It's Climate Change I tell'ya!! IT'S CLIMATE CHANGE!!
- Thread starter B00Mer
- Start date
It’s slowly warming, but still ugly, but at least it’s a dry cold…
Supposedly a light at the end of the tunnel.
Supposedly a light at the end of the tunnel.
a CBDC with a built-in ICFT...
that should keep the alphabetties happy.
It’s down here to only 85% from yesterday morning 90% (or was that the day before?) so it’s getting to be a dryer cold…that’s warming.
Climate change made warm Canadian December twice as likely: Study
On Dec. 6, Alberta alone set seven new records -- and not just by a little.
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Bob Weber
Published Jan 16, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read
Climate change made Canada’s warmest December in more than 50 years about twice as likely, a temperature anomaly that stood out around the world, a new study has found.
“It really stands out globally,” said Andrew Pershing of Climate Central, a non-profit group of scientists and science journalists based in Princeton, N.J.
“When you start to widen the lens, you really see how unusual it was in Canada.”
While this month’s deep freeze may make it seem like a distant memory, December broke warm temperature records around the country, especially on the Prairies.
On Dec. 6, Alberta alone set seven new records — and not just by a little.
That day, Bow Island in southern Alberta registered 18.6 C, a full 5.8 degrees higher than the previous 1962 mark. Golfers appeared on Calgary courses.
Every province and territory was above normal, but the Prairies went the furthest. Manitoba was 8.6 degrees warmer than usual, Saskatchewan eight degrees and Alberta 7.1 degrees.
This year has seen a strong El Nino, a weather pattern that usually brings warm weather. But that didn’t account for December, Pershing said.
“What we’re seeing is the steady push of climate change, day after day.”
Pershing and his colleagues used the Climate Shift Index to determine the impact of climate change. That index takes a well established and peer-reviewed methodology to tease out the influence of climate change on each day’s weather.
That index is a common tool for climatologists, said Nathan Gillett, who studies weather attribution at Environment Canada.
“The climate shift index has been around for a while,” he said. “It’s well accepted, generally.”
So-called weather attribution studies are increasingly popular and have looked at the role of climate change for a wide range of events around the globe, including Canada’s recent disastrous wildfire season. For December, Pershing added up the number of days in each province for which the shift index was higher than two, meaning climate change made that day’s temperature at least twice as likely.
Ontario and British Columbia had 11 such days. Manitoba had 10. Quebec had nine. Saskatchewan and Alberta averaged five between them.
That’s not just El Nino, Pershing said. Previous strong El Nino years didn’t produce anything close to what happened in 2023.
“We wouldn’t get the records we saw from El Nino. The records are coming from climate change with El Nino adding a little bit of flavour on top.”
Gillett, who wasn’t involved in the Climate Central study, said the conclusions accord with what he would have expected.
“The results are credible and the conclusions make sense,” he said. “They are borne out by other data I’ve seen recently.”
That comparative banana belt now seems a long time ago. January temperatures have plunged across the country.
Pershing said the science on the relationship of climate change to cold snaps is still unclear. Some believe the warming Arctic is weakening the jet stream and contributing to events like the current snap, but that’s not conclusive, Pershing said.
Natural variability is still around, said Gillett.
“There is still variability and these kinds of events can still happen. But they’re less likely than they would have been in the absence of human-induced climate change.”
Get used to it, said Pershing — if you can.
“I can go out on these warmer winter days and be both really happy and really creeped out.”
torontosun.com
On Dec. 6, Alberta alone set seven new records -- and not just by a little.
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Bob Weber
Published Jan 16, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read
Climate change made Canada’s warmest December in more than 50 years about twice as likely, a temperature anomaly that stood out around the world, a new study has found.
“It really stands out globally,” said Andrew Pershing of Climate Central, a non-profit group of scientists and science journalists based in Princeton, N.J.
“When you start to widen the lens, you really see how unusual it was in Canada.”
While this month’s deep freeze may make it seem like a distant memory, December broke warm temperature records around the country, especially on the Prairies.
On Dec. 6, Alberta alone set seven new records — and not just by a little.
That day, Bow Island in southern Alberta registered 18.6 C, a full 5.8 degrees higher than the previous 1962 mark. Golfers appeared on Calgary courses.
Every province and territory was above normal, but the Prairies went the furthest. Manitoba was 8.6 degrees warmer than usual, Saskatchewan eight degrees and Alberta 7.1 degrees.
This year has seen a strong El Nino, a weather pattern that usually brings warm weather. But that didn’t account for December, Pershing said.
“What we’re seeing is the steady push of climate change, day after day.”
Pershing and his colleagues used the Climate Shift Index to determine the impact of climate change. That index takes a well established and peer-reviewed methodology to tease out the influence of climate change on each day’s weather.
That index is a common tool for climatologists, said Nathan Gillett, who studies weather attribution at Environment Canada.
“The climate shift index has been around for a while,” he said. “It’s well accepted, generally.”
So-called weather attribution studies are increasingly popular and have looked at the role of climate change for a wide range of events around the globe, including Canada’s recent disastrous wildfire season. For December, Pershing added up the number of days in each province for which the shift index was higher than two, meaning climate change made that day’s temperature at least twice as likely.
Ontario and British Columbia had 11 such days. Manitoba had 10. Quebec had nine. Saskatchewan and Alberta averaged five between them.
That’s not just El Nino, Pershing said. Previous strong El Nino years didn’t produce anything close to what happened in 2023.
“We wouldn’t get the records we saw from El Nino. The records are coming from climate change with El Nino adding a little bit of flavour on top.”
Gillett, who wasn’t involved in the Climate Central study, said the conclusions accord with what he would have expected.
“The results are credible and the conclusions make sense,” he said. “They are borne out by other data I’ve seen recently.”
That comparative banana belt now seems a long time ago. January temperatures have plunged across the country.
Pershing said the science on the relationship of climate change to cold snaps is still unclear. Some believe the warming Arctic is weakening the jet stream and contributing to events like the current snap, but that’s not conclusive, Pershing said.
Natural variability is still around, said Gillett.
“There is still variability and these kinds of events can still happen. But they’re less likely than they would have been in the absence of human-induced climate change.”
Get used to it, said Pershing — if you can.
“I can go out on these warmer winter days and be both really happy and really creeped out.”
Climate change made warm Canadian December twice as likely: Study
Climate change made Canada's warmest December in more than 50 years about twice as likely, a new study has found.
Thank you Solar MaxClimate change made warm Canadian December twice as likely: Study
On Dec. 6, Alberta alone set seven new records -- and not just by a little.
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Bob Weber
Published Jan 16, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read
Climate change made Canada’s warmest December in more than 50 years about twice as likely, a temperature anomaly that stood out around the world, a new study has found.
“It really stands out globally,” said Andrew Pershing of Climate Central, a non-profit group of scientists and science journalists based in Princeton, N.J.
“When you start to widen the lens, you really see how unusual it was in Canada.”
While this month’s deep freeze may make it seem like a distant memory, December broke warm temperature records around the country, especially on the Prairies.
On Dec. 6, Alberta alone set seven new records — and not just by a little.
That day, Bow Island in southern Alberta registered 18.6 C, a full 5.8 degrees higher than the previous 1962 mark. Golfers appeared on Calgary courses.
Every province and territory was above normal, but the Prairies went the furthest. Manitoba was 8.6 degrees warmer than usual, Saskatchewan eight degrees and Alberta 7.1 degrees.
This year has seen a strong El Nino, a weather pattern that usually brings warm weather. But that didn’t account for December, Pershing said.
“What we’re seeing is the steady push of climate change, day after day.”
Pershing and his colleagues used the Climate Shift Index to determine the impact of climate change. That index takes a well established and peer-reviewed methodology to tease out the influence of climate change on each day’s weather.
That index is a common tool for climatologists, said Nathan Gillett, who studies weather attribution at Environment Canada.
“The climate shift index has been around for a while,” he said. “It’s well accepted, generally.”
So-called weather attribution studies are increasingly popular and have looked at the role of climate change for a wide range of events around the globe, including Canada’s recent disastrous wildfire season. For December, Pershing added up the number of days in each province for which the shift index was higher than two, meaning climate change made that day’s temperature at least twice as likely.
Ontario and British Columbia had 11 such days. Manitoba had 10. Quebec had nine. Saskatchewan and Alberta averaged five between them.
That’s not just El Nino, Pershing said. Previous strong El Nino years didn’t produce anything close to what happened in 2023.
“We wouldn’t get the records we saw from El Nino. The records are coming from climate change with El Nino adding a little bit of flavour on top.”
Gillett, who wasn’t involved in the Climate Central study, said the conclusions accord with what he would have expected.
“The results are credible and the conclusions make sense,” he said. “They are borne out by other data I’ve seen recently.”
That comparative banana belt now seems a long time ago. January temperatures have plunged across the country.
Pershing said the science on the relationship of climate change to cold snaps is still unclear. Some believe the warming Arctic is weakening the jet stream and contributing to events like the current snap, but that’s not conclusive, Pershing said.
Natural variability is still around, said Gillett.
“There is still variability and these kinds of events can still happen. But they’re less likely than they would have been in the absence of human-induced climate change.”
Get used to it, said Pershing — if you can.
“I can go out on these warmer winter days and be both really happy and really creeped out.”
Climate change made warm Canadian December twice as likely: Study
Climate change made Canada's warmest December in more than 50 years about twice as likely, a new study has found.
Canadians say climate caused a warm December they both enjoyed and worried about
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Bob Weber
Published Jan 17, 2024 • 3 minute read
Canadian attitudes toward climate change are about as consistent as Canadian weather, a new poll suggests.
Canadian attitudes toward climate change are about as consistent as Canadian weather, a new poll suggests.
Canadian attitudes toward climate change are about as consistent as Canadian weather, a new poll suggests.
Contradictions abound in a Leger online poll of more than 1,500 Canadians conducted earlier this month after a December that set records for warm temperatures.
Almost three-quarters of them thought climate change was the cause of a balmy holiday that was many degrees above normal across almost the entire country. The majority — 81 per cent — enjoyed those snow-free, above-zero days.
But at the same time, two-thirds of respondents said the weirdly warm weather worried them.
Similarly, solid majorities of at least 60 per cent said Canada is experiencing more wildfires, heat waves, late-onset winters and poor air quality. Yet 67 per cent said they hadn’t been personally affected by extreme weather events.
People may not be making the connection between general concerns and events in their own lives, said Leger vice-president Christian Bourque.
“There is a growing concern over climate change itself,” he said. “But those apparent contradictions are in (that) we’re not there yet in terms of climate preparedness, making sure our public infrastructure and local policies are aligned with the fact that these things will happen more often than they did before.”
Leger polled 1,530 Canadians between Jan. 12 and 14. Although online polls don’t report margins of error, Leger says a sample of that size would yield a margin of error no greater than 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Some of the apparent confusion in the answers may have to do with the way the questions were asked, Bourque said. While millions of Canadians breathed smoke last summer and millions more went through December with no more outerwear than a thick sweater, they may not think those are extreme weather events.
Still, Bourque said there’s plenty of continuity between this poll and Leger’s previous polls on climate change.
The percentage of Canadians worried about the issue is down about four percentage points since June.
However, the June poll was taken during the height of last summer’s wildfire season and the level of concern it registered — 67 per cent — was the highest Leger had ever polled. That slight drop may be deceptive, said Bourque.
“Concern peaked over the summer. Probably there’s been a slight shift in public opinion (towards higher concern).”
The June and January polls registered almost exactly the same percentage — 50 per cent — of respondents who felt there’s still time to reverse course before the worst effects.
The January poll was remarkably consistent between different demographic groups. Male, female, urban and rural all registered about the same level of concern about climate change — between 60 and 70 per cent.
“They don’t vary much,” said Bourque. “Women seem to be a bit more sensitive (to the concern).
“Differences are more in shades of grey than black and white.”
The outliers there were the Prairie Provinces, which — again _ register the lowest climate angst in the country. One in four Albertans aren’t worried at all and one in five don’t think climate change exists.
“We’ve seen that before,” Bourque said.
It’s a tough circle to square for policymakers trying to deal with an increasingly urgent issue, he said.
“Doing what we need to get rid of the problem is potentially asking a lot of Canadians. It’s tough to ask people to do a little bit more, but that will always exist.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Bob Weber
Published Jan 17, 2024 • 3 minute read
Canadian attitudes toward climate change are about as consistent as Canadian weather, a new poll suggests.
Canadian attitudes toward climate change are about as consistent as Canadian weather, a new poll suggests.
Canadian attitudes toward climate change are about as consistent as Canadian weather, a new poll suggests.
Contradictions abound in a Leger online poll of more than 1,500 Canadians conducted earlier this month after a December that set records for warm temperatures.
Almost three-quarters of them thought climate change was the cause of a balmy holiday that was many degrees above normal across almost the entire country. The majority — 81 per cent — enjoyed those snow-free, above-zero days.
But at the same time, two-thirds of respondents said the weirdly warm weather worried them.
Similarly, solid majorities of at least 60 per cent said Canada is experiencing more wildfires, heat waves, late-onset winters and poor air quality. Yet 67 per cent said they hadn’t been personally affected by extreme weather events.
People may not be making the connection between general concerns and events in their own lives, said Leger vice-president Christian Bourque.
“There is a growing concern over climate change itself,” he said. “But those apparent contradictions are in (that) we’re not there yet in terms of climate preparedness, making sure our public infrastructure and local policies are aligned with the fact that these things will happen more often than they did before.”
Leger polled 1,530 Canadians between Jan. 12 and 14. Although online polls don’t report margins of error, Leger says a sample of that size would yield a margin of error no greater than 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Some of the apparent confusion in the answers may have to do with the way the questions were asked, Bourque said. While millions of Canadians breathed smoke last summer and millions more went through December with no more outerwear than a thick sweater, they may not think those are extreme weather events.
Still, Bourque said there’s plenty of continuity between this poll and Leger’s previous polls on climate change.
The percentage of Canadians worried about the issue is down about four percentage points since June.
However, the June poll was taken during the height of last summer’s wildfire season and the level of concern it registered — 67 per cent — was the highest Leger had ever polled. That slight drop may be deceptive, said Bourque.
“Concern peaked over the summer. Probably there’s been a slight shift in public opinion (towards higher concern).”
The June and January polls registered almost exactly the same percentage — 50 per cent — of respondents who felt there’s still time to reverse course before the worst effects.
The January poll was remarkably consistent between different demographic groups. Male, female, urban and rural all registered about the same level of concern about climate change — between 60 and 70 per cent.
“They don’t vary much,” said Bourque. “Women seem to be a bit more sensitive (to the concern).
“Differences are more in shades of grey than black and white.”
The outliers there were the Prairie Provinces, which — again _ register the lowest climate angst in the country. One in four Albertans aren’t worried at all and one in five don’t think climate change exists.
“We’ve seen that before,” Bourque said.
It’s a tough circle to square for policymakers trying to deal with an increasingly urgent issue, he said.
“Doing what we need to get rid of the problem is potentially asking a lot of Canadians. It’s tough to ask people to do a little bit more, but that will always exist.”
Canadians say climate caused a warm December they both enjoyed and worried about
Canadian attitudes toward climate change are about as consistent as Canadian weather, a new poll suggests.
Federal agency sizing up air pollution from bagel shops and pizzerias
As Montreal area politicians stall on the issue, a federally-run agency is considering forcing wood-burning businesses to report emissions.
Author of the article:Michelle Lalonde • Montreal Gazette
Published Jan 17, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
The federal environment ministry is looking into whether some restaurants and bakeries that cook food in wood-fired ovens should be reporting their total air pollution emissions to the National Pollutant Release Inventory each year.
The NPRI is a federally legislated, publicly accessible inventory of pollutants that industrial, commercial and institutional facilities release into air, water and on land. All owners and operators of facilities that meet certain requirements must send annual reports detailing their facilities’ total pollution releases each year to the NPRI, which reports to the minister of environment and climate change.
“The NPRI program has recently undertaken compliance promotion activities targeting some wood-fired ovens such as pizzerias and bagel shops across Canada, including Montreal,” Cecelia Parsons, a spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), told The Gazette in a written statement.
There are about 100 commercial outlets on the island of Montreal that still cook food — bagels, pizza, grilled chicken, for example — in wood-fired ovens or over charcoal grills. Public health authorities have been sounding the alarm for years on this issue as evidence builds that the fine particulate pollution in wood smoke puts the health, and in some cases, the lives, of those who live near these establishments at risk.
Parsons said the federal program has begun “compliance promotion” work as “a first step, as part of a scoping exercise to determine if those facilities meet the NPRI reporting thresholds.”
She said the program is now doing follow-up with those facilities, which she did not identify.
The NPRI does not set emissions limits, but it can fine companies that meet the reporting requirements and fail to report, fail to report on time or submit false or misleading information.
Parsons noted that regulating the use of wood-burning appliances has typically been undertaken by provinces and territories, although some provinces and municipalities have set limits on polluting emissions from new wood-burning appliances for homes. Some cities, including Montreal, have passed bylaws that outlaw residential wood-burning in appliances that don’t meet current emissions standards. A study released by the federal government last year found that home firewood burning contributed to an estimated 2,300 premature deaths across Canada.
The administration of Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante signalled back in 2018 that the era of tolerating excessive air pollution from wood-burning businesses was coming to an end. But the city has since stalled on taking action, and has now bunted the regulation of commercial wood burners over to the Montreal Metropolitan Community (MMC) council.
In 2020, the MMC’s Standing Committee on Environment and Ecological Transition was given a mandate to hold public hearings on a proposed bylaw to regulate these businesses. Those hearings were postponed due to the pandemic, but a proposed bylaw is expected to be submitted to the MMC early in 2024. Its committee will then evaluate the need for public consultations on it, a member of Montreal’s executive committee told The Gazette recently.
Meanwhile, those advocating for a ban on wood-burning in densely populated neighbourhoods welcomed the news that the federal pollution inventory is stepping in to put some pressure on polluters to clean up their act.
“We are extremely pleased to hear that the (federal) government has taken an important step with regards to wood-fired restaurants and bakeries to ensure they comply with the same rules followed by other pollution emitters,” said Daniel Vézina, director general for a Montreal-based group called Families for Clean Air. “Data has shown that this is a very important source of pollution locally for many neighbourhoods. We welcome their efforts to potentially include those emissions in the National Pollutant Release Inventory, which would help scientists across Canada to better understand the health impacts and influence policy decisions.”
mlalonde@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
As Montreal area politicians stall on the issue, a federally-run agency is considering forcing wood-burning businesses to report emissions.
Author of the article:Michelle Lalonde • Montreal Gazette
Published Jan 17, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
The federal environment ministry is looking into whether some restaurants and bakeries that cook food in wood-fired ovens should be reporting their total air pollution emissions to the National Pollutant Release Inventory each year.
The NPRI is a federally legislated, publicly accessible inventory of pollutants that industrial, commercial and institutional facilities release into air, water and on land. All owners and operators of facilities that meet certain requirements must send annual reports detailing their facilities’ total pollution releases each year to the NPRI, which reports to the minister of environment and climate change.
“The NPRI program has recently undertaken compliance promotion activities targeting some wood-fired ovens such as pizzerias and bagel shops across Canada, including Montreal,” Cecelia Parsons, a spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), told The Gazette in a written statement.
There are about 100 commercial outlets on the island of Montreal that still cook food — bagels, pizza, grilled chicken, for example — in wood-fired ovens or over charcoal grills. Public health authorities have been sounding the alarm for years on this issue as evidence builds that the fine particulate pollution in wood smoke puts the health, and in some cases, the lives, of those who live near these establishments at risk.
Parsons said the federal program has begun “compliance promotion” work as “a first step, as part of a scoping exercise to determine if those facilities meet the NPRI reporting thresholds.”
She said the program is now doing follow-up with those facilities, which she did not identify.
The NPRI does not set emissions limits, but it can fine companies that meet the reporting requirements and fail to report, fail to report on time or submit false or misleading information.
Parsons noted that regulating the use of wood-burning appliances has typically been undertaken by provinces and territories, although some provinces and municipalities have set limits on polluting emissions from new wood-burning appliances for homes. Some cities, including Montreal, have passed bylaws that outlaw residential wood-burning in appliances that don’t meet current emissions standards. A study released by the federal government last year found that home firewood burning contributed to an estimated 2,300 premature deaths across Canada.
The administration of Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante signalled back in 2018 that the era of tolerating excessive air pollution from wood-burning businesses was coming to an end. But the city has since stalled on taking action, and has now bunted the regulation of commercial wood burners over to the Montreal Metropolitan Community (MMC) council.
In 2020, the MMC’s Standing Committee on Environment and Ecological Transition was given a mandate to hold public hearings on a proposed bylaw to regulate these businesses. Those hearings were postponed due to the pandemic, but a proposed bylaw is expected to be submitted to the MMC early in 2024. Its committee will then evaluate the need for public consultations on it, a member of Montreal’s executive committee told The Gazette recently.
Meanwhile, those advocating for a ban on wood-burning in densely populated neighbourhoods welcomed the news that the federal pollution inventory is stepping in to put some pressure on polluters to clean up their act.
“We are extremely pleased to hear that the (federal) government has taken an important step with regards to wood-fired restaurants and bakeries to ensure they comply with the same rules followed by other pollution emitters,” said Daniel Vézina, director general for a Montreal-based group called Families for Clean Air. “Data has shown that this is a very important source of pollution locally for many neighbourhoods. We welcome their efforts to potentially include those emissions in the National Pollutant Release Inventory, which would help scientists across Canada to better understand the health impacts and influence policy decisions.”
mlalonde@postmedia.com
Federal agency sizing up air pollution from bagel shops and pizzerias
As Montreal area politicians stall on the issue, a federally-run agency is considering forcing wood-burning businesses to report emissions.
That sounds like a waste of money.Federal agency sizing up air pollution from bagel shops and pizzerias
As Montreal area politicians stall on the issue, a federally-run agency is considering forcing wood-burning businesses to report emissions.
Author of the article:Michelle Lalonde • Montreal Gazette
Published Jan 17, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
The federal environment ministry is looking into whether some restaurants and bakeries that cook food in wood-fired ovens should be reporting their total air pollution emissions to the National Pollutant Release Inventory each year.
The NPRI is a federally legislated, publicly accessible inventory of pollutants that industrial, commercial and institutional facilities release into air, water and on land. All owners and operators of facilities that meet certain requirements must send annual reports detailing their facilities’ total pollution releases each year to the NPRI, which reports to the minister of environment and climate change.
“The NPRI program has recently undertaken compliance promotion activities targeting some wood-fired ovens such as pizzerias and bagel shops across Canada, including Montreal,” Cecelia Parsons, a spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), told The Gazette in a written statement.
There are about 100 commercial outlets on the island of Montreal that still cook food — bagels, pizza, grilled chicken, for example — in wood-fired ovens or over charcoal grills. Public health authorities have been sounding the alarm for years on this issue as evidence builds that the fine particulate pollution in wood smoke puts the health, and in some cases, the lives, of those who live near these establishments at risk.
Parsons said the federal program has begun “compliance promotion” work as “a first step, as part of a scoping exercise to determine if those facilities meet the NPRI reporting thresholds.”
She said the program is now doing follow-up with those facilities, which she did not identify.
The NPRI does not set emissions limits, but it can fine companies that meet the reporting requirements and fail to report, fail to report on time or submit false or misleading information.
Parsons noted that regulating the use of wood-burning appliances has typically been undertaken by provinces and territories, although some provinces and municipalities have set limits on polluting emissions from new wood-burning appliances for homes. Some cities, including Montreal, have passed bylaws that outlaw residential wood-burning in appliances that don’t meet current emissions standards. A study released by the federal government last year found that home firewood burning contributed to an estimated 2,300 premature deaths across Canada.
The administration of Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante signalled back in 2018 that the era of tolerating excessive air pollution from wood-burning businesses was coming to an end. But the city has since stalled on taking action, and has now bunted the regulation of commercial wood burners over to the Montreal Metropolitan Community (MMC) council.
In 2020, the MMC’s Standing Committee on Environment and Ecological Transition was given a mandate to hold public hearings on a proposed bylaw to regulate these businesses. Those hearings were postponed due to the pandemic, but a proposed bylaw is expected to be submitted to the MMC early in 2024. Its committee will then evaluate the need for public consultations on it, a member of Montreal’s executive committee told The Gazette recently.
Meanwhile, those advocating for a ban on wood-burning in densely populated neighbourhoods welcomed the news that the federal pollution inventory is stepping in to put some pressure on polluters to clean up their act.
“We are extremely pleased to hear that the (federal) government has taken an important step with regards to wood-fired restaurants and bakeries to ensure they comply with the same rules followed by other pollution emitters,” said Daniel Vézina, director general for a Montreal-based group called Families for Clean Air. “Data has shown that this is a very important source of pollution locally for many neighbourhoods. We welcome their efforts to potentially include those emissions in the National Pollutant Release Inventory, which would help scientists across Canada to better understand the health impacts and influence policy decisions.”
mlalonde@postmedia.com
Federal agency sizing up air pollution from bagel shops and pizzerias
As Montreal area politicians stall on the issue, a federally-run agency is considering forcing wood-burning businesses to report emissions.
What good is lithium when hydrogen is the future?
It’s still useful in this global warming cooling changing situation, because Lithium is used to treat mania that is part of bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness).
Lithium (oral route)
www.mayoclinic.org
Some clown was trying to peddle this gobltygoop on facebook a couple of days ago. The majority of fires in 2023 were either lightning, or arson by globull warming truthers. A guy in Quebec has been convicted of 13 fires. A woman in Alberta has been charged with 34 arson wildfires.. Haven't heard if she has been to court yet.Climate change made warm Canadian December twice as likely: Study
On Dec. 6, Alberta alone set seven new records -- and not just by a little.
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Bob Weber
Published Jan 16, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read
Climate change made Canada’s warmest December in more than 50 years about twice as likely, a temperature anomaly that stood out around the world, a new study has found.
“It really stands out globally,” said Andrew Pershing of Climate Central, a non-profit group of scientists and science journalists based in Princeton, N.J.
“When you start to widen the lens, you really see how unusual it was in Canada.”
While this month’s deep freeze may make it seem like a distant memory, December broke warm temperature records around the country, especially on the Prairies.
On Dec. 6, Alberta alone set seven new records — and not just by a little.
That day, Bow Island in southern Alberta registered 18.6 C, a full 5.8 degrees higher than the previous 1962 mark. Golfers appeared on Calgary courses.
Every province and territory was above normal, but the Prairies went the furthest. Manitoba was 8.6 degrees warmer than usual, Saskatchewan eight degrees and Alberta 7.1 degrees.
This year has seen a strong El Nino, a weather pattern that usually brings warm weather. But that didn’t account for December, Pershing said.
“What we’re seeing is the steady push of climate change, day after day.”
Pershing and his colleagues used the Climate Shift Index to determine the impact of climate change. That index takes a well established and peer-reviewed methodology to tease out the influence of climate change on each day’s weather.
That index is a common tool for climatologists, said Nathan Gillett, who studies weather attribution at Environment Canada.
“The climate shift index has been around for a while,” he said. “It’s well accepted, generally.”
So-called weather attribution studies are increasingly popular and have looked at the role of climate change for a wide range of events around the globe, including Canada’s recent disastrous wildfire season. For December, Pershing added up the number of days in each province for which the shift index was higher than two, meaning climate change made that day’s temperature at least twice as likely.
Ontario and British Columbia had 11 such days. Manitoba had 10. Quebec had nine. Saskatchewan and Alberta averaged five between them.
That’s not just El Nino, Pershing said. Previous strong El Nino years didn’t produce anything close to what happened in 2023.
“We wouldn’t get the records we saw from El Nino. The records are coming from climate change with El Nino adding a little bit of flavour on top.”
Gillett, who wasn’t involved in the Climate Central study, said the conclusions accord with what he would have expected.
“The results are credible and the conclusions make sense,” he said. “They are borne out by other data I’ve seen recently.”
That comparative banana belt now seems a long time ago. January temperatures have plunged across the country.
Pershing said the science on the relationship of climate change to cold snaps is still unclear. Some believe the warming Arctic is weakening the jet stream and contributing to events like the current snap, but that’s not conclusive, Pershing said.
Natural variability is still around, said Gillett.
“There is still variability and these kinds of events can still happen. But they’re less likely than they would have been in the absence of human-induced climate change.”
Get used to it, said Pershing — if you can.
“I can go out on these warmer winter days and be both really happy and really creeped out.”
Climate change made warm Canadian December twice as likely: Study
Climate change made Canada's warmest December in more than 50 years about twice as likely, a new study has found.