Canada Climate Change and Green Jobs

By Salim Velji

The e-book deals with Climate Change with special reference to Canada. There have been several developments, globally and domestically, since Canada launched its Pan Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change Plan. This book details some major developments which have potential to impact Canada's goal of achieving a low-carbon and climate resilient economy.
The book also provides information on employment opportunities and jobs in the fast growing renewable energy and e-mobility sectors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Salim Velji
• Release date: Mar 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370858682

Salim Velji

Salim Velji is a graduate in Finance from University of East Africa. He is now retired after long service with Canada Post. He follows with keen interest current events, and in particular, transformational events and happenings. Climate change is the most serious environmental threat facing humanity. Response on a world-wide basis in order to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions will shape the social, economic, cultural, political structures of world communities in the future.

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CANADA CLIMATE CHANGE

And Green Jobs

SALIM VELJI

Copyright ©2018 by Salim Velji

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All rights reserved.

Reader wishing to redistribute text on this book in any form, please provide credit to the original sources which are indicated in the text by hyperlink reference or as citations.

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About this eBook ......

This book is on Climate Change with special reference to Canada. Canada has a Pan Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change Plan. There have been several developments since then, and the book highlights those developments which have potential to impact Canada’s goal towards a low-carbon and climate resilient economy by 2030 and 2050, and in accordance with its international commitments.

Demand for green collar specialists is expected to get a major boost due to impressive technical progress in alternative energy and electric-mobility sectors and the exponential decline in their cost of application.

Demand for environment professionals in other sectors of the economy is also expected to rise due to increase in environmental regulations on industries in the future.

This work has drawn on several sources and references, but the possible outcomes and conclusions are solely of this writer.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Climate Change (Q&A)

Chapter 2: Paris Climate Agreement

Chapter 3: Is Climate Change irreversible?

Chapter 4: Climate Deniers

Chapter 5: Why President Trump cannot derail the climate change momentum

Chapter 6: Climate Change Impact on Canada Economic Sectors

Chapter 7: Canada's Renewable Energy Resources

Chapter 8: Pan Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change

Chapter 9: Some of the Canadian Clean Energy Companies

Chapter 10: Why Canada will realize its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2050.

Chapter 11: Green Jobs

Chapter 1

Climate Change (Q&A)

"The greatest threat to our Planet is the belief that someone else will save it"

Robert Swan

Polar explorer, Environmental leader

what is climate change?

Climate change is the most serious environmental threat facing humanity. Its potential impact includes extreme weather events, global warming, sea level rise, and altered rainfall patterns. Climate change can be caused by natural processes, such as changes in the output or intensity of the sun, or from a change in the earth's orbit. It can also be caused by human activities, that involve burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) which can change the composition of the atmosphere through greenhouse gases and other substances. The build-up of the green-house gases in the atmosphere is the primary cause of concern now and in the immediate future.

what are greenhouse gases (GHGs)?

Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide. They are also known as heat-trapping gases.

Greenhouse gases arise naturally and are part of the make-up of our atmosphere. The naturally arising greenhouse gases keep the planet at friendly average 15⁰ C (59 F) temperature. But since the Industrial Revolution, human activities, through burning of fossil fuels, and permanent forest loss, has cause additional carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which has upset the natural energy balance. The rise in carbon dioxide levels. traps heat near the surface of the earth and causes rise in temperature.

what is the greenhouse effect?

The earth atmosphere is largely transparent to sunlight, allowing most of the sunlight to pass and heat the planet. However, small concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb much of the outgoing heat energy radiated by the earth and return much of this heat back to the surface of the earth. This process results in the earth warming more than if no greenhouse gases were present. This process is referred to as the greenhouse effect, because it resembles the role of glass walls in a greenhouse, creating warmer conditions than would otherwise occur.

what causes climate change?

Changes in the climate can be caused by natural events and processes and by human influences. However, since the Industrial Revolution, there has been significant increase in human activity impacting the concentration of greenhouse gas which influence the amount of heat energy escaping to space. The build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is the primary cause for concern about climate change over the coming century.

Is the ozone hole causing climate change?

No and Yes. The ozone layer lies high up in the atmosphere, above the South Pole during the Southern Hemisphere's spring. The ozone layer shields us from ultraviolent (UV) rays that come from the sun. The use of gases like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in spray cans and refrigerants, has broken down ozone molecules and cause a hole in the ozone layer.

Some of the sun's UV rays do slip through the hole, but account for less than 1 per cent of global warming.

However, the ozone hole is affecting climate in the Southern Hemisphere. Destroying the ozone layer has made the stratosphere over the Southern Hemisphere colder, which result in faster winds near the Pole, and this has impact all the way to the equator and affect tropical circulation and rainfall at lower latitudes. The ozone hole is not causing global warming, but it is affecting atmospheric circulation.

Canada is among the almost 200 countries who have committed to global phase-out of HFCs by 2025 in accordance with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. The phase-out of HFCs will lower GHG emissions from HFCs and help to protect the ozone layer.

What do volcanoes have to do with climate change?

Volcanoes eruptions overall on an annual basis release about 5 per cent of the equivalent amount of CO2 release by humans and is therefore not significant.

However, about once every 20 years, there is a major volcanic eruption. This throws out huge number of particles and other gases into the atmosphere, and effectively shields earth from the sun and lead to a period of global cooling. The particles and gases typically dissipate after 2 years, but the effect is almost global-wide.

what is the difference between climate change and global warming?

The terms climate change and global warming are used interchangeably, but they are not quite similar. Global warming refers to the long-term warming of earth. Global temperatures show a rise in temperatures, since the early 20th. century and most notably from late 1970s. This does not however imply that the world will warm uniformly. Some areas of the earth will warm more, while others will warm less than the global mean.

Global warming is an indicator of climate change. Climate change refers to broader range of changes occurring on the planet such as temperatures, precipitation, winds, and rising sea levels. It also includes shrinking mountain glaciers, accelerating ice melt in Greenland, and the two Poles, and shifts in flower/plant blooming times. [¹]

what are the impacts of climate change on the weather?

Climate change impacts on weather will result from more frequent, longer-lasting and more intense extreme weather events, giving rise to natural disasters, such as heavy precipitation events, floods, heat waves, droughts and wildfires.

Climate change will result in a shift in average conditions to a warmer climate, and a shift to extreme temperature conditions, with increase in hot extremes, and decrease in cold extremes. The warmer atmosphere will hold more moisture, and rain and snow events will cause more water to fall. Heavy precipitation events in the future are expected to be followed by longer in-between dry periods. Climate change impact will differ for different parts of the world. including different regions of Canada.

which human activities contribute the most greenhouse gases to the atmosphere?

The burning of fossil fuels - primarily coal, oil, and natural gas - currently account for between 70 - 90% of all human emissions of carbon dioxide, which is a major greenhouse gas. Fossil fuels are used for electric power generation, transportation, heating, cooling, manufacturing, and other applications. The remainder of the carbon dioxide emissions are from the clearing and degradation of forests, agriculture, ranching, and from the production and transport of fossil fuels, waste management and industrial processes.

what are the impact of climate change on human health?

Scientific projections indicate that climate change can affect the health and well-being of Canadians in numerous ways. A few of these predicted results include: increase smog and heat waves resulting in more temperature-related illness and death; the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria, yellow fever into Canada as insects carrying these diseases migrate northward with warming climate; drinking water quality and quantity could decline due to drought affecting some regions. [²]

what is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a scientific, interdisciplinary body which was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Association (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). It provides decision-makers and others with an objective source of information about climate change. IPCC role is to assess the latest scientific, technical and socio-economic literature produce world-wide, relevant to understanding the risk of human-induced climate change, and its observed and projected impacts for adaptation and mitigation.

The IPCC regularly publishes its findings in assessment reports which are reviewed by governments and experts worldwide.

what is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)?

UNFCCC is an international treaty that sets out an overall framework for inter-governmental efforts to tackle the challenges posed by climate change. The Convention's ultimate objective is to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases at a level that would prevent human interference with the climate system.

The Convention was established on March 21, 1994 and has 195 ratifying Parties (194 Parties) and one regional organization, (the European Union).

Under the Convention, governments

gather and share information on GHG emissions, national policies and best practices

launch national strategies for addressing GHG emissions and adapting to expected impacts.

co-operate in adapting to the negative impacts from climate change, and provision of financial and technological support for developing countries.

what is COP and what does it stand for?

COP stands for the Conference of the Parties. The COP is the supreme body of the UNFCCC. It regularly meets once a year to review the convention's progress and establish rules of its implementation.

who attends, participates in UNFCCC negotiations?

UNFCCC meetings are open to the Parties of the Convention, observer states, United Nation bodies and agencies, and non-governmental organizations that have been formally admitted as observers. Accredited media can also attend.

Canada has participated in each of the UNFCCC sessions since the Convention formation in 1994.The sessions have been to discuss ways to address the global challenges of climate change.

what is Canada role in the UNFCCC negotiations?

Under the Convention, Canada is required to provide data on its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on an annual basis

submit national communications periodically reporting on progress in GHG emissions reduction, enact policies and measures to address greenhouse gases.

Chapter 2

Paris Climate Agreement

"Independence is an important, even vital