As Canada counts the cost of 2023 fire season, experts warn that drought and dry weather ‘loads the dice’ for spring 2024
The past season demonstrated challenges of the status quo fire management system in preparing for and dealing with wildfire conditions exacerbated by climate change, says Dr. Mike Flannigan, while the federal government has launched a plan to fund the training of 1,000 firefighters.
2023 set the stage for water, in 2024 we must act
Looking ahead, science tells us that we should expect more destruction from escalating climate change, natural disasters, and environmental degradation. While this reality is unsettling, it should serve as a powerful motivator for both us and the government to take immediate action. We have the knowledge, the framework, the science, and the collective will to safeguard Canadian freshwater resources, and we know Canadians are well aware of the stakes involved.
2024: the year it got really hot
The world crossed the threshold into +1.2° about two years ago, and the general assumption was that we would stay in that zone for at least the next five years. But 2023 ended up at around +1.4°, with huge wildfires, massive floods, and storms, killer heat waves—and Jim Hansen says 2024, with the El Niño boost, will be much worse.
Number of air conditioners in the world expected to triple by 2050, six billion units
The sad truth is that the refrigerant gases helping us adapt to climate change are themselves a leading driver of the crisis. Effective rules and enforcement is needed to keep this sleeping giant of a climate threat on ice.
Lesson learned: climate failures and ozones success
We cannot re-negotiate the Paris Agreement, but we can move in the WTO to ensure all climate actions are protected to allow the use of trade sanctions, where appropriate, to insulate against decisions that penalize climate action as in restraint of trade, and to ensure the Paris Agreement will succeed where previous pacts have failed.
Requiring automakers to make electric vehicles will give us the budget models we need
Canadians deserve relief from high car and gas prices. Thankfully, there is a solution.
Taiwan’s vital role in bridging gaps for global climate action
Fuelled by its manufacturing prowess, and pioneering skills in low-carbon technology and enhanced energy efficiency, Taiwan stands ready to make a substantial contribution.
Loss-and-damage agreement could be climate justice game changer—if done right
Canada must use its role on the international stage to ensure equitable and just outcomes for global loss-and-damage funding, such as calling for a grants-based mechanism and not loans that would increase the debt burden of vulnerable countries.
Oil and gas industry’s fancy foot-dragging wins the day, again
While the Conservative leader is busy trying to ‘ruin’ Trudeau’s holiday with procedural hi-jinks aimed at fighting the carbon tax, oil executives and their well-paid lobbyists can take comfort in their well-earned Christmas bonuses.
Environment Policy Briefing
