Submitted by Rod Layman, BPEG
On June 1, 2022 BPEG members held their first public meeting in more than two years, a presentation of the Municipality’s first-ever Climate Action Plan.
Five members of the Climate Action Committee co-presented some of their findings and recommendations. Essentially the message was one for the need for adaptation to the changing climate, since mitigation is starting much too late.
We are already experiencing climate change, but the research behind the plan brings into sharp focus the ways we will be affected if these changes remain unchecked.
By 2080 the Northern Bruce Peninsula will see:
-In winter, there will be 20% more snow in spite of starting a month later, and in summer we can expect seven weeks of temperatures above 30C for daytimes and with 20C night temperatures.
-Lake Huron’s high water mark is projected to rise by 1.5 metres. The “25 year” storms will become more common, expected every 5 years.
-Hotter, drier, windier weather will see our fire season be a month longer with increased risk of large scale events.
-50% of tree species and 20% of bird species will be at risk, and there will be increased disruption of aquatic ecosystems due to warmer water.
These coming shifts are a call to action both to protect the peninsula and to help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change.
In response, the Climate Action Plan contains more than 35 initiatives that are the result of extensive research and consultation with the municipality and the broader community. The overall emissions target is a reduction of 20% over 2020 levels.
Some of the key elements of the plan that drew questions and discussion were:
-Our cars, trucks, boats and other vehicles produce 45% of our emissions. This is mainly because even the best combustion engines waste 80% of their energy as lost heat. Electric vehicles, which are 95% efficient and have 1/5 the fuel cost of gas or diesel, are not a fad but a critical part of the solution.
-Heating our homes and buildings with oil, propane and wood accounts for 35% of our emissions. Electric heat pumps are quickly becoming a mainstream answer to this problem. New compressor technology means these units now work efficiently in our cold climate and have operating costs that are significantly lower than propane or oil heating.
-Decomposing organic and yard waste in our landfills accounts for 15% or our emissions. This is because landfills rot these materials without oxygen, producing methane, which is 20 times more damaging than the CO2 produced through composting. So finding a way to compost organics on the peninsula is an important part of the solution.
While the Municipality only produces a small part of our community’s emissions, it must play a leadership role and can help all of us to take climate action. The plan includes changes to municipal decision-making to include climate lens for all decisions such as capital projects and programs and services. The climate lens ensures that decisions will make our infrastructure more resilient to climate change, reduce emissions where possible, and take into account the entire life cycle costs of purchases and other decisions, saving money.
For more information on the Climate Action Plan visit https://www.biosphere
climateaction.ca/climate_action_plan
