The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), composed of environmental experts and scientists from around the world, just released a report on climate change. The report concludes that the world has just over a decade to get climate change under control, or else. Moreover, the IPCC notes that the overall reductions in annual carbon dioxide emissions in the next decade would probably need to be more than 1 billion tons per year, larger than the current emissions of all but a few of the very largest emitting countries. By 2050, the report calls for a total or near-total phase out of the burning of coal, something President Trump insists on preserving.
By contrast, we have the second largest emitter, the U.S., rolling back a suite of Obama-era climate measures. As a result, the prospects for meeting the most ambitious goals of the 2015 Paris agreement look increasingly slim. In Canada, the Federal Government intends to introduce a carbon tax next year, but is facing strong opposition from certain provinces such as Ontario and Manitoba. Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford’s signal achievement in his first 100 days in office has been to kill the province’s climate-change policy and replace it with promises involving few details. Furthermore, he has cancelled the previous provincial government’s cap and trade program designed to encourage industries to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.
Instead, some administrations are foregoing green technologies and carbon taxes in the name of maintaining jobs and stimulating economies. The problem is that globally we are now facing more extreme weather patterns, ranging from droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes and fierce storms with heavy precipitation. The results are increased numbers of forest fires, coastal flooding, crop damage, permafrost thaw and the spread of diseases by migrating insects. However, one could argue that there is an employment creation aspect in the form of more jobs for fire fighters, emergency workers, restoration contractors, insurance agents, meteorologists, etc., etc.
While other countries are changing their energy and transportation policies to take advantage of green technologies, including renewable energy sources, the U.S. and parts of Canada are unfortunately trying to maintain the status quo. Tackling issues related to climate change should be our first priority. We can no longer afford to support regressive environmental policies, because the eventual societal costs will far outweigh the costs associated with reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The only question that I have to ask is whether it may already be too late? Let’s hope not for the sake of future generations!
FROLITICKS 