Stanislaus National Forest, CA (2013) - U.S. Department of Agriculture, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Back in February, we touched on the climate of your place, and noticed the season and the weather. We even did some skywatching, day and night. For this month, we’re going to look at how the climate of your place is changing and how it is adapting to those changes.
Climate change refers to significant variations that occur or persist over an extended period of time (typically decades or longer). They may not be visible on a daily basis but can be tracked over time. In the ten years I’ve been in Niagara, I’ve experienced lake flooding, droughts, and extremely high winds. Summers are warmer and winters are all over the place, some mild and others with extreme cold and major snowstorms.
What you think about the causes of these changes is beside the point. Changes in the atmosphere or the land could be occurring due to natural processes or external forces. There have been extreme weather events for all of Earth’s history, yet today erratic weather is happening everywhere and no one is immune. Think of the recent heat waves in China, flooding in Pakistan, and wildfires in California. Not a pleasant thought, I know. This is the reality and how we are prepared to adapt and mitigate will be the focus for this week.
Adaptation vs Mitigation
Adaptation has to do with how we respond to the impacts of climate change that are already occurring. For example, updating operating procedures, increasing stormwater management capacities, or increasing urban tree canopy coverage.
Mitigation refers to the ways in which we attempt to prevent further climate change impacts through reductions in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. For example, improving the energy efficiency of buildings and equipment or using low-emission vehicles.
Mitigation and adaptation can occur together and have overlapping actions and goals. For example, planting trees contributes to adaptation by providing shade from extreme heat, while at the same time mitigates greenhouse gas emissions and lowers energy consumption.
To make it more personal, let’s look at a specific example of an extreme event. Imagine yourself in this situation.
Lytton, BC
In June of 2021, the small town of Lytton, British Columbia basically burned to the ground, a day after recording Canada’s hottest-ever temperature. In this Instagram post, a young woman named Micha, who has lived in Lytton her whole life, speaks of losing both her current home and her childhood home, as well as most of the landmarks of her youth. She says, “I feel like I have no roots.”
This is just one example. And, the article below shows the complexity and enormous costs to rebuilding and putting preventive measures in place after a disaster like this.
Read: How Lytton is adapting a year later
Having your whole community burn to the ground is extreme, yet many people all over the world will have to leave their places and become climate refugees, due to the risks associated with wildfires, water shortages, or flooding, to name a few.
Climate Impacts in Niagara
I found a climate adaptation plan for my town for 2022. According to the report, locally we’ve seen the following over many years.
• An increase in annual average temperature and more days with temperatures over 30 C
• Heat waves lasting 3 or more days
• Increase in average number of frost-free days
• Increase in annual precipitation (mostly in the winter months)
• Increase in summer droughts
• Increase in heavy rain events
Climate scientists project that all of these will continue for the Niagara Region over the next 30 years and to expect extreme weather events including high winds, heavy rains, hailstorms and tornadoes.
According to the report, ecosystems are already under stress from human activities, including the migration of native and non-native species and the spread of insects and disease. Warmer winters, longer summers and decreased precipitation have led to lower water levels, warmer water temperatures and reduced availability of soil moisture in forests and agricultural land. These changes are impacting the shoreline, species distribution, erosion, water quality, fish and wildlife habitats and the spread of invasive species.
The changing climate will affect the wine and fruit industry most through crop damage. This year alone, we are seeing a 50% drop in the grape harvest due to an extreme cold event last winter.
Sources: Niagara Climate Change Adaptation 2022, Niagara Climate Action Plan 2021, Niagara Climate Action Plan 2012
Obviously, we always have to adapt to change and, hopefully, we’ll help each other out in times of climate disasters. But what are we doing today to make life better for future generations? How are we creating the future with the decisions we make today? Something to think about.
Practice
For this week, just note what you’ve observed in terms of how the climate has changed where you live and what your community is doing to adapt and mitigate. Is there a climate adaptation plan?
What are you doing to create resilience for your own home and family? There is a push these days to go all-electric, to be as energy efficient as possible, and to conserve water. My husband and I purchased a rain barrel this year but we’re currently going through a drought so it’s sitting empty.
Imagine what it would be like to lose not only your home, but your whole town. What would you do?
Resources
Here are a couple of organizations (U.S. based) providing resources for climate adaptation and resilience - Third Act! and Not too Late.
Climate doomer or appeaser? by Bill McGuire via The Guardian