The Proof in Sandy

Bob Sandford McKim Auditorium

Two internationally known speakers gave a series of different lectures in Cranbrook and Kimberley last week.  ‘Storm Warning’, ‘Cold Matters’ and a ‘World Prematurely Damned’ were the topics  discussed by Bob Sandford.

Deborah Harford presented 'Climate Change Impacts' and 'Key Principles for Adaptation'.

Deborah Harford

Despite a much greater awareness, there is still a lot to learn about the potential effects of Climate Change.  As the East Coast prepares itself for hurricane Sandy, businesses, municipalities, health and emergency services, and individual home owners are all likely asking themselves what else they can do to be prepared.  

Most important will be the adaptations necessary to cope with higher sea levels, storm surges, extra heavy rain and snowfalls, accompanying floods, run-off and drought. These weather events have always been part of our climate but all these events are now happening with more severity and more frequency.

Water may not always be available where and when we need it.  We will have too much at times and too little at other times.  The effects of the these rapid changes on flora and fauna are already having a major impact on the economy, the pine beetle epidemic for example, thought partly to be a result of climate change, has wreaked havoc with industry and livelihoods.

The need to consider flood zones when buying a home, the necessity of greater storm sewer capacity construction, water storage for times of drought and the results of the elimination of farmland due to permanent flooding.   The cost of these changes will impact us all.  Harford spoke of the debate going on with insurance companies and governments. Governments continue to collect our taxes but do not often share responsibility for damage due to sewer back up, for example, caused by inadequate infrastructure.  Municipalities receive such a small share of federal and provincial taxes that municipal taxes alone are inadequate to upgrade infrastructure to new and necessary standards (if the standards can be known with such unpredictability and lack of stable weather patterns).  Our home insurance rates will go up especially in municipalities with inadequate infrastructure.

Along with focus on the changes necessary to prevent more serious effects of climate change, adaptations are necessary now.  Although these serious messages can be daunting both speakers emphasised that there are solutions which need to be explored and put into practise.

The principle behind much of the change and unpredictability  in precipitation events

For more on Bob’s lecture topics

http://watercanada.net/author/bsandford/

For information from ACT go to:

www.sfu.ca/act

 For more information from Columbia Basin Trust go to:

www.cbt.org./dialoguetoaction

At Mt Baker School

COR