Ontario’s Opportunities in as... · Ontario’s climate is changing too: Expect more hot days:...
Transcript of Ontario’s Opportunities in as... · Ontario’s climate is changing too: Expect more hot days:...
Ontario’s Opportunities in a Changing Climate
Third Age Learning – York Region Aurora Cultural Centre
September 28, 2015
Ellen Schwartzel Environmental Commissioner (Acting)
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Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights:
Tools to help you:
Have your say on environmental decisions
Ask for new environmental laws, policies
Ask for enforcement of environmental rules
Request appeals of approvals
Connect with the Environmental Commissioner 3
Having Your Say: The Environmental Registry
A searchable on-line database of government proposals and decisions that affect the environment
Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change
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The Environmental Registry
Shows you what ministries are working on
Lets you comment before decisions are made
Shows you the comments of other people
Shows you how the ministry considered public comments
The Environmental Registry
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Ontario’s Climate Change Strategy
45-day comment period
Comment until March 29, 2015
Registry #012-3452
Your Chance to Comment On:
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Moving Ontario Forward Outside the
Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area
45-day comment period
Comment by August 8, 2015
Registry #012-4354
Your Chance to Comment On:
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Intercity Bus Services in Ontario
60-day comment period
Comment by September 25, 2015
Registry #012-4351
Your Chance to Comment On:
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Conserving Ontario’s Wetlands
95-day comment period
Comment by October 30, 2015
Registry #012-4464
Your Chance to Comment On:
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Environmental Commissioner of Ontario
Impartial
Officer of the Legislature
environmental watchdog
Since 1994
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The ECO’s Expanded Mandate
Annual reports on: [the Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009]
greenhouse gas
emissions energy conservation
ECO’s Greenhouse Gas Report 2015
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The science is clear - land and ocean surface temperatures
are rising as predicted
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Ontario’s climate is changing too:
Ontario’s average temperature increases have outpaced the global average (1900-2012 time-span)
Feeling the Heat: GHG Progress Report 2015: p. 37
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Ontario’s climate is changing too: Number of frost-free days in Ontario increased by 18 days between 1979 and
2009.
18 days
over 30 years
Feeling the Heat: GHG Progress Report 2015: p. 37
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Ontario’s climate is changing too:
Lyme Disease: reported cases have gone up four-fold in four years.
144 2009
to 682 2013
Feeling the Heat: GHG Progress Report 2015: p. 9
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Ontario’s climate is changing too:
Lyme Disease: reported cases have gone up four-fold in four years.
144 2009
to 682 2013
Feeling the Heat: GHG Progress Report 2015: p. 9
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Ontario’s climate is changing too:
Expect more hot days:
Toronto and Windsor can expect double the current average number of over 30 degrees C, by 2050
Feeling the Heat: GHG Progress Report 2015: p. 9
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Cutting Greenhouse Gases;
“Mitigation”;
How is Ontario doing?
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Ontario set targets in 2007 to cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
6% below 1990 by 2014 (to 166 Mt)
15% below 1990 by 2020 (to 150 Mt)
80% below 1990 by 2050 (to 35 Mt)
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Ontario’s targets not arbitrary;
International goals
Assume we can keep within 2 degrees of
warming
Assume planet can cope with 2 degrees
of warming
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Ontario’s Target for 2050: our challenge!
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Ontario’s Greenhouse Gases
Where do they come from?
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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Ontario’s Emissions Profile
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Ontario’s Targets
2014
2020 ?
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GDP up; GHGs down
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Cutting Greenhouse Gases; Ontario has options!
British Columbia:
carbon tax since 2008; ~7 cents/litre of gas
Quebec:
Cap and trade system for carbon credits
Ontario:
Cap and trade announced April 13, 2015
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Ontario Action on Climate Change:
Cap and trade announced April 13, 2015
Climate Summit of the Americas July 7-9
Climate Change Strategy promised for 2015
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Cutting Greenhouse Gases; Ontario has options!
-a price on carbon
-use our low-carbon electricity for electric vehicles
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Cutting Greenhouse Gases; Ontario has options!
compact urban development
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Cutting Greenhouse Gases; Ontario has options!
compact urban development
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Cutting Greenhouse Gases; Ontario has options!
-a price on carbon
-use our low-carbon electricity for electric vehicles
-compact urban development
-strengthen the Ontario Building Code
-incentives to retrofit existing buildings
-build up carbon in farm soils
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Cutting Greenhouse Gases; Ontario has options!
-support the work of communities on energy
conservation
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Climate Change:
Four Big Ideas
The Science is Clear
Unburnable Carbon
Insurance Risks are changing
Priorities have evolved
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Climate Change Four Big Ideas
Unburnable Carbon
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Climate Change Four Big Ideas
Insurance risks are
changing; Adaptation is a challenge
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Four Big Ideas
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Climate Change
Insurance risks are changing:
Finch Ave. wash-out:
August 19, 2005 storm
100-year storm: ~175mm rain in under one hour
Insured losses: $500 million
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Climate Change
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Climate Change
Insurance risks are changing:
Don Valley flooded:
July 8, 2013 storm
~126mm rain in ~ two hours
Insured losses: $940 million
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Climate Change Four Big Ideas
Priorities have
evolved
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Climate Change Four Big Ideas
Priorities have
evolved: Should we mitigate?
Should we adapt?
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Climate Change Four Big Ideas
We need to do both:
mitigate AND….. adapt.
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Ontario has options and natural advantages:
-highly educated and diverse
populace
-natural capital and climate
resilience
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Ontario has options and natural advantages:
-highly educated and diverse populace
-natural capital and climate resilience
- motivated, resourceful grass-roots
communities
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Thank you!
Ellen Schwartzel, Commissioner (Acting)
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