As large areas of the western United States and central Canada continue to cope with the intense heat, some climate and environmental safety experts call on governments and communities at all levels to redouble their efforts to mitigate and adapt to the inevitable impact of climate change. climate change.
In late June, the high-temperature dome in Western Canada broke dozens of high-temperature records during the initial bombing, and set more than 60 records in one day in BC alone.
Lytton, a small community in British Columbia that was hit by a catastrophic wildfire last week, has repeatedly set Canada’s hottest temperature record-up to 49.6 degrees Celsius during the heat wave.
The team of scientists concluded that climate change has increased the likelihood of heat waves in British Columbia and Alberta by 150 times
During the heat wave in BC, the BC Coroners Service recorded more than 700 deaths in one week-three times the normal rate during that period.
Now, as the heat wave travels through central Canada — parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta — and the forests of the Pacific Northwest of the United States are on fire, climate scientists say it is now It’s time to act more aggressively to prevent this from happening. Extreme weather events.
Ian Mauro, executive director of the Prairie Climate Center at the University of Winnipeg, said that once global warming exceeds a certain threshold, extreme weather events such as heat waves in Western Canada may occur every 5 to 10 years. The 2040s.
Scientists believe that the most recent heat wave is an event that occurs every 1,000 years.
“We have been saying this for years, and climate scientists have been saying it for decades,” Mauro said.
“Now we are in an era of real-time prediction of the future. The extreme high temperatures facing Canada this year indicate that climate change is happening in real time, affecting real communities and the environment.”
UBC Professor William Cheung, director of the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, said that although we cannot predict when these extreme weather events will occur in the future, it is generally certain that they will eventually occur again — and with increasing frequency. And intensity.
As the “dangerous” heat wave continued, BC broke 60 historical temperature records on Sunday
He cited a recent analysis by a group of international scientists from Canada and abroad, which concluded that climate change has increased the likelihood of heat waves in western Canada by 150 times.
“I think this means that more broadly and broadly, we need to take good climate mitigation measures because we are emitting more carbon dioxide, and due to the intensity of such events, carbon dioxide will only increase,” Zhang said.
Mauro said that although Canada and other geographic regions that are more susceptible to climate change are now beginning to see the results of years of human pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, there is now everything needed for governments, industry and communities to support the rapidly changing climate.
He said that efforts to mitigate climate change, such as reducing emissions, need to be combined with a “stable, systematic and resourceful” adaptation strategy.
How Canadian communities and cities choose to adapt varies according to their geographic and social circumstances, but Mauro cited some examples.
Remote communities in the north that rely on diesel to power the grid can consider using more self-reliant energy, while the “hydro-rich” British Columbia can use more renewable energy to power the grid.
A 734-page report released by the Department of Natural Resources Canada during the week of the heat wave in Western Canada found that changing rainfall patterns and rising temperatures and sea levels will continue to “persist and, in many cases, will continue to Intensified in ten years”.
The report said that upcoming changes in weather patterns could severely affect every aspect of life, from food safety to trade to immigration, and warned that Canada’s lack of preparation for these patterns could be catastrophic.
The report emphasized adaptation, especially with regard to Canada’s infrastructure—everything from roads to sewers and hydroelectric lines is at risk. According to the report, Canada was to a large extent originally designed for the northern climate, rather than built to adapt to the rapidly changing climate.
“The first thing to understand is the nuances of this country and how climate change affects different jurisdictions in different ways,” Mauro said.
Ryan Mackie of the BCIT Eco City Center said that cities and communities will have to examine their own vulnerabilities and specifically address these issues.
For example, in response to hot weather, McGee encourages the wider use of “passive buildings,” which can reduce the need for electricity to regulate indoor temperatures to keep them cool in summer or warm in winter.
Mackie said that we can start designing Canadian cities to regulate more heat, by planting more urban forests to create shadows in hotter places, or using more permeable buildings in the case of more intense rainfall. Surface and restore wetland to absorb excess water.
“We also want to imitate what is usually done in nature,” he said.
Finally, Mackie stated that the biggest weakness we have to adapt is related to food security and how rapidly changing extreme weather events affect food supplies not only in Canada but also overseas (where most of the country’s food is imported).
“This year we have seen some of these situations-water is insufficient or too hot or too cold at different times in spring-so our agricultural industry does need to invest to increase irrigation and shade and different practices to reduce their vulnerability to adapt. Responding to extreme weather events,” McKee said.
Although many aspects of Canadian industry and infrastructure may change or adapt to the changing climate, several experts pointed out one aspect that cannot be ignored-vulnerable groups that must withstand such extreme events.
Mauro said: “We have different types of people in different environments. They have different abilities and need to be considered carefully.” “What we know is that extreme heat can cause certain people in society compared to others. Social vulnerability.”
He pointed out that the elderly were “hit” during the last heat wave, and many of them may have been isolated or have underlying health problems. New infrastructure, such as splash guards — and urban canopies — will go a long way in helping “cooling systems” and reducing the risk to the most vulnerable.
“When we think about climate change and these heat waves, it’s like the beginning of a pandemic. We need to change our behavior quickly. We need governments, policies, industries, and communities to support this rapid behavior change,” Mauro said.
“We now know that we can do it. So for me, we are living in a perfect moment.”
© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
