Keyword Greenhouse gases

Article
Created: Nov 14 2019
Updated: Jul 31 2020
Canada has some of the cleanest air on the planet.[1] But the truth is, many Canadians—especially in urban centres—are finding it more difficult to breathe easy. For example, instead of fresh spring air, the first day of Toronto’s 2019 spring break arrived with an air quality warning thanks to high levels of air pollution.[2]
Article
Created: Nov 14 2019
Updated: Nov 22 2019
Many Canadians welcome the arrival of hot summer days as respite from our long, cold winters. Understandably, we tend to think of more summer heat as a good thing. But too much heat can be dangerous.
Article
Created: Nov 14 2019
Updated: Nov 22 2019
We often think about climate change as something abstract or remote. We hear scientists talking about melting ice caps, see images of drought in faraway places, or browse through news coverage of exotic weather disasters. But climate change is having effects right here and right now in Canada. And the risks aren’t just theoretical or abstract. The effects of climate change promise to be up close and personal, affecting the everyday lives and health of Canadians. As Jeff Eyamie of Health Canada says, “The most immediate and personal impact of climate change is the health impact.”
Video
Created: Nov 7 2018
Updated: Nov 7 2018
Agriculture is responsible for 8% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. “It’s part of the problem, but it’s also part of the solution,” says Kunbi Adetona, an energy systems researcher at the University of Calgary. In this video, Adetona talks about the potential of converting manure and other agricultural waste products into biogas, which can offset fossil fuel usage. But what’s really exciting is that researchers have now started converting manure into biochar — or more simply charcoal — which can be used to store carbon in the soil for hundreds of years while improving soil health. “It’s a win-win strategy,” concluded Adetona. “Agriculture could be part of the solutions to the greenhouse gas emissions."
Article
Created: Sep 17 2018
Updated: Oct 16 2018
Canada’s forests are some of the largest in the world. They have enormous economic, cultural, environmental, and recreational value for Canadians of all walks of life. [1]
Article
Created: Apr 2 2018
Updated: Jul 10 2019
The map shows the value for the selected climate variable or index for one of three 30-year time periods: the recent past (1976-2005), the immediate future (2021-2050) and the near future (2051-2080). Future projections are calculated using two possible greenhouse gas emissions scenarios that result in more or less severe levels of climate change.
Video
Created: Mar 26 2018
Updated: Mar 30 2018
Energy transitions are often considered a scientific or technical issue. However, University of Waterloo’s Imre Szeman argues that climate change is fundamentally a cultural issue. He argues that responding to climate change requires a shift in the way we think about cars, energy, chemicals, over-consumption, and other aspects of the fossil-fuel dependent “petrocultures” that permeate our everyday lives.
Article
Created: Feb 17 2017
Updated: Apr 2 2018
Earth’s climate has changed many times and many ways. We know a lot about the natural causes and effects of ancient climate change, and this knowledge helps us state with confidence that modern climate change is a product of human activity.
Article
Created: Mar 19 2018
Updated: Aug 7 2019
Climate change is a large-scale problem, but it’s also a direct result of our collective choices and actions. That means we can make a difference. But how? We’ve been told for years to take environmental and climate action as individuals. Things like upgrading our home insulation, riding our bikes and taking public transit are important, but these small-scale personal choices take place in a wider world. Our social, political, and economic systems also have a responsibility to tackle the climate challenge head on.
Video
Created: Mar 19 2018
Updated: Apr 3 2018
Earth has warmed by 1 °C in just over 100 years. Damon Matthews, a climatologist from Concordia University, describes how this change in temperature is both human-caused and unparalleled in geologic history. Taking us through the evidence of our warming climate, Matthews discusses what these changes mean for Canada and suggests that the case for a dramatic policy response is very clear.