In the spring, the federal govern-
ment released “Canada’s Changing
Climate Report,” a pretty depressing
analysis of what’s in store for us. Is
doomsday as close as it sounds?
Not necessarily. In that report, scientists
predict what will happen to our climate
at different levels of carbon emissions.
In the high-use scenarios, it’s definitely
concerning: temperature increases of
six degrees by the end of the century,
precipitation up by almost 25 per cent,
more extreme weather
events, like floods, fires,
droughts and heat waves.
Okay, you’re scaring me.
What about the scenar-
ios with lower emissions?
In that case, it’s a lot more
optimistic. People tend to
think of the climate crisis
as a problem we have to
pay for and fix, but it’s also
an opportunity—a chance to bring peo-
ple together to participate and share in
the economic growth that a cleaner
and greener economy would provide.
Sounds like we’re at the beginning of
a Choose Your Own Adventure novel.
Exactly. We’re at the point where the
facts are clear. Ninety-seven per cent of
climate scientists agree that human
activity—again, particularly in the form
of carbon emissions—is causing our
climate to change. And we know we
have a finite amount of time to make
adjustments. So now the question is:
what are we going to do?The average Canadian has a carbon
footprint of about 20 tonnes per per-
son per year. How much can we cut
by turning off lights more and giving
up disposable coffee cups?
I have a lot of respect for people trying
to minimize their carbon footprint—by
taking public transit, insulating their
homes or minimizing waste. These
actions have a measurable
impact—switching from a
car to public transit for
one year, for example, can
reduce emissions substan-
tially. Leading by example
is important for our com-
munities and future gen-
erations. Still, the reality is
that individual action alone
is not going to get us where
we need to be.What about something more drastic?
Say, if every individual in the world
were to go vegan, give up air travel
and plant trees?
Hypothetically, a coordinated global
effort would have significant conse-
quences. The world’s food system is
responsible for about one-quarter of
the greenhouse gas emissions, and a lot
of that is based on eating meat—and
beef in particular. A low-emission soci-
ety of the future might involve a more
plant-focused diet and less air travel.A FUTURE
WITH LOWER
EMISSIONS
MIGHT
INVOLVE
LESS AIR
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