Climate Change Debate Issues for Canada Why We Care Climate Change Debate Issues for Canada

NASA’s Evidence of Climate Change Sea level rise Global sea level rose about 17 centimeters in the last century. The rate in the last decade, however, is nearly double that of the last century. Warming oceans ocean showing warming of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969. Global temperature rise Earth has warmed since 1880. Most of this warming has occurred since the 1970s

NASA’s Evidence of Climate Change Extreme events and natural disasters Ocean acidification Since the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about 30% Declining Arctic sea ice Shrinking ice sheets, Glacial retreat, and Decreased snow cover Glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska and Africa.

Climate Change Deniers A small number of critics continue to deny that climate change exists or that humans are causing it. These individuals are generally not climate scientists and do not debate the science with the climate scientists directly Not surprisingly, the deniers have received significant funding from coal and oil companies, including ExxonMobil.

Arguments of Climate Change Deniers Climate change is not occurring The global climate is actually getting colder The global climate is getting warmer, but this is a natural process that has occurred before in Earths cycle of development The global climate is getting warmer, in part because of human activities, but this will create greater benefits than costs. Too expensive and too late to combat

Fighting Ignorance While global warming is a natural occurrence due to greenhouse gases, human activity has greatly increased the speed of warming which has led to serious and irreversible changes in the Earth’s ecosystems The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is one of the largest bodies of international scientists ever assembled to study a scientific issue, involving more than 2,500 scientists from more than 130 countries. concluded that most of the warming observed during the past 50 years is attributable to human activities.

The Canadian Arctic Canada’s arctic regions show some of the most dramatic signs of climate change Sea ice is shrinking and the seasonal melt is happening earlier Polar bears are in danger of extinction due to decreasing habitat Arctic communities face shrinking shorelines and transport problems due to the melting permafrost

Climate Change Optimists Some people in Canada are looking at the good side of climate change- WHAT?! Argue that the shrinking arctic snow pack will create new agricultural opportunities in Canada’s north Argue that there will be easier access to oil and natural gas deposits in the arctic sea bed