Lundbrec Recreational Area

Parks are proven to improve water quality, protect groundwater, prevent flooding, improve the quality of the air we breathe, provide vegetative buffers, habitat for wildlife, and a place where families can connect in mentally stress free ways.

Unfortunately, Lundbreck Falls Provincial Recreational Area along with 163 other parks are to be delisted by the Alberta government. Twenty of them could be closed by the end of the year. The fishing is great and it’s a wonderful place to stay with your family while exploring the Crowsnest Pass area. However, it’s a little too close for the coal mine expansion in Grassy Mountain.

Selenium from mining activities leeching into the Oldman River is a concern as it supplies 40% of the irrigated land in Alberta and the entire water supply for Lethbridge. In Sparwood, B.C., selenium from Tech Resources has poisoned one of its wells. There were other private wells with much higher (13.5 micrograms per litre) than safey limits as well. The mine is just across the Alberta and British Columbia border.

Coal mines use a lot of water. For every tonne of coal mined, between 1 and 2.5 cubic meters of groundwater is made unusable. For that matter, there are a lot of industries using what could be a limited supply of fresh water.

The California Water Association, an industry group for investor-owned water utilities, sells to customers in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties. Clean, affordable and accessible water is a human right according to California law, but it doesn’t mean we have the same rights here in Alberta, or Canada for that matter. If the Grassy Mountain Coal mine contaminates the headwaters, Alberta could wind up paying a lot more for fresh, clean water.

Quantity and cost isn’t likely to be consistent as heavy industries demand a bigger supply. There is a limit to how much water we have. Canada has 7% of the world’s renewable fresh water, but more than half of this water drains northward into the Arctic Ocean and Hudson Bay. As a result, it is unavailable to the 85% of the Canadian population who live along the country’s southern border. That means the remaining supply, while still abundant, is heavily used and often overly stressed.

Climate change is one of those stressors. With the global increase of ambient temperature, the soil which collects and filters the water, becomes dryer and doesn’t retain as much moisture. Places in North America this year are experiencing extreme temperatures. Phoenix, Arizona has had record temperatures above 110 degrees Fahrenheit for 43 days so far this year, setting a new record.

The Burning Environment

Warmer air and dryer soil create conditions that make us more susceptible to fires. It continues to get worse every year and affects millions of lives, including birds, animals and humans

Thousands of migrating birds died this year from thirst and hunger. Wildfires in California shut them out of their natural migration areas. It was reported these birds were dying mid-flight and falling to the ground. And, it isn’t just birds. The last few years have seen a number of species around the world dying off or going extinct. There have been reports of hundreds of seals and whales beaching themselves, and various other fish and animals perishing. The truth is, we are not good stewards of the land. Wealth and greed sees us turning our resources over to the big corporations for a pittance of what they are worth.

Between Washington State, Oregon and California, there have been over 5 million acres have been burnt. The exact count isn’t in yet but it’s said tens of thousands of people have been displaced. It isn’t unusual to find different kinds of animals and fish migrating northward because of the unbearable heat.

We’ve heard several reports over the last few years that confirm this pattern. Climate change is the recognized cause. These populations are moving towards the north, and this includes people as well. The heat is becoming unbearable, the soil is less fertile and fresh water will also be in short supply, not only in the west but also in places like Florida, Georgia and Alabama, where droughts now regularly wither cotton fields. “The Memphis Sands Aquifer, a crucial water supply for Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana, is already overdrawn by hundreds of millions of gallons a day. Much of the Ogallala Aquifer — which supplies nearly a third of the nation’s irrigation groundwater — could be gone by the end of the century, as reported in a New York Times article.”

Flooding is becoming more frequent in areas that aren’t as susceptible to fires, especially the coastal areas. Roadways will be submerged, crops drown and salt water will seep into the fresh water supply. An article in the New York Times claims that eight of the nation’s 20 largest metropolitan areas, including Miami, New York and Boston — will be profoundly altered, indirectly affecting some 50 million people. The World Bank warns that fast-moving climate urbanization leads to rising unemployment, competition for services and deepening poverty. These conditions will come on the heels of people migrating to get themselves and their families to a safer place to live.

In August, Reuters reported the last fully intact ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic¹ had collapsed. It’s been reported that the ejected section covers about 110 square km. The north is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world and it’s leading to some dramatic changes. It has been referred to as an abrupt climate change event. We have all heard that Greenland is melting too. It contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by seven metres, if it were all to melt. Thankfully, it won’t happen all at once. If we could match our temperatures to the Paris climate accord it might be possible to avert this calamity. However all the reports being released are saying there isn’t much chance of Canada or the world meeting these goals.

Greenland Is Melting

Who’s Coming to dinner?

How long will it be until Canada gets over run with American climate refugees? How long will it be before we can no longer feed everyone? Where will everyone live? Can we push north like the birds and other animals?

We’ve had fires burning above the article circle so we’re limited to how far north we can move. The farther north we go, the warmer it is from global warming. Luckily, those living in Alberta will be all-right for years to come.

The University of Lethbridge said: “On average, summer temperatures have gone up by less than one degree, rarely more than that. Spring temperatures have also risen by less than one degree in southern Alberta, but in northern Alberta there are regions with more than two degrees of increased warming.” There is little doubt. The good news about this increase is, that it’s lengthened the growing season by 3-4 weeks. Plants and vegetables can take advantage of the extended season. On the other hand, it means more extreme weather will follow.

When it’s Alberta’s turn to start shifting north, it may not be a viable choice. It already shown that the animals that live there have their lives in danger with the increasing temperature and dwindling ice. We can’t migrate to an unstable environment. A team of scientists visited the region on a Greenpeace vessel and took amazing footage with a drone showing the retreating ice.

Alberta is at a crossroads. Turning our parks back over to the crown means they won’t be saved for future generations to enjoy and there will be less available areas that can be built out for climate refugees. Our extinction may have started. It’s best we think about preparing for it. Some authors are heralding in the Apocalypse. ABC news carries a story saying:

According to the final Book of Revelation in the New Testament, the Earth suffers from “seven Plagues” — from disease to “intense heat” and drought, then finally a shower of deadly hailstones.

Then comes the Apocalypse, the final judgment of man and the destruction of the world by fire.

Perhaps this is an ideal time for religious fanatics to start their fear mongering that the end is near. If it motivates governments around the world to take the climate crisis a little more seriously it may be beneficial. However it’s doubtful that will be the case. We haven’t reached the tipping point yet. Sill, it is in our best interests to elect politicians who will help work to avert reaching that point. To do this, we must start taking better care of our environment, including the parks and recreational areas that we all enjoy.

¹ Reuters Greenpeace video found on Youtube — Drone footage shows extent of Arctic ice loss