great risk during heat waves. In the summer of 2003, Europe was hit with a devastating heat wave. Temperatures soared over 40 degrees in some places, causing 30,000 heat-related deaths.

DROUGHT

Some parts of the planet are more prone to drought than others. But global warming will lengthen and intensify those droughts, and worsen the fallout: food and water shortages, displacement, disease… you get the idea. Even if rainfall patterns remain unchanged, higher temperatures will still cause moisture to evaporate more quickly from the soil, meaning less time for plants to soak up nutrients.




Growing seasons are also affected by warmer, shorter winters. If snow accumulation starts to drop, the spring run-off decreases in volume, and lakes and rivers cannot be replenished. Irrigation becomes much more difficult, and we face similar problems: depleted crops, economic repercusions… you still get the idea.





Droughts make plants and trees more vulnerable to infestations: Warmer winters in British Columbia have exacerbated the spread of the mountain pine beetle. Their infestation will destroy 80% of BC’s lodgepole pine by 2020.³ On the prairies, grasshopper and spider populations can flourish in warm, dry weather, wreaking havoc on wheat and soybean crops.




During droughts, our forests become especially vulnerable to fire. The summer of 2003 saw vast stretches of BC’s interior and mixed forests burning. Almost 2,500 fires raged that summer,⁴ fuelled by a four-year drought, destroying the habitat of animals and the property and livelihood of humans. If that weren’t bad enough, massive forest fires directly affect the levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere: as forests burn, the ability to store carbon goes with them, and the carbon they had stored is released once again into the atmosphere.

^{1 Source: http://www.pewclimate.org/hurricanes.cfm
2 Source: Gore, Al. An Inconvenient Truth. Emmaus: Rodale, 2006. 80-82.
3 Source: http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/sof/sof06/InFocus02_e.html
4 Source: http://www.wildernesscommittee.org/campaigns/policy/forest_fires}

FRESHWATER SCARCITY

FRESHWATER
SCARCITY

The world’s freshwater sources are threatened by global warming. Forget religion, ideology or territory. Imagine world wars fought over access to clean water.

People know that water doesn’t come from a plastic bottle. The water you drink and wash with,  and everything you eat that requires water at some stage to grow, nourish or irrigate will be affected by shrinking glaciers and shifting precipitation patterns. And that’s just addressing the quantity of water. The quality of water will suffer as the planet heats up. Warmer water breeds nasty microbes and algae. Warm, shallow water encourages water-borne parasites.

It's estimated that contaminated water and poor sanitation cause 30,000 deaths around the world every day.¹

And as drought and diversion cause water levels to drop, shallow rivers and lakes will become polluted more easily than larger, deeper bodies of water. As sea levels rise, salt water will escape into coastal freshwater marshes and underground aquifers.

In the event of a flash flood, freshwater reservoirs could be flooded by storm water.

• According to the United Nations Water Development Report of March 2006, the combination of lower precipitation and higher evaporation in many regions is diminishing water quantities in rivers, lakes and groundwater. In addition, increased pollution is damaging ecosystems and the health, lives and livelihoods of those without access to adequate, safe drinking water and basic sanitation.²

Mountain water is used by half the people in the world for drinking, irrigation and as a source of power. But the Himalayan glaciers, a source of drinking water for 5 million people, are expected to vanish by 2050. As these sources begin to disappear, you have to wonder: What happens to the people who depend upon them?

• If current population projections continue, as many as 3.2 billion people could be living in water-scarce or water-stressed conditions by 2025. That's ONE THIRD of the world's population. Currently, 600 million people face water scarcity.³

Don't even think for a second that because we live in vast, water-rich Canada, we're in the clear. If anything, our proximity to vast amounts of freshwater puts us in a very precarious position as the global need for water intensifies. Consider these facts the next time you leave the tap on while you brush your teeth:

• In 2001, Canadians, on average, used 335 litres of water per person per day.⁴

• The Great Lakes contain the largest system of fresh surface water on earth and account for roughly 18 percent of the world’s freshwater supply.⁵

• Over 360 chemical compounds have been identified in the Great Lakes. Many are persistent toxic chemicals—alkylated lead, benzopyrene, DDT, mercury and mirex—dangerous to humans and already destructive to the aquatic ecosystems. Of the ten most highly valued species of fish in Lake Ontario, seven have now almost totally vanished.⁶

 

• In 1999, about 26% of Canadian municipalities with water distribution systems reported problems with water availability within the previous five years.⁷

^{1 Source: http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/manage/poll/e_life.htm
2 Source: http://www.irinnews.org/IndepthMain.aspx?IndepthId=13&ReportId=62312
3 Source: Population Action International. "People and Water". People in the Balance: Population and Natural Resources at the Turn of the Millennium. Update 2002.
4 Source:http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/manage/use/e_munic.htm
5 Source: Government of Canada and US Environmental Protection Agency. The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book. Third Edition, 1995.
6 Source:http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/manage/poll/e_hotspt.htm
7 Source: Environment Canada. Tracking Key Environmental Issues. Ottawa: Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2001, p.18.}

TROPICAL DISEASES

TROPICAL DISEASES

Mosquitoes, ticks, rats and bats are the usual suspects when it comes to spreading disease, and warming climates will make it easier for them to adapt to new ranges. 

Illnesses that were once isolated within tropical environments could become much more widespread, showing up in North America and Europe as regions become warmer.

West Nile virus, spread via mosquito, has spread into the United States and is moving north to Canada, infecting more than 21,000 people so far. Dengue fever, a potentially lethal infection also spread also by mosquitoes, was once limited to elevations of 1,000 feet, but has been discovered recently as high as the Andes Mountains in Colombia.  Cases of Lyme Disease are also appearing in the United States, with a predicted spread into Eastern Canada. Mosquitoes that carry malaria are moving into new regions, including Australia, Europe and North America, where natural immunity is very low. Malaria kills 2 million people a year and infects 300 to 500 million.

The recent outbreak of a fungal infection on Vancouver Island bears the worrisome mark of climate change. Cryptococcus gattii is a microscopic pathogen usually found in warm, tropical, and subtropical regions. Infection usually results from the inhalation of fungal spores, affecting the lungs, nervous system and more rarely the brain. Africa, India, South America and Australia are typical hosts, so its appearance on Canada's West coast and the Pacific Northwest is worrying scientists.<sup>1


Source: "Dangerous Fungus thrives on west coast." Globe and Mail," February 10, 2007.</sup>
click the image above to enlarge

Cryptococcus gattii has infected 165 people and killed 8 since its discovery in 2001. It has also stricken household pets, horses and marine animals. The infection is not contagious, and most people exposed never develop any symptoms. However, there is no known vaccine. Right now, scientists and physicians are hoping that with more exposure a natural immunity will develop.² Slightly comforting.

^{1 Source: http://www.cher.ubc.ca/cryptococcus/new/default.htm}

^{2 Source: "Dangerous Fungus thrives on west coast." Globe and Mail," February 10, 2007.}

MORE, MORE, MORE

MORE, MORE, MORE



POOR AIR QUALITY

It’s no surprise that greenhouse gas emissions are poisoning our atmosphere. Closer to the ground, smog is causing a spike in health problems such as childhood asthma.

Like global warming, smog is formed when we burn fossil fuels. It’s that nasty, hazy cloud that sits on top of large cities on stifling summer days. For the most part, smog comes out of factory chimneys and vehicle tailpipes. It can be carried by wind over large distances. In fact, much of Toronto’s smog doesn’t even originate here, but is blown across the border from U.S. states housing massive coal-burning power plants. Even the smog from Toronto can be carried to much smaller, cleaner towns like Parry Sound, which is two hours north of the city. The problem with smog is that it fills our air with fine particles, ground-level ozone, and pollutants,¹ making it difficult to breathe—a big reason why children, the elderly, and people with respiratory problems are advised to stay indoors when the air quality index is too high. It's a bad scene, and just slightly unnatural.

SHIFTING HABITATS/LOSS OF HABITAT

As natural habitats begin to shift, a great number of plants and animals will have to migrate in order to survive. But on an overcrowded planet, migration might lead to a dead-end for thousands of species.

Global warming-deniers could argue that more carbon dioxide is great news for plants. CO₂ stimulates photosynthesis, which makes green things grow. Longer growing seasons and more precipitation equals more crops, more harvests, and bigger yields, right? More growing zones equals more forests and more carbon sinks, right? Maybe. Some plants may thrive, but many will not. Rice, corn and potatoes—the world’s staples—do not survive in higher temperatures. No food means it's either time to move, or time to die, and that doesn’t just apply to humans. How will livestock adapt? No one knows. Shifting vegetation belts will wreak havoc on the wild animals that depend on them for food. Some animals will adapt as their habitats change. Others will not.
We’re not just talking about land here, either. Our ocean habitats are badly disturbed by human practices and the resulting climate change. Ocean acidification and the rise in ocean temperatures are killing off the coral reefs, home to 9 million marine plants and animals! That's a lot of endangered life. If something of this magnitude took place on land, heads would turn. All of the negative effects of global warming – extreme weather, droughts, fires, pest infestation – will force animals to compete for resources and habitats.

INVASIVE SPECIES

A predicted increase in species migration will bring an increase in more undesirable species entering new and vulnerable areas. We’re not talking about aesthetically inferior flowers. We’re talking about invasive insects, plants and animals that could wreak havoc on existing ecosystems.

An invasive species is any plant or animal that moves into an ecosystem outside of its traditional or historical range. It doesn’t just survive there, either. It thrives. The problem is that these drifters compete with native species for space and food, and often end up threatening the stability of native ecosystems that have been in place for ages. Shifting, disappearing habitats will force many species to adapt in any way they can, which means the number of invasive species spreading to new habitats could rise dramatically. Invasive species are considered a major cause in the increasing loss of global biodiversity, and even a contributor to global species extinction, forcing native plants and animals to survive on limited resources.

ENDANGERED SPECIES

As if human encroachment, over-fishing, poaching and loss of habitat weren’t enough of a blight on vulnerable animals and plants around the world, we can add global warming to biodiversity’s list of worst enemies.
 
It should come as no surprise that we’re losing more plants and animals as the planet warms. A loss in biodiversity means a loss in ecosystem structure and function.² But how bad will it get? If we see the average global temp rise by 1.5° to 2.5°C, we’ll be on our way to losing 30% of the world’s species.³  Those expected to suffer the fallout include one third of the planet’s amphibians, one quarter of mammals, and one quarter of the world’s coniferous trees.⁴
 
There are 16,119 species on the 2006 Red List (that’s the World Conservation Union’s annual poll of species most at stake), a number that’s been described as an “underestimate”.⁵
 
Here’s a sampling of what we could lose forever. That’s it. That’s final.


Polar Bears: Their entire habitat is disappearing from underneath them. No ice floe means they can’t hunt seals. No snow caves means nowhere to rear their babies. The Polar Bear population is expected to drop 50% to 100% over the next century.




Amphibians: Frogs, salamanders and newts are facing a serious crisis. A fungus deadly to amphibians and exacerbated by global warming is spreading around the globe. Frogs’ porous skin leaves them highly vulnerable, and a third of the world's species have been lost forever.




Bengal Tigers: The Sundarbans—a mass of islands straddling India and Bangladesh—make up the world’s largest mangrove forest, and are home to the remaining Bengals of India. They’re also extremely vulnerable to rising ocean levels. As tigers and humans compete for space, they come into conflict, and the future for both looks bleak.

^{1 Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/smog/faq.htm
2 Source: http://www.iucnredlist.org
3 Source: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2007-04-01-ippc-report-snapshot_N.htm
4 Source: http://www.iucnredlist.org
5 Source: http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:SGBYPOSsVgQJ:news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4963526.stm+
climate+change+endangered+species&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=ca&client=firefox-a}