CLIMATE CHANGE: A CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE

Environmental Change: A Canadian Perspective
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Environmental Change: A Canadian Perspective
The atmosphere of the earth is extraordinary in that it can support life; therefore, its importance has been emphasized. In the mid-1960s, imaging from space revealed that there was a layer of gasses that covered the earth, which indicated that indeed, the Earth is unique. Recently, it was recognized the release of certain substances to the atmosphere could change the composition of the air. The two primary ways in which this occurs is through depletion of the ozone layer and the warming of the earth’s atmosphere (Stott et al., 2010). As the temperatures around the globe continue to increase and sea levels rise, the impact of global warming is being experienced intensely in Canada and remains among the most vulnerable countries. It is apparent that reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses would elevate the problem of climate change; nevertheless, some degree of change is unavoidable and would have economic, social, and environmental impacts (Bentz et al., 2010). Climate change is a Canadian environmental, social, and economic issue because its implications are witnessed in numerous ways that include deterioration of agriculture; vulnerability of the people; and death of animals. It is the reason Canada has not seized its fight against climate change, and efforts will continue in the future.
A Canadian Perspective
Scientific evidence has revealed that climate change is among the greatest threats of the current times.

Various aspects of climatic change have been experienced in Canada such as high rates of droughts, coastal flooding, and melting of the ice at the arctic. One of the greatest concerns is an increase in the duration of extreme weathers. In 1998, a severe ice storm struck Eastern Canada and demonstrated how serious the climate change could get. Also, some changes are slow; for instance, water bodies freeze at a later time than the anticipated one and thawing occurs earlier. It has led to various difficulties in the construction and maintenance of ice roads, which are essential for the people dwelling in the Northern regions (Stott et al., 2010). Such incidents compel Canada to implement a measure that will help to alleviate climate change. Canadians represent only less than one percent of the world’s population. Nevertheless, reports indicate that it accounts for over two percent of the total global greenhouse emission. It means that Canada is among the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses in the globe. Carbon dioxide is the most prevalent greenhouse gas, but there are others such as hydrofluorocarbons, methane, and water vapor. Water vapor is a natural greenhouse gas, and human activities have not significant effect on the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere.
Canada has plentiful forests and natural resources, and environmental issues cannot be ignored. The three most important sources of emissions in Canada include Canada Oilsands, Oilsands Pipelines, and coal exports (Ford, Berrang-Ford, King & Furgal, 2010). It is argued that the oilsand extraction is a process that involves high levels of Carbon emission. In 2014, reports indicated that oil and gas account for a significant proportion of the total emissions in Canada. The largest percentage of the oil from Alberta reserves is transported through pipelines. With the current increase in the rate of oilsand extraction in this region, it means that companies have to find ways of expanding their capacity to transport oil to different areas in the world (McCreary & Milligan, 2014). Some parties have raised concerns about the construction of new pipelines in the country. The main concern of the opponents is climate change, which is associated with high amounts of leakages. The building of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline is unlikely to occur since the current government has focused on implementing restrictions on aspects related to climate change. Also, Canada exports massive amounts of coal to other countries. On the issue of climate change, burning of coal is a primary aspect because as stated earlier, it is among the key emitters. In the current times, coal is used for the generation of electricity in Canada; nevertheless, Ontario has focused on other sources. As well, Alberta is in the process of finding more sustainable sources of power.
Among other countries, Canada has been able to attain a balanced and determined agreement to fight climate change. In 2015, the Prime Minister Trudeau made a decision to continue the fight against climate change. Thus, he created a new ministry by the name Environment and Climate Change, and a Minister of Natural Resources. The move by the Prime Minister to introduce the notion of Climate Change in his cabinet depicts that the Canadian government is serious about fighting climate change. Within the same period, Trudeau has reported that Canada will make a contribution of about $2.7 billion in the coming few years to support developing countries fight climate change. Canada has portrayed determination towards combating climate change and the primary concern to save the environment and offer green jobs to the people. The support from Canada makes a notable change towards the transition to a world of low carbon, which is both sustainable and resilient. Recently, Trudeau has signed an agreement on climate change with Paris promising that Canada will exploit its renewable resources as an action to reduce the amount of carbon footprint. The Canadian government focuses on reducing carbon emission by over 17 percent by the year 2030. This objective has been in place since 2005, and the role of the current government is to facilitate its achievement.
In a history of environmental sustainability, Canada is among the countries that have shown great concern towards this goal. In the Earth Summit 1992, Canada was the country at the front position of the sustainability movement. The purpose of the campaign was to reduce greenhouse emission to levels that would limit continuous environmental change (Andonova & Hoffmann, 2012). During this conference, the Prime Minister argued that he believes every individual has a responsibility in saving the world. The Kyoto Protocol followed in 2002 as an extension of the previous conventions. Under this protocol, Canada aimed at decreasing emission of greenhouse gasses by over six percent by 2012. However, contrary to the expectations, the emission rates increased by over 30 percent. During this time, the Environment Minister suggested that it was worthless for Canada to remain in the agreement because the world’s major emitters such as the United States and China were not included. Nevertheless, this move was opposed by the majority of the Canadians who felt the move would have a devastating impact on Canada. In 2009, Canada signed the Copenhagen Accord and focused on reducing its emission by 17 percent before 2020. Thus, it is evident that Canada has always been on the front line in the fight against climate change.
Climate change is not just as an environmental problem; it is a Canadian social and economic issue. Canada is a country that depends hugely on natural resources; thus climate change would have an adverse impact on the country’s economy (Stott et al., 2010). The changing temperature in the ocean has affected the species of economic value such as the salmon species. Also, there is a range of economic problem that originates from natural calamities. Most importantly, the impact of climate change has been felt in the agricultural sector. It is evident that small farmers are yet to experience worst effects of climate change on agricultural regions. The changes in climate and increased duration of extreme weather conditions have threatened crops. Such a calamity can drain the source of income for many families. As well, the amount of wheat produced is likely to fall due to extreme temperatures. Farming plays a vital role in the well-being of the Canadian economy because Canada is the fifth largest exporter of agricultural products in the globe. Furthermore, climate change is a social problem because it impacts the society in countless ways. For instance, it is linked to health problems such as malnutrition, disease outbreaks due to flooding, and illnesses related to adverse temperatures. Moreover, many people will be forced to abandon their homes due to the rise in sea levels and extreme storms in various regions.
Climate Change: A Search for Meaning
The developed countries are the largest contributors to climate change. Greenhouse gasses primarily originate from the burning of fossil fuels, and pollution became a big issue in the 19th century during the industrial revolution. The Department of the Environmental Act was developed in the early 1970s and focuses on environmental protection and focuses on the provision of meteorological facts to ensure the safety of Canadian people. The Environment and Climate Change Canada was formed under this Act and is obliged to conduct research and inform people on aspects relating to sustainability. This body makes rules that aim at protecting the environment, as well as address issues of pollution, climate change, and protection of the ecosystem (‘Canada,’ 2016). The department utilizes different approaches supporting ecological stewardship that include regulatory policies and charitable practices. The decisions are based on factual data and involve the use of efficient tools to realize environmental goals. These tools are used effectively to reduce the burden of the state on environmental related issues.
The process of making environmental decisions is complicated and involves a series of jurisdictions, different economic and community considerations, conflicts of interests from the involved parties, and global review (Akerlof et al., 2012). Also, the Canadian government recognizes that sustainability in an initiative that needs support from of no profit making organizations and the people.
If I were a policy maker in Canada, I would find it a priority to educate the public on the necessity of reduction of individual carbon footprint. It is apparent that the current government has put great focuses on the national emission and regulatory measures; nevertheless, individual emission accounts for a significant amount of greenhouse gasses in Canada. It is worth noting that is impossible for the government to achieve a reduction in the rate of emission of greenhouse gasses if individuals do not take the responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint.
Nevertheless, at a personal level, these policies have affected me in various ways. As one of the 25 million Canadians who dwell in the urban regions, environmental pollution is a disturbing issue. The activities of a metropolitan area represent the key aspect of unintentional impact on the environment. Urbanization has an enormous impact on both land and air. The release of pollutants and burning of fuels has a way of altering the climate around urban regions. Moreover, studies have indicated that many cities are located in areas that are highly vulnerable to environmental impacts. These policies have led to clean air hence, a decrease in the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses (Ford et al., 2010). Eventually, the systems will reduce the individual health costs and ensures that citizens are healthy and productive. In 2008, it was reported that pollution accounted for over 20000 deaths. In the current times, over 10 percent of kids have been diagnosed with asthma problems. The initiatives to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses will lessen pollution and save lives.
An Understanding Of Climate Change And The Canadian Perspective
The Federal government has stated that it will not be able to meet its 2020 goal of 17 percent reduction in greenhouse gasses. Therefore, it means that as the government seeks to develop its 2050 goals, it is important to develop strategies that will enable achievement of its targets. Even though Canada is a world leader in the fight against climate change, it is evident that it has been unable to meet its reduction targets since 1992. In 2007, the federal government stated that it would focus on reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses by large enterprises. The government has continuously made this promise to Canadians; nevertheless, I feel that it has not been keen enough to develop viable solutions. As reported by Ford et al. (2010), the major industrial emitters remain unregulated. I believe that the government of Canada has not been taking the correct actions towards the reduction of emission of greenhouse gasses. From an opinion, putting prices on emission is an effective way of addressing the problem of climate change in Canada. Nevertheless, the government has not yet introduced limits of emission and the possible costs. For this reason, there are no costs associated with not adhering to the climate regulations.
In normal lives, people pay for the collection of garbage and other services; thus, it is important for the government to establish incentives for environmental pollution. The proposed approach to Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, includes the implementation of a carbon tax. Concerning the construction of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline, I feel that unlike the court, the government is justified to support its development. Nevertheless, it should consider the remedy of carbon pricing to ensure the involved companies limit the rate of spillage. This policy will force corporations and households to emit less and consider installation of sustainable technologies. There are various benefits of implementing carbon incentives. When the government introduces carbon incentives, it will be able to protect the citizens from the risk of climate change. Also, this initiative can transform the industrial sector in Canada because the highest percentage of emissions is from industries. Carbon pricing is an effectual study but should be accompanied by other strategies (Nicholson, Biegler & Brook, 2011). Nevertheless, carbon pricing should be considerate for low-income earners because a considerable amount of their income is used to cater for energy bills. Moreover, a reliable climate initiative should focus on implementing sustainable energy options for industrial purposes.
The federal government should split these roles to the respective authorities within provinces, whereby every region will focus on reaching its targets. As previously stated, it is imperative to focus on the individual footprint. Personal footprint accounts for a significant proportion of the total emissions. Therefore, I propose the establishment of programs that will conduct energy auditing in homes, as well as offices and assist people to install sustainable technologies that minimize the dependence on fossil fuels. Every province should choose systems
Cities should make a great contribution to the fight against climate change by focusing on reducing their emissions. Even though reducing the level of emission is unlikely to prevent climate changes are yet to be experienced in the coming years, cities have a major task to reduce their growing emissions (Delgado et al., 2012). The Canadian government has not succeeded in preventing the further build of carbon footprint and the possible health impact on the people living in the city regions. Even though the impact on the towns may be similar to that of other regions across the globe, the high population, urban heat, and pressure on natural ecosystem may escalate this impact. Thus, cities should be a priority while addressing climate change in Canada. Conclusion
Various issues have been dealt with in this paper concerning climate change: a Canadian perspective. It is apparent that Canada is among the globe’s largest emitters of greenhouse gasses, and it is more vulnerable to climate change. Since the early 1990s during the Earth Summit, Canada has portrayed great commitment towards reducing its rates of emission. For instance, it was among the major initiators of this movement. After that, Canada has signed a series of treaties and participated in some conventions. The latest one includes the Paris agreement, where Canada has promised to reduce its environmental impact by establishing renewable energy sources. So far, some cities have eliminated the use of fossil energy and have replaced them with renewable options. Nevertheless, the Canadian government has not been able to meet any of its reduction targets since the 1990s. In reality, the rate of emission has increased. Recently, the government has reported that it will not be able to meet its 2020 target. Therefore, it means that the initiatives by the government are futile and there is a need to implement more viable options. Even though it was unexpected for the government to support the construction of Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline due to its stand on climate change, I feel that this support was justified because Canada is a country that depends hugely on the exportation of natural resources. Nevertheless, the government should introduce carbon pricing to ensure that companies take responsibility of their carbon emission. The biggest question lies on why Canada has not been able to achieve a reduction in emissions regardless on its support undying efforts against climate change. In an opinion, the government should focus on education the people on the need to reduce individual carbon footprint.
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