Environment: Climate Change

What's Your Opinion?

Project: To review current issues facing Canada, our people and our governments. The project involves about thinking what issues or topics we are passionate about, designing a question survey  and getting opinion from the public and analyzing the results.

I have chosen the topic of climate change and the environment. The reason I chose climate change as my survey was because it is such a big issue but the government hasn’t been paying much attention to the issue in my opinion. I think it is because it is a very hard topic to tackle and confront, mostly because of the economic circumstances and issues. Although the economy is important to many, we must strive for a balance between the economy and the environment. A public opinion survey commissioned by Environment Canada in May and June 2013 indicates 40% of Canadians disagree that the government is striking right balance between addressing environmental and economic concerns (only 26% agreed with the government policies). 

Furthermore, there is ample evidence of natural disasters occurring in the present time: unusual extreme cold and snow storm weather in Canada and USA due to flow of winds from arctic,  wild fires in USA, droughts in Australia, flooding in Pakistan, Mozambique, Thailand, and USA. These are clear signs of climate change. Here is a good video I have came across showing the latest extreme weather events occurring in the world, although I do not believe in the prophecy mentioned in the video.

My approach to this analysis will be to first define and understand what is climate change and then understand what is the public perception by conducting surveys, analyze the results, understand scientific evidence of climate change and then conclude with my opinion of what action should we take.

What is Climate Change?

Climate change is a shift in the climate over a long term period in specific place in the world. The shift is measured by changes in average weather due to temperature, wind patterns and precipitation. The climate changes is caused by both natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, sun's intensity and variations in ocean currents and humans such as burning fossil fuels (e.g. heating our homes, running cars, producing electricity) which is adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and deforestation.

Clarification of terms used such as climate, weather, climate change, global warming.

This is a good video answering What is Climate? Climate Change, Lines of Evidence.

This is a good website to understand the basics of climate change.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/index.html

Here are the signs of the climate change. It is all around us and stronger evidence are emerging everyday.

Other good resources explaining climate change are:

Teachers TV- Climate Change - The Cause: (13.41 min)

Having a better understanding of what climate change is all about let us review the survey results.

Preliminary Survey Questionnaire:  

Response: 20

Report & Analysis

Findings and Opinions About My Climate Change Survey

         In the twenty people I surveyed, I found that most people would agree with what I thought about climate change. First off, the reason I chose climate change as my survey was because it is such a big issue but the government wasn’t been paying much attention to it. I think it is because it is a very hard topic to tackle and confront, just because of the economy around us, in Canada especially. Therefore, I could see what people outside the parliament thought.

         My first question was if the person was aware of climate change around the world. The question was very broad; therefore, people could interpret it in different ways. Everyone said yes; that brought me to my theory. Now that I now people are aware of it, the question was what they would do about it.

      My second question was about what the main reason of climate change was. Now the two possible answers were either humans, or natural causes. The thing is, is that; humans can change the climate very quickly, while most natural causes are very slow. I was assuming that most people would say that humans are the main reason for climate change, and I was right. I assume that because, most newspapers, news channels, articles etc. have news related things about how humans are hurting the earth. But, they don’t state that natural causes are a main reason too.

        My third question was asking if the government is doing enough to address global warming. I honestly don’t think that the government is doing enough even though Canada is one of the worst in keeping climate change intact. Most people do agree with me and I see why. Some people feel very strongly about climate change and them too have said that the government is doing enough, and it’s the same with people like environmentalists.

       As the questions go on, I feel like people don’t fully understand the topic, and they are persuaded by things like newspapers to think a certain way. Thus, I think people should read from a reliable source with real facts so they can fully understand the topic and benefit from it. My goal is to make sure people are completely aware of the issue and see how they can make the world a better place.

Detail Survey Questionnaire: 

Based on the response and learning from the survey results, I decided to further understand the topic and designed a more detail survey to understand the perceptions of Canadians.

Responses: 56

Q10. Any Other Feedback will be appreciated

• When natural disasters occur, developing countries don't have the financial resources to deal with it and sends its citizens into further poverty. 1/21/2014 2:19 PM 
• Take more action. 1/19/2014 8:38 AM 
• Great survey and questions!. 1/18/2014 12:56 AM 
• Good luck on this endeavour Rahim proud of you. Please let us know if we can assist in any other way. 1/17/2014 5:00 PM
• Good luck with your project. 1/17/2014 12:36 PM 
• The climate is changing. The earth is warming up, and there is now overwhelming scientific consensus that it is happening, and human-induced. With global warming on the increase and species and their habitats on the decrease, chances for ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing. Many are agreed that climate change may be one of the greatest threats facing the planet. Recent years show increasing temperatures in various regions, and/or increasing extremities in weather patterns. 1/17/2014 1:07 AM 
• Governments are made up politicians who will only take steps towards climate change if it benefits them. Therefore, it's up to the people to influence there elected representatives to do something about it so that the future generations won't have to suffer due to our irresponsibilities. 1/16/2014 11:21 PM 
• Even though we do not know everything about climate change, we need to do our part. Keep up the good work.1/16/2014 5:05 PM 
• All ready Developed Countries are messing around with Environment; they should be contributing $100 billion towards Environment protection.1/16/2014 2:17 PM 
• This CLIMATE change will affect all.1/16/2014 1:18 PM 
•  I am not a believer in the global warming theory. I am person of science and climate change is cyclical. There is not enough science by reputable scientists that indicate global warming is a real issue. Please do not fall into believing what Al Gore has said in the past. It has been clearly indicated that he has been paid handsomely for his so called opinion. All you need to look at is the climate change data over the last million years. What is happening is normal. I agree that our industrialized methods are playing a factor, but not to the extent that is portrayed in the media. Dr. Altaf Virani.1/16/2014 1:03 PM 
• Do not know.1/16/2014 10:47 AM 
• I think it is an issuer that is important and under looked. Thank you. 1/16/2014 9:58 AM 
• Climate change is global problem and requires global solutions. 1/16/2014 9:17 AM 
• Thanks for asking me for asking to part in this very important issue. 1/15/2014 11:55 PM 
• Interesting survey. 1/15/2014 8:49 PM 
• I feel if everyone becomes more proactive to help decrease the effect of climate change. We will be able to prolong the effects or decrease the effects in the future. Excellent Survey Rahim keep up the good work.1/15/2014 7:52 PM 
• Although the science around the root causes of climate change is not necessarily conclusive, there is enough circumstantial evidence that is so overwhelming, to conclude climate change is being caused, or being impacted in a significant manner, by human activities. Since governments have not done a very good job with addressing this, it may be a good idea to have civil society take a proactive and leadership role in the solution. Any solutions you can come up with in this regard will be beneficial in moving this forward. Good luck! 1/15/2014 6:53 PM 
• All of us should take keen interest in how we want our leave our earth for future generations. We each need to do our part of reducing waste, using pesticide free products and try and produce foods that are environmentally friendly and good for us. 1/15/2014 3:07 PM 
• Everyone should engage themselves in the climate change discussions and force our elected officials accountable to come up with policies to ensure that our environment is protected. The pendulum is swung far to the right to favor economic growth at the expense of the environment. We are more concerned about GDP (gross development product) as growth as opposed to GNH (gross national happiness). It is about time we come up with new yardsticks to measure progress. 1/15/2014 12:36 PM 
• The sooner all of us do something about this the better otherwise we will regret it forever. Let us not blame one another and take full responsibility to act. Mother nature should never be disturbed. The Universe was created to be enjoyed by all. 1/15/2014 10:11 AM 
• There should be regulation in each country to go green. That should really help. Thank for the survey. Best of luck. 1/15/2014 10:06 AM 
• Excellent Survey Rahim... Keep up the good work. 1/15/2014 1:16 AM

  Report & Analysis

Findings and Opinions About My Climate Change Detailed Survey

      The topic of climate change has captured my attention, as many current events such as the extreme cold weather, heavy snowstorms, flooding and power outage occurred during this winter in the city which I live, Toronto. Days went by, and climate change took its toll once more. The flooding in Calgary separated citizens from their homes, and left many with limited resources. Nova Scotia and Newfoundland felt a piece of the arctic, as they were hit with record breaking amounts of snow In the neighboring country, the USA also experienced a great deal of flooding and extremely cold temperatures. Globally, there were high amounts of storms in Europe, record droughts in California and Australia, excruciating heat in some Arctic regions, and high water levels in the flooding of Pakistan, Mozambique, Thailand, Solomon Islands and the USA. The key questions then are: Are these unusual and weird weather patterns connected to climate change? If there is a connection, then is climate change occurring due to natural events or due to human activity? What are the consequences? If climate change is due to human activity then how are we going to act? What role should individuals, communities, nations, governments, civil societies, environmentalist, scientists and global organizations such as the United Nations play in solving this problem?

      To answer these questions, I first researched on what exactly generates climate change and global warming. The burning of fossil fuels, carbon dioxide methane, nitrous oxide and halocarbons all have an impact on the creation of climate change. I then tried to understand what is the perception of people about climate change by conducting first, a preliminary survey (20 people surveyed – friends and relatives); then reviewed and analyzed it. I then established a further enhanced survey (56 people surveyed – community and online). It was interesting to observe that majority of the participants are aware and worried about climate change and more than 60% feel that it is going to harm them personally. More than 75% also felt that this unusual weather patterns due to climate change. Majority of the comments also highlight this concern but there was some doubt about scientific evidence and media over the issue. This confirmed that there is a link between climate change, and the unusual weather patterns.

    The second important message that I tried to understand was whether humans are responsible for climate change. Most agreed that climate change is due to humans and natural causes. Although, the first survey proved that humans are the main cause of climate change. Further research from scientific evidence shows that climate change is due to natural causes (which is a slow process) and is due to human activity (which is a fast process). The Latest report from the UN confirms that the human activity of burning fossil fuels causes the release of greenhouse gases; in particular, the carbon dioxide in the past few decades was one of the main reasons for climate change. Also, at the same time the cutting down of trees and clearing of forests; known as deforestation has caused more carbon dioxide to come in Earth’s atmosphere. Therefore, is effecting the complete ecosystem. Since the survey, and the latest scientific research by a large number of scientists world wide; including the renowned noble price winners, agree that humans are responsible to a larger extent of climate change. Thus, the next question then is, who is taking the responsibility, and if anyone is doing anything about it.

     The third message is becoming aware of the huge risk that is going to come in the future due to the consequences of climate change as mentioned earlier. The question then is whether the governments and their citizens are doing enough to address the problem. As I have stated previously the survey clearly highlights that more than 80% agree that the governments and the citizens are not doing enough. Also, majorities are agreeing that the industrialized and emerging industrialized countries are the main cause of the problem, but the effects are mostly felt by developing countries. However, there is more than 20% who don’t know whether this is true or not. Therefore, it is important to clarify what is the role for each of us and how the institutions can help to reduce the risks of climate change. Hopefully, we can somehow have an agreement and laws like the Kyoto Agreement (Dec 1997 – 160 industrialized countries agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions) that binds each country to act. Correspondingly, with the new and latest reports from organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) working under the UN and the new 2015 International Climate Change agreement to be adopted at the Paris conference gives us a hope that we can all work together and ensure our governments participate and not keep economic issues above environment concerns.

    In conclusion, I will include some suggestions and videos that I have researched. It will give some direction to act now, take moral responsibility, support initiatives from different organizations worldwide, and adaptation strategies on how to cope with the effects of climate change with the hope that we will all work together to make the world a better place.

Here is the summary of the latest conclusions from the United Nations Scientific Panel reports: 

Global warming dials up our risks, UN report says

The Associated Press Posted: Mar 31, 2014 12:00 AM ET Last Updated: Mar 31, 2014 1:32 PM ET

'Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change,' chairman says

Global warming is driving humanity toward a whole new level of many risks, a United Nations scientific panel reports, warning that the wild climate ride has only just begun.

"Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change," Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chairman Rajendra Pachauri said in a Monday news conference.

Twenty-first century disasters such as killer heat waves in Europe, wildfires in the United States, droughts in Australia and deadly flooding in Mozambique, Thailand and Pakistan highlight how vulnerable humanity is to extreme weather, says a massive new report from a Nobel Prize-winning group of scientists released early Monday. The dangers are going to worsen as the climate changes even more, the report's authors said.

Videos summarizing and confirming the climate change phenomena and what are the consequences.
The good news is we can all come together and take actions individually and collectively through community education and raising awareness, ensuring governments are acting on our behalf and civil societies including environmentalists playing an active collaborative role.

What can we do?

Courtesy of Environmental Protection Agency, US

What you can do..

Use of clean energy technologies

Preparing for the future - plan for immediate and future impacts of climate change

Courtesy of David Suzuki Foundation

Climate change

Global warming is a serious problem, and we're working to decrease carbon emissions in Canada. 

• On the national level, we are developing a clean, renewable energy plan for Canada through the Trottier Energy Futures Project. 
• On the provincial level, we're encouraging friendly competition to see which province can adopt the best climate policies through our Race to the Top campaign. 
• For individuals, we offer resources on how to go carbon neutral at home and at work.

Together, we can turn back climate change.

Here are the latest scientific evidences reports from UN, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Courtesy of IPCC 

IPCC is working on the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) that provides a clear and up to date view of the current state of scientific knowledge relevant to climate change. 

It consists of three Working Group (WG) reports and a Synthesis Report (SYR) which integrates and synthesizes material in the WG reports for policymakers. The SYR will be finalized on 31 October 2014.

Timetable

The Fifth Assessment Report will be considered by the Panel according to the following timetable:

Working Group I (Stockholm, Sweden)       Press conference	23-26 September 2013 27 September 2013
Working Group II (Yokohama, Japan)       Press conference	25-29 March 2014 31 March 2014
Working Group III (Berlin, Germany)       Press conference	7-11 April 2014 13 April 2014 (The IPCC will be meeting for other business on 12 April 2014)
Synthesis Report (Copenhagen, Denmark)       Press conference	27-31 October 2014 tba

The Working Groups are:

1. Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis

 

Working Group I contribution provides a comprehensive assessment of the physical science basis of climate change. The report includes a detailed assessment of climate change observations throughout the climate system; dedicated chapters on sea level change, biogeochemical cycles, clouds and aerosols, and regional climate phenomena; extensive information from models, including near-term and long-term climate projections; and a new comprehensive atlas of global and regional climate projections for 35 regions of the world.

 

2. Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability

The Working Group II contribution considers the vulnerability and exposure of human and natural systems, the observed impacts and future risks of climate change, and the potential for and limits to adaptation. The chapters of the report assess risks and opportunities for societies, economies, and ecosystems around the world.               3. Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change The Working Group III contribution assesses the options for mitigating climate change and their underlying technological, economic and institutional requirements. It transparently lays out risks, uncertainty and ethical foundations of climate change mitigation policies on the global, national and sub-national level, investigates mitigation measures for all major sectors and assesses investment and finance issues.                     Here is the feedback from Canadian scientists participation in the Work Groups  Courtesy of CBCRadio - the Current with Anna Maria Tremonti IPCC Climate Change Report: Official prophecy of doom? http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2014/03/31/ipcc-climate-change-report-official-prophecy-of-doom/

Courtesy of CBCNews - 
Climate change report: The good and bad news for Canada
http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/technology/quirks-quarks-blog/2014/03/climate-change-report-the-good-and-bad-news-for-canada-1.html

Courtesy of CNN News
Climate change is here, action needed now, says new White House report
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/06/politics/white-house-climate-energy