Durham Environment Watch

Impacts of Climate Change

1. Because of climate change, the loss of Arctic sea ice is destroying the habitats of polar bears and walruses, threatening their survival.

2. Because of climate change, in the Caribbean, warmer temperatures are skewing gender ratios of sea turtles, undermining the stability of the species.

3. While balmier climates may actually boost tourism in Canada, other key sectors of the economy - including fisheries, agriculture, forestry and oil and gas - won't be as fortunate.

4. Most of us will experience climate change in the form of extreme weather: floods, droughts, heat waves and stronger storms and hurricanes.

5. Globally, climate change is causing glacial melt, sea level rise, loss of Arctic sea ice, increased insect infestation, wider spread of diseases and extreme weather events.

Understanding your carbon footprint

1. Most greenhouse gases are caused by the burning of fossil fuels for electricity generation and transportation. That includes burning municipal waste - INCINERATION.

2. Deforestation is another major driver of climate change, responsible for more carbon pollution than the entire global transportation sector.

3. A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of carbon pollution produced.

4. Simple ways to reduce your carbon footprint include: walk more, use public transportation, only buy what you need and recycle.

Tips to living green

1. Drive Less. Instead of taking the car, why not walk, bike or take transit. Cars and trucks run on fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

2. Buy local and sustainable food. The average food product travels about 2,000 kilometres before it reaches your table. Along the way it burns up energy - creating greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change - as it's packaged, shipped and stored. WWF-Canada has created Sustainable Food Buying Guides for regions across the country to help Canadians shop sustainably. The guides are free and available at http://wwf.ca/foodguide.

3. Recycle, reduce and reuse. Recycling saves a lot of energy needed to extract, process, transport and make new materials and products. Recycle 100% of your glass, aluminium, plastic, and paper and compost your organic waste. Fight against burning and burying waste. Encourage government to make a more concerted effort to move toward Zero Waste.

4. Stay grounded. Airplanes are one of the biggest culprits for pumping carbon emissions high into the atmosphere. If you must fly, then purchase carbon offsets to reduce the impact of your flight. WWF recommends gold standard carbon offsets, such as Climate Friendly (https://climatefriendly.com).

5. Make sure your dishwasher and washing machine are always full before you run them as this will save energy and money.

6. Weather-proofing your home is a great way to save energy. Caulk your doors and windows, add insulation or add shades to use in the summer!

7. Leaving your computer for a while? Put it on stand-by and it will take less energy than shutting down and restarting.

8. Fix leaking faucets. The constant drip wastes water, energy and money, so repair them as soon as possible.

9. Unplug appliances and phone chargers when they aren't in use. If they're plugged in, they're drawing energy and costing you money.

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