NOTE: We attempt to highlight a selection of recent news articles related to climate change to help readers sort through all the news around us these days.
1) "For This Remote First Nation, Installing Heat Pumps is Worth The Effort"
Source: CBC 'What on Earth'
Members of the Heiltsuk Nation have found that relying on fossil fuels to run their community has had a high cost, with not only climate change, but an oil spill from the barge bringing them fuel. For them it is worth the effort to install Heat Pumps for their entire community, as it will save each family money, but also represent a return to a more earth friendly culture which is very important to them.
2) "UN Climate Report - It's 'Now or Never' to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees"
Source: United Nations
This article is very serious, starting with this quote:
"Reacting to the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN Secretary-General insisted that unless governments everywhere reassess their energy policies, the world will be uninhabitable."
It goes on to say that without immediate and drastic cuts to GHG emissions, and basically a total refit of our energy sectors, we will not be able to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. Despite continual warnings and the international agreement in Paris in 2016, global emissions have continued to rise since 2010.
3) "Groundbreaking report outlines Canada's quick path to clean power"
Source: The David Suzuki Foundation
A new report says that Canada as a whole could transition to clean and renewable energy by 2035 without significant costs, or relying transition systems or nuclear. The report finds that by expanding solar and wind at a pace which Germany is currently pursuing (to help move away from depending on Russia) that we could successfully move to a zero-emission electrical system. It also highlights how this would create a steady increase in sustainable jobs, and lower overall costs in the long run. It would take a serious commitment from governments at all levels though.
4) "Government will ban some single-use plastics over the next 18 months"
Source: CBC News
The federal government announced it is following through with it's promise to ban some single use plastics, while continuing to support the industry during the transition. The list of items includes straws, cutlery, stir sticks, and take out containers (and more), and production of these items should cease by the end of this year. Companies will still be able to sell their stock until the end of 2023, or export stock until the end of 2025. Reasons cited are the low demand for recycled plastic, and the poor record we have in Canada for recycling of plastic. Most of these plastic items can be recycled but actually end up in our landfills, and polluting our lands and waters.
5) "Fossil Fuel companies 'have humanity by the throat', says UN head in blistering attack"
Source: The Guardian
Speaking at a climate change conference organized by the White House, Antonio Guterres declared that fossil fuel companies are leveraging the war in the Ukraine to bring in record profits and further expand their fuel explorations. He alleges that they deny the negative impacts their products have on climate change and hide their connections behind misleading information. He also criticized governments and other businesses for failing to take opportunities to reduce emissions quickly despite several scary reports from the UN recently (such as #2 above.)
