SUYASH UNNITHAN

CGC 1D8 - C

CANADAS INSUFFICIENT EFFORT

AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING
To What Extent is Canada Lessening the Effects of Global Warming

Global warming is the progressive increase in the overall temperature of our

earth's atmosphere generally caused as a result of the greenhouse effect. While
many disregard the concept of global warming, scientists have learned about the
grim consequences that will transpire as a result of global warming. Canadians
choose to ignore global warming as they cannot visually perceive the
consequences, however one does not need to see in order to believe and
understand. A vital proof of global warming in Canada would be the melting, and
retreating of Canadian glaciers, observed through the Castle Creek Glacier case
study. According to CBC, in the last 10-13 years, The Castle Creek Glacier has
receded over 200 metres at a rate of 15 metres per year as a result of global
warming (Brown & Corday, 2015). Another crucial piece of proof for global warming
in Canada would be the rise in Canadian Sea levels, as observed in Halifax, Nova
Scotia. According to CBC, from the years of 2013-2015, Halifax Sea Levels have
seen a rise of 11cm (Markan, 2015). This evidently was a result of global warming
and the melting of glaciers, not only within Canada but around the world. The final
piece of proof for global warming in Canada would be the comparison of The
Average Canadian Winter Temperature from 2013 to 1948. According to
Environmental and Climate Change Canada (2013), the average winter temperature
was -1 degrees Celsius in the year of 1948. After a recent report on climate change
by the ECC, Canadians now know that the average winter temperature was 2.2
degrees Celsius in 2013 (Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2013). This
proves that over the course of 65 years, the average Canadian winter temperature
has seen a rise of 3.2 degrees Celsius as a result of global warming. The essence of
global warming has had a definite influence on the melting of Canadian Glaciers,
the inflation of Canadian Sea levels and the immense rise in Canadian temperatures

during the winter. As society gradually starts questioning what our world has done
to hinder the disturbance of global warming, Canadians begin to ask ourselves, to
what extent is Canada lessening the effects of global warming? For humanitys sake
of existence, Canada will need to further strive into a carbon-free world. Not just the
government, but Canada as a whole. This includes Canadian businesses and
individuals. Everyone will be required to step in and take charge. If individuals were
to make changes in their everyday lifestyle, businesses were to develop strategies
to purify their companys methods of productions, and governments were to
establish new programs to lower our carbon impact, Canada will be able to avoid
the detrimental effects of global warming. Through the facts and statements
revealed above, Canada should now be able to comprehend as to where our country
stands in terms of global warming, and how vital it is for Canadians to step in and
take charge in this battle against Canadian Climate Change.
Canadian individuals, although stepping in, have not started partaking in the
drastic measures required to lowering GHG emissions. On average, each Canadian
emits 0.0567 tonnes of CO2 every day, combining to create a total footprint of 20.7
tonnes annually (Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2016). Although these
standards may have decreased from 1990 by 1.4 tonnes, Canadians Individuals are
still required to further strive in order to live in a carbon-free world (Environment
and Climate Change Canada, 2016). One question that will always remain is why
Canadians are not making a change? Change is something Canadians fail to
embrace as it requires an alteration in their daily lifestyle. Society has become so
accustomed to doing certain things that even the smallest of changes will scare
them, yet strangely, the only possible way to preserve our earth is through change.
But what if there was a way to save greenhouse gas emissions while still being able

to retain our daily lifestyles. A suitable strategy for this statement would be
switching from incandescent or regular light bulbs to compact florescent light bulbs.
If you didnt already know, a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) is a fluorescent
light bulb that has been compressed into the size of a standard-issue incandescent
light bulb. According to www.eastgwillimbury.ca (n.d), Compact Florescent Light
Bulbs use two-thirds less energy and radiate 70% less heat than the average
incandescent light bulb while still being able to provide the same amount light. They
also tend to last 8-10 times longer than the average incandescent light bulb and
can save money (Eastgwillimbury, n.d). For example, if one were to replace a 100watt incandescent bulb with a 25 watt CFL, they could theoretically save $74 over
the life span on the CFL bulb (considering energy prices are $.12 kWh). Not only do
these bulbs provide immense benefits to the human being, they also partake in
lowering our carbon footprint. According to Calgary.ca (2003), if all of the 35,000
households in Calgary replaced one 60-watt Incandescent bulb to a Compact
Florescent Bulb, nearly 86,000 tonnes of GHG emissions would be reduced over the
span of 4 years. Please also take into consideration that this statistic requires only
one bulb to be replaced. Try to imagine the possibilities that could co-exist if
Canadians were to replace all of their incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs. Another
useful strategy that lacks immense change would be installing a Drain Water Heat
Recovery System. In a residential application, when warm water travels down a
drain from a faucet or washing appliance, it carries away valuable energy with it.
The Drain Water Heat Recovery System (DWHR) is an appliance that undergoes the
process of recovering or saving this valuable energy from the warm water, and
utilizing it in order to preheat incoming cold water. It works by transferring the heat
from hot water through the copper walls of the DWHR to the incoming cold water.

According to Hydro Manitoba (n.d), using a Drain Water Heat Recovery System can
reduce your water heater energy consumptions by up to 25%. Hypothetically
speaking, if the average water heater consumes 18.02 gigajoules of energy, one
could save 4.505 gigajoules of energy annually. Not only will you save money as a
result, but, as a result, you can also save our planet. According to Newswire.ca
(2003), one Drain Water Heat Recovery System can reduce Greenhouse Gas
emissions by up to one ton/1000 kg per year for each household. Although these
numbers may seem minuscule, if all Canadians were to alter their daily lifestyle for
the greater good, a definite change will be made apparent.
Like individuals, Canadian businesses are yet to make an immense difference
in the act against global warming. Canadian businesses are notorious for their
extensive greenhouse gas emissions and will need to be stopped. In 2013,
emissions intensive and trade-exposed businesses/industries alone accounted for
nearly 11% of Canadas total greenhouse gas emissions (Environment and Climate
Change Canada, 2013). This is a prime example of the immense impact Canadian
businesses have on our environment and future of our country. In order for Canada
to reach their future end goal, it will be vital for businesses to take the fight into
their own hands and develop strategies to combat against global warming. An
admirable example a company that did this was Purolator Canada. Purolator Canada
approached the conception of lowering Greenhouse Gas emissions by implementing
hybrid-electric vehicles within their line of work. A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a
type of electric vehicle which combines the conventional gas engine with an electric
engine, thus making it a hybrid electric vehicle. By utilizing hybrid electric vehicles,
one can essentially lower their dependence on fossil fuels, lower annual tax bills
from congestion charges, and utilize the conception of using cleaner energy to

power your car (Rinkesh, 2014). As Purolators service heavily relies on the use
delivery trucks, this implementation was essential for the well-being of our earth as
well as Purolators economic status. According to the Purolator website, since the
implementation of 500+ Hybrid-Electric vehicles in 2005, Purolator Canada has
saved over 645,000 liters of gas fuel from the span of 2005 2010 (Purolator,
2010). Not only have they saved energy, but they have also saved 2,100 tonnes of
greenhouse gases from being emitted into our environment by utilizing their Hybrid
Electric Vehicles (Purolator, 2010). This is an almost ideal example of how a
Canadian business took the fight against global warming in their own hands.
Another prominent example of a company that took the fight within their own hands
was Catalyst Paper. Catalyst Paper, one of Canadas largest newsprint and speciality
paper manufacturers, slashed their greenhouse gas emissions by 1 million tonnes
from 2005-2006 (Kun & Heaps, 2006). According to policyoptions.org, Catalyst Paper
went from emitting 1,383,000 kg of greenhouse gas emissions to 398,000 kg over
the mere course of just one year (Kun & Heaps, 2006). The drastic reduction was
accomplished by switching from fossil fuels to biomass as their centralized source of
energy. Through this switch, they have also reduced their fossil fuel energy usage
by 46% since the year of 2002 (Kun & Heaps, 2006). Along with that, Catalyst Paper
lowered their carbon intensity by 71% from 574 kg to 166 kg (Kun & Heaps, 2006).
Both Catalyst Paper and Purolator are prime examples of what types of measures
Canadian businesses will need to further strive towards in order to progress into a
Carbon-Free Canada.
The Canadian governments actions against global warming will play an
integral role in shaping the future of Canada as they must act as a role model for
35.85 million people (Statistics Canada, 2015). The government has already set a

national goal of lowering our greenhouse gas emissions by 30% less than emission
levels in 2005 by the year 2030 (McDiarmid, 2015). In order to achieve this
ambitious goal, the Canadian government must put more effort into lowering our
greenhouse gas emissions. They have already kick-started this campaign by funding
the Alberta Carbon Regulation act. The Alberta Carbon regulation act is an act that
lowers carbon emission intensity by 20% and increases the carbon levy price from
$15 per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted to $30 per tonne carbon dioxide emitted by
2017 for Alberta-based businesses (M. Sears, 2015). As carbon emissions will be
regulated, less fossil fuel energy will be used to create carbon. According to the
British Columbia Government, one tonne of coal will create 2.86 tonnes of carbon
dioxide (Scott & Perry, 2008). With this statistic in mind, one can make the
assumption that 0.35 tonnes of coal are required for 1 tonne of carbon dioxide.
Therefore, for every one tonne of carbon dioxide conceived, 0.0648 tonnes or 64.8
kg carbon/fossil fuel energy will be saved. Not only will this save energy, but it will
also lower greenhouse gas emissions immensely. According to Global News (2015),
if everything goes to plan, the Alberta Carbon Regulation will reduce total Green
House Gas Emissions by businesses in Alberta by at least 20% by the year 2017.
Another strategy the Canadian Government is utilizing to kick-start their campaign
is through the implementation of HOV lanes to promote the conception of
carpooling. The HOV or High Occupancy Vehicle lane is an expressway lane that is
simply restricted to vehicles with at least a set of minimum occupants in the car.
The HOV lanes were implemented to reap off its immense benefits for the earth and
to save money. By following the centralized perception of the HOV lanes by
carpooling with at least one person every day for an entire year, one can save 2,000
litres of gasoline annually (Government of Manitoba, n.d). If people start utilizing the

HOV to reap its immense benefits for our environment and daily commute,
Canadians can cut down 20% of their personal Green House Gas Emissions if they
carpool for at least once a day for an entire year (Gregory, 2014). As previously
mentioned the average Canadian emits 20.7 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually
(Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2016). With this statistic in mind,
Canadians can make the assumption that one could save 4.14 tonnes of greenhouse
gas emissions annually per person if they were to carpool at least once a day for an
entire year. These strategies established by the Canadian Government are an
almost perfect example for the Canadian Individuals and Businesses to follow.
Although there is definitely some work to be done, the Canadian Government is on
the correct path.
Throughout time, global warming has played a prominent role in altering the
sublime appearance of Canada. As Canadian individuals, businesses, and
governments gradually ponder as to where they went wrong, they begin to ask
themselves, to what extent is Canada hindering the disturbance of Climate Change.
Speculations state that despite the fact Canada is inaugurating the first steps in
lowering our carbon footprint, it will be crucial for us to further propel ourselves
towards a carbon-free world. This can undeniably be accomplished if all Canadians
took part in this altercation against climate change. If individuals were to make
alterations to their daily lifestyle, businesses were to take the stand and promote
the conception of Green Energy, and governments were to implement new and
advanced programs to reduce our carbon footprint, Canada will once again be
restored to its natural beauty in a Carbon-Free World. But what if Canadians do not
reduce our carbon footprint? What if despite raising so much concern regarding this
affair, Canadians listen otherwise and further increase our greenhouse gas

emissions. What will happen to the very well-being of our country and earth? With
every choice Canadians make, there will inevitably be a resurgence response from
society or Mother Nature. Although a couple of these responses were mentioned in
the introduction, it will be essential to further provide information regarding this
topic. To answer these what if questions, Canada will be compared to another
country with similar living standards that is currently undergoing or will undergo the
consequences of not taking a stand against global warming. Another country with
similar living standards to that of Canada would be England or the UK. Like Canada,
England is currently undergoing the detrimental effects of worldwide climate change
and are looking for a multitude of different ways to combat against it. Both
countries also share a similar geographical appearance, government, health care,
population, language, and climate. In 2012, the UK emitted over 582 million tonnes
of greenhouse gases (United Kingdom Government, 2013), while Canada emitted
709 million tonnes of greenhouse gases (Environment and Climate Change Canada,
2013). These facts state that any problem that the UK is going to undergo or is
currently undergoing as a result of Climate Change may also occur in Canada.
Although England is not currently undergoing an atrocious threat as a result of
global warming, many credible sources speculate that it will be only a matter of
time before such a disaster occurs. For example, according to the BBC, a prominent
threat induced by global warming would be the threat to wildlife in southern
England (Parkinson, 2015). The BBC states that large storms caused by climate
change will threaten and destroy the habitats of many species causing many
animals to retreat up north (Parkinson, 2015). Although this is not ascertained for
Canadas future, it is possible that such an event may occur around the West and
East coast of Canada. As these regions are prone to storms, there is a possible

chance that there will be a rise in storm count and storm intensity with the rising
sea levels. With this occurring, there is a viable prospect that animal habitats on the
coasts will be destroyed, causing an abundance of animal species to move inland.
Another threat that may be induced by global warming was introduced by The
Guardian. According to The Guardian, a potential impact of climate change on
England would be flooding. As per this article, the UK governments latest Climate
Change Risk Assessment identifies flood risks from heavy downpour as an eminent
threat from Climate Change (Clark, 2013). As Canada and the UK share a similar
geographical appearance, it is viable to say that this may be a future impact for
Canada in the near future. The Guardian states that intense downpours established
by the sea-level rise, drive a greater risk of Flash Floods and river flooding in
England (Clark, 2013). If Canada were to go down the same path, Canadians would
be putting homes, businesses, and infrastructures at immense risk. With the rise in
sea-levels near the West and East coast of Canada, it is a feasible opinion to say
that this may be a problem in the future of Canada. Global warming will continue to
persist in our depraved world, with the power of humanity being the only saviour
against this great threat. The future lies in our hands.

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