Tag Archives: environment
The Arctic’s on fire and now it’s going to be hit by a heat wave
Europe’s historic heat wave is heading north this weekend, to the
relief of the continent, but its path will send it right towards the
Arctic — where it could speed up the melting of sea ice and coincide
with devastating wildfires.
relief of the continent, but its path will send it right towards the
Arctic — where it could speed up the melting of sea ice and coincide
with devastating wildfires.
Unprecedented wildfires are currently raging across the Arctic Circle, with some the size of 100,000 football fields — so big they can be seen from space.
Arctic sea ice is moreover already running at a record low this year;
scientists worry a heat wave will only further exacerbate the area’s
problems.
Right now, Europeans are likely suffering because of the climate crisis. Sweltering heat waves have broken records across the continent, pushing temperatures into the 40s. Those temperatures have caused deaths, much disruption and misery.
So I was disappointed when that misery coincided with the Vancouver Sun’s publication of an op-ed column by University of Guelph economics professor Ross McKitrick claiming we only have a “vague inkling” that we “might” be in a climate emergency a “decade from now.”
What Canada’s last energy transition can teach us about the next one | CBC Radio
The last major energy transition — when Canadians switched from
using fuel sources like wood to relying on fossil fuels and
hydroelectricity — transformed the country.
using fuel sources like wood to relying on fossil fuels and
hydroelectricity — transformed the country.
It drove economic
growth, reshaped cities and altered the rhythms of daily life. It also
had devastating consequences for the environment.
But although
that transition created modern life as we know it, historian Ruth
Sandwell says Canada lagged behind other industrialized countries in
making the switch. In fact, many Canadians were suspicious of new energy
sources and wanted to stick with what they knew.
Shifting ground: How permafrost thaw threatens homes in Canada’s North
Margaret and Edward Kelly’s home is coming apart at the seams.
The joints holding their walls, floors and ceilings together expand
and contract as the ground underneath moves, a few centimetres at a
time.
They built their family home in Fort Good Hope, on the banks of the
Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories, 30 years ago. Over the
past decade, they’ve fought to keep the house together.
But every time they make a repair, another gap appears between the walls, or a section of the floor sinks.