We Can Change The World!

I was searching for a lecture video that is related to climate change, but I stumbled on this video
....GOOD ENOUGH! ENJOY!

We Can Change The World - Bridgit Mendler

You & I and Our Earth

"The main reason to take action is that not taking action will have dangerous consequences for us all"

More than one-third of our country's greenhouse gas emissions are produced by us, mostly because of transportation and home heating and cooling. Therefore, our actions also determine the outcome of  our Earth. In a positive way, we can also reduce the number of climate changes that are happening by a big margin, that is by doing the right things.

Here are some things that you and I can do to reduce climate changes and to conserve our Earth:

• Use less fuel by driving more efficiently (less harsh acceleration, idling, and braking)
• Practice 3R's: Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle

By doing 3Rs, we can make a huge difference!

• Plant trees that are native to our own area
• Use more public transportation



By walking or biking, you are improving
both of our Earth's health and yours!

• Walk or bike if the destination is not very far

Energy Star label is only put on an energy-efficient product

• Buy goods that have Energy Star labeled on them. The label indicates that the good is energy-efficient.
  
  

• You can also contribute by buying Carbon Offside Credits. When we purchase credits for reforestation, we are increasing carbon sinks; and so, we offset carbon dioxide emissions
• Join stewardship programs, for example: Ontario Stewardship Rangers.

There are many things that we can do to help fix our Earth. If no one is willing to do it, nothing is going to change. We live on Earth and therefore we should be responsible and do our parts to change the Earth into a better place while we are staying here.

God bless you all!

Ontario government & Our climate

Being the government of the most populated province in Canada, Ontario government must have had a hard time on how to handle the emission of greenhouse gases of its people. Despite of that, Ontario government has done a great job in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

In order to conserve energy and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, Ontario has or is planning on:

•  Introduced Go Green: Ontario’s Action Plan on Climate Change in August 2007
• Creating new public transportation for 90% areas in the Greater Toronto Areas and Hamilton
• Gave funds to support green technologies
• Created legislations to fast track the approval of renewable energy projects
• Reforestation

Reforestation helps maintain the amount of carbon being absorbed

• Working with scientists to help Ontario to adapt to climate change

Between 2004 to 2008, the amount of greenhouse gases that Ontario produced have decreased, but it is still higher compare to what we had in 1997.

There are still some things that Ontario government can do, in order to reduce its greenhouse gases emissions even lower, including:

• Collect methane from landfills and use it for energy
• Reduce deforestation and increase reforestation
• Manage bodies of water and forests carefully so that they are carbon sinks, and not sources

If not treated well, carbon sinks such as forests could become  carbon sources

Public transportation is a good solution to
reduce carbon dioxide emissions

• Promote fuels from waster forestry products (biofuel) instead of fossil fuels
• Compost and recycle more
• Build more public transportations

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What can Canadian government do?

In 2002, Canada agreed to join Kyoto Protocol, a plan within the United Nations for controlling greenhouse gas emissions. By joining this international treaty, Canada is required to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases approximately 565 Mt Co2 eq by 2012. Predicting that they would not meet their target, Canada formally withdrew from Kyoto Protocol in 2011.

Even though Canada has withdrawn from Kyoto Protocol, Canada has done many actions to reduce its emission of greenhouse gases, including the following:

• Committed a total of approximately $3 billion in funding for CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) technologies
• Done research on how to mitigate on agriculture field with the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases
• Worked collaboratively with United States towards common North American standards for greenhouse gases emissions from vehicles

Aside from all those actions, Canadian government can also help reduce more greenhouse gases by:

• Set restrictions or limits on pollution levels or incentives for lower emissions and better fuel efficiency
• Use clean energy sources such as ocean waves, winds, and solar

Clean energy sources are sources that produce little to no greenhouse gases

Nitrogen fertilizers can produce Nitrous Oxide, one of the main greenhouse gases 

• Introduce rebates or tax incentives insulations and energy efficiency
• Recycle and reforestation as much as possible
• Set restrictions or limits on using nitrogen fertilizer
• Set new legislations to reduce the overall emission of greenhouse gases in order to greater impacts of climate change

Sometimes, citizens are the reflections of their country’s government; therefore, it will be best for the Canadian government to be fair and positive towards the legislations that are made to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. That way, the citizens will respect the choice of their government and will follow them.

What are the predicted impacts of climate change on Ontario’s climate?

As a high latitude country, Canada has already experienced greater temperature increases than low-latitude countries. By 2100, Ontario’s average temperature could increase by 3 to 6^oC in the winter and 4 to 8^oC in the summer.

Listed below are some of the predicted impacts of climate change on Ontario:

• Due to the warmer temperature, there will be more rainfall, but some areas will become drier and others will become wetter
• Ecoregions will move northward as carbon dioxide concentrations and temperatures increase.
• Less ice cover on lakes in the winter and more forest fires

Satellite image of The Great Lakes shows little to no coverage of ice in March 2012

Deer's ticks can cause fever and skin rash to humans

• Ontario’s boreal forest will likely shrink, and plant and animal species will migrate northward
• Insect pests could migrate northward, attacking the southern fringes of our forests. As our forests become less healthy, they may become a carbon source rather than a carbon sink
  
•  As summer gets hotter, we will use more electricity for air conditioning

Usage of electricity increases in the summer, as the temperature increases

There are also some predicted impacts that may positively affect Ontario, such as:

Longer growing season makes farmer able to plant more crops

• In the winter, energy use may decrease due to warmer weather
• Spring would come earlier as the climate warms, and the growing season for crops and other plants would lengthen
• Land in the Arctic could become useful for agriculture as the permafrost melts.

SNC2D CLIMATE CHANGE

This is where my new blog goes!!