Climate Change

In 1988, Canada was actually in the lead in hosting the first-ever international scientific conference on climate change, “Our Changing Atmosphere: Implications for Global Security.”  It took place during a Toronto heat wave in the last week of June 1988.  The consensus statement from the assembled scientists was “Humanity is conducting an unintended, uncontrolled, globally pervasive experiment, whose ultimate consequences are second only to global nuclear war.”

Climate change is the number one issue on Canadians’ minds and the biggest crisis facing our planet. It is not just an environmental issue. It is an economic, social and global security issue. According to the World Health Organization, 150,000 people already die every year from climate change related causes. Canadians have felt the impacts in communities from coast to coast to coast: floods and firestorms; droughts and water shortages…hurricanes decimating treasured parks in Nova Scotia and BC; catastrophic wind and ice storms shutting down transport routes and power lines; insect infestations killing millions of hectares of trees.

Meanwhile, action on climate change can be good for our economy.  Countries that improve their energy efficiency and reduce their demand for fossil fuels by utilizing renewable sources of energy will be the least negatively impacted by a future energy crunch.  It makes sense for Canada, with our wealth of renewable energy sources, to be in the lead, not a laggard, in a green energy future.

See Our Vision for more details.