The Earth is Getting Warmer -- by Anne Shier

(From the Government of Canada re:  Climate Change)

The 20th Century was the warmest globally in the past 1,000 years.  In fact, the 1980s and 1990s were the warmest decades on record.

The Earth is experiencing a change in climate - one that will affect our environment, our economy and the way we live for years to come.  A panel of international scientists has predicted that average global temperatures could rise by as much as 1.4 degrees C to 5.8 degrees C by the end of the 21st Century.  In Canada, average temperatures in some regions could rise by as much as 5 degrees C to 10 degrees C.

What's wrong with warmer temperatures?

To some Canadians, warmer temperatures may seem appealing - especially in the middle of winter.  But scientists in Canada and around the world have warned of the possible consequences, some of which we may already be experiencing:

• More severe weather events such as thunderstorms, heavy rains, hail, and tornadoes could take a heavy toll on human lives and property.
• Longer and more intense heat waves could make air pollution in larger urban areas worse.  Air pollution has been linked to increased deaths and illness from asthma and other respiratory diseases.
• More droughts could harm crop yields and increase the risk of forest fire.
• Drier conditions could affect the quantity and quality of our water.
• Sea-level rises could increase flooding and erosion along Canada's coasts.  Combined with violent storms, this could cause sea water to surge inland, damaging buildings, roads, and bridges.

We are changing our climate

Gases in our atmosphere--water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide--act like a greenhouse to keep the sun's heat in and help make our planet livable.  Without this natural greenhouse effect, the average temperature on Earth would be -18 degrees C--too cold to support life.

But too many greenhouse gases can be harmful.  As we burn more and more fossil fuels to power our cars and trucks, keep our industries humming and make our homes more comfortable, we are increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.  These gases are thickening the blanket that insulates the Earth, causing average temperatures to rise.

In January 2001, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), made up of top climate scientists from around the world, concluded that "there is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activity."

Small changes in average temperature make a big difference.  During the last ice age, average temperatures were only 5 degrees C cooler than they are today.

Canada is taking action

The Government of Canada has an action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation, energy, industrial, and buildings sectors of our economy and in its own operations.  But all Canadians can take actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help solve the problem of climate change--and at the same time, save money and improve our health.

Visit www.climatechange.gc.ca to learn what you can do, and what governments and businesses are already doing.