It’s time to take federal political leadership on climate warming

OTTAWA—The recent winter weather extremes in Ottawa and the record-breaking low temperatures in many parts of the United States have led many to question whether global warming is real. The answer: Yes! Global warming is real. In fact, global warming makes extreme weather events like this deep-freeze more likely. In the global system, the increased energy in a warming atmosphere will lead to more dynamic and less predictable behaviour of air masses such as we have been experiencing. The perceived contradiction between the extreme cold temperatures and global warming reflects a misunderstanding of the concepts of weather versus climate. Weather is what happens in the atmosphere day to day; climate is how the atmosphere behaves over long periods of time. Critics who use a single, short-term event in one region that deviates from long-term global trends are—often purposefully—confusing scales of space and time. Simply put, global warming refers to a long-term, planetary-scale increase in average temperatures. There is ample evidence that the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans has risen steadily since the early 20th century and that the rise is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases—especially CO2—produced by human use of fossil fuels. Resulting changes to the chemistry of the atmosphere have destabilized the general circulation patterns influencing our weather. Human influence on the climate system is clear and human action to rapidly reduce CO2 emissions is the only way to slow and stop this process. The cold weather affecting much of the North America in early January was caused by the displacement of the polar vortex, a huge system of circulating cold air in the stratosphere that spins around the Arctic during the northern winter. The polar vortex is normally kept in place by the northern jet stream—the belt of fast-flowing, westerly winds that essentially serves as the boundary between cold northern air and warmer southern air. Researchers have concluded that this extreme weather was related to a weakening of the jet stream. How? The Arctic region is warming faster than more southerly regions in the Northern Hemisphere due to the melting of the reflective sea-ice and snow cover that results in greater heat absorption by the Arctic Ocean. This reduces the atmospheric temperature difference between the tropical and polar regions that drives the jet stream. As the temperature difference diminishes, the jet stream, which typically blows relatively straight west to east, becomes wavier and slower, and in turn weaker, thus increasing the likelihood that cold air of the polar vortex will flow southward. Thus an unusually large amplitude wave in the jet stream shifted the vortex off centre and Arctic air engulfed central North America. Meanwhile the North Pole, Alaska, and Europe were relatively warmer than “normal.” The polar vortex can go off center any given winter, but it has been 20 years since the entire mainland U.S. was affected like this. The effect of global warming on the dynamic of the northern jet stream and ocean temperatures varies but can likewise cause other kinds of weather extremes such as excessive heat waves, intense storms, and drought. Other changes to our biosphere due to CO2 emissions are evident in ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and melting glaciers. Scientists have warned for decades of the consequences of rising temperatures on Earth’s climate systems and the crucial need to reduce fossil fuel emissions, but it is only recently that citizens and industries are responding to the urgent need for government action. Unfortunately, the current federal government has shown a calculated indifference to the environment and climate change in particular. Its approach has gone beyond ineptitude to the sowing of purposeful confusion by officials, muzzling government scientists, reneging on global commitments, and legislating legal and policy changes that cripple our ability as a society to mitigate and respond to the consequences of accelerating global warming. Even the media—including weather reporters—focus on short-term, regional weather events while ignoring the long-term global climatic processes that are changing our world. The general public is denied the evidence based information and strong government leadership that address these issues. The government has used its majority to prevent or delay any federal actions that would significantly reduce Canada’s CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions. This reflects its “economic” priority for rapid expansion and commercialization of fossil fuel resources. While short-term economic gains from this priority will benefit some, the economic, social and other consequences of ignoring advancing climate change will affect everyone. Economists believe that the most efficient way to address climate change by reducing CO2 emissions is through a carbon tax. A “polluter pay” carbon policy internalizes pollution costs in energy prices and uses market forces to drive the economy toward efficient fossil fuel use and to speed the transition to the green energy economy that can ensure a future livable world—and incidentally create millions of long-term clean energy jobs. Most efficient and fair is a revenue neutral “carbon fee and dividend” approach that places a predictable, incrementally rising fee on potential carbon emissions of fossil fuels at source or port-of-entry and returns revenues equitably to Canadians. With political will from citizens and politicians, this is feasible. As Nelson Mandela noted, “it always seems impossible until it is done.” Penny Henderson a retired geologist (formerly with the federal government) and a volunteer with the NCR chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby, a non-partisan organization of volunteer groups in Canada and the U.S. that is pressing for progressive climate legislation. news@hilltimes.com The Hill Times

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It’s time to take federal political leadership on climate warming

Economists believe that the most efficient way to address climate change by reducing CO2 emissions is through a carbon tax.

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