Climate Change

Question 1

How is climate change already affecting Canada?

Answer 1

• Rising temperatures
• Shifting precipitation patterns
• Increase in the number and duration of extreme weather events (hurricanes, landslides, floods)

Scientists agree that climate change will affect all areas of Canada to some extent, but the impact with vary from region to region.

Question 2

How will climate change affect Atlantic Canada?

Answer 2

• More storm events
• Increasing storm intensity
• Rising sea levels
• Storm surges
• Coastal erosion
• Flooding

Climate change will negatively affect industries such as fishing and tourism.

Question 3

How will climate change affect Central Canada?

Answer 3

• Increase health risks
• Smog (dirty air pollution)
• Heat waves
• Diseases like West Nile virus and Lyme disease that are spread by insects like mosquitoes

Central Canada includes highly populated areas lin southern Ontario and Quebec (Toronto, Montreal, Hamilton, Ottawa).

Question 4

How will climate change affect the Prairies?

Answer 4

• Changes in precipitation
• Lower summer stream flows
• Falling lake levels
• Retreating glaciers
• Reduced amounts of soil and surface water

Agricultural production and farm incomes could be at risk from extreme weather such as tornadoes and hail and increased pests and diseases.

Question 5

How will climate change affect Western Canada?

Answer 5

• More forest fires
• Storm surges
• Coastal erosion
• Landslides
• Hail storms
• Blizzards
• Droughts
• Floods
• Pine beetle (negatively affects forests)

The forestry and fishing industries are at risk. Fisheries will be affected by rising sea levels, higher freshwater temperatures and changes in river flows.

Question 6

How will climate change affect Canada’s North?

Answer 6

• Sea ice, glaciers and icecaps are melting

Even a slight shift in temperature could result in an ice-free Arctic in the next few decades.

Question 7

What is the cause of climate change?

Answer 7

• Greenhouse Gases (GHG), mainly CO2 and methane
• Burning Fossil Fuels (automobiles, planes, coal electricity plants)
• Burping Cows
• Permafrost melting

Question 8

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 8

Solar radiation hits the earth and bounces back into space.

Greenhouse gases (GHG) trap the solar radiation in the Earth’s atmosphere

More greenhouse gases contribute to more climate change

Question 9

What is methane?

Answer 9

Methane is a greenhouse gas (GHG) that is emitted when cows burp. Methane is 25 times worse than CO2. One methane molecule has as much of an impact on climate change as 25 CO2 molecules.

Question 10

What are some of the biggest impacts of climate change?

Answer 10

1. Ocean acidification: Too much CO2 in the ocean causes acidification that is killing
   coral reefs.
2. Species loss: Many species faced increased level of extinction. Plant species cannot adapt to new changes fast enough in their ecosystems.
3. Sea level rise: Warming temperatures are causing land based ice such as glaciers and ice sheets to melt. This contributes greatly to sea level rise. This means more deadly storms and frequent flooding.
4. Effects on agriculture: Droughts and extreme weather events will negatively affect food production. Main crops such as wheat rice and maze will be affected.
5. Warmer and more acidic waters will reduce marine biodiversity and affecting the supply and variety of fish species.
6. Effects on infrastructure: Increased extreme weather events threaten communities by floods wildfires landslides and droughts. People will be forced to move and become environmental refugees.
7. Effects on public health: Many areas of the world are affected by heat waves which have claimed more than 500,000 lives since 1990

Question 11

How do scientists measure climate change?

Answer 11

Evidence of climate change is found and measured and the surface, atmospheric, and oceanic temperatures; glaciers, snow cover, sea ice, sea level, and atmospheric water vapour.