Kelsey Rideout
Rachel Scapillati

Say it with us now: climate change, climate change, climate change…

There are those among us who are suffering from what could best be described as ‘climate change-fatigue,’ otherwise known as a sensation of boredom, ambivalence, or sheer exhaustion every time the two words are uttered side by side. For these individuals, climate change has had plenty of time in the spotlight, and it now seems like an appropriate time to bow down from its once rhythmic tap-dance routine of warning the world, and give others the chance to showcase a jive that at least changes the familiar tune from projected chaos and apathetic tendencies to something a little more pleasant, a little bit more progressive to listen to. After all, it’s not an unusual feeling to be tired of the usual hums and whistles that absorb media headlines and political kerfuffle.  However, judging from what’s happening in the world, including our own country, climate change is already here. For some of us, climate change is little more than a news headline, a lecture topic, or a political debate, but for others, climate change is threatening economies and livelihoods. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like climate change will be packing up and moving out any time soon so let’s talk about it, again.

A glimpse into our thawing land

The Canadian Arctic, a huge area of land and water that covers parts of eight provinces and territories, is a global hotspot for climate change. Over the past 50 years, surface air temperatures in the Arctic have warmed at more than twice the global rate. Some scientists project that we could witness an ice-free Arctic Ocean in the summer as early as 2015 with implications for ocean processes, wildlife, shipping, and Inuit livelihoods. Changes in sea ice is but one of several changes that are already affecting Arctic communities. Tristan Pearce, Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Geography, has worked for the past six years in the Inuit community, Ulukhaktok, which is located in the western Canadian Arctic. His research focuses on documenting the human dimensions of climate change; how environmental changes are translating to affect Inuit livelihoods and how Inuit are adapting. Pearce describes overall changes happening throughout the Arctic.
“One of the changes that people are most familiar with is that the sea ice is melting at a phenomenal rate…Inuit are witnessing more variable winter temperatures and it is taking longer for sea-ice to freeze-up and become stable to travel over. The sea ice is important to Inuit for hunting and traveling and late and incomplete freeze-up has implications for food security and hunter safety. There have been more extreme storm events including rainstorms with thunder and lightning. This is particularly worrisome for Inuit hunters whose lives can be endangered if they are caught in a sudden rainstorm during a time of year when they expect freezing temperatures and snow. There have also been changes in the health and distribution of some wildlife important for subsistence. Caribou populations, for example, have been negatively affected by freeze-thaw events, which affects their ability to access food. Fewer caribou means less food for the community.”
Pearce continues to describe how climate change is impacting Inuit livelihoods and how Inuit are adapting.

“Ulukhaktok is one of the smaller, more traditional communities in the western Canadian Arctic,” said Pearce. “As a result, subsistence hunting and fishing continue to be important to most households for food and income…Climate change has significant consequences for the subsistence hunting sector. When you consider the physical changes that we discussed like changes in sea ice, storm events, timing of break up, changes in the health and distribution of wildlife, those all translate to affect subsistence. It is as if the highway [sea ice] that we travel to work and school over melted away, our grocery stores were empty, and the way of life as we know it was taken from us. Inuit hunters are experiencing increased hazards, travel routes on the land and ice have been compromised, and the health and availability of wildlife important for subsistence has been affected. Inuit, however, are extremely adaptable and already hunters are using boats to access hunting areas when the sea ice has not formed, are switching species harvested and are taking extra precautions such as traveling with a satellite phone and GPS to avoid hazards. Despite even the most aggressive greenhouse gas reduction efforts, some level of climate change is imminent and adaptation is and will continue to be an important response. ”

This problem may be hard to relate to. Most of us who grew up shopping at grocery stores have never experienced the need to hunt in order to feed ourselves and are somewhat removed from the food we eat. Pearce shares a quote from a community elder, Jimmy Memorana, who has since passed away. His words show how hunting is an important aspect of Inuit culture and the community’s well being.

“When people want to travel and weather patterns change like this, it affects their emotions, their mentality. They live on country food. It is good for their soul and to spend time with family members.”

The world…and Canada are lagging behind

Beyond the Arctic, climate change has led to a variety of shifts and challenges throughout the world. Glaciers are melting at a rapid rate; instances of extreme weather events are increasing; changes in the chemistry and biology of the ocean are well documented; farmers are struggling with more frequent droughts, extreme rain events and less fruitful harvests; and the very existence of some Island states is threatened by sea level rise. In particular, resource-based communities and Indigenous populations globally are dealing with the negative affects of climate change due to their strong reliance on the environment. We know that these changes are happening, as do the world’s political leaders.

Currently, representatives from 200 countries are gathering in Cancun, Mexico, from Nov. 29 until Dec. 10 for the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Global congregations over climate change began over a decade ago when the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, an international treaty, was joined by dozens of countries. In an embarrassing three-peat, Canada has already received the ‘Fossil of the Day Award’ in Cancun. This designation is decided by 400 international organizations and awarded to the country that has done the most to disrupt or undermine the UN climate negotiation. Not surprisingly, Canada’s global reputation with respect to climate change is considerably poor. Dr. Barry Smit, Geography Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Environmental Change, provided a brief summary of Canadian policies on climate change, which he finds to be consistently disappointing.

“The previous government, the Liberal government…made commitments on behalf of Canada and then was either unwilling or unable to implement anything in Canada so our emissions, instead of going down five per cent have gone up nearly 30 per cent,” said Smit. “The current government said, ‘Look we can’t meet that, in fact we don’t have the stomach to even try so we’re going to declare we’re not going to do it. So we’re basically going to tell the world that we’re going to be delinquent,’ which in some ways is more honest than the previous lot, but this one seems to have no interest in addressing it in any way other than to do whatever the US will do, and that’s an easy one because with the Republican majority now it’s unlikely that the US will take any action at all. So that’s like associating ourselves with the lowest possible denominator.”
Canada’s inaction on a global stage is particularly troubling, as the issue of climate change is inherently a global problem.

“If one country stops emitting gasses, and all the other countries continue, there’s no effect. We call it the ‘global common’… Unless countries agree, everyone then suffers. It’s strange to me that we are able to agree on some things. For example, there’s a world trade organization. Countries give up some of their sovereignty in order to abide by a set of rules that everyone agrees to. It would seem that that principle should be applied to the international interest in climate and the environmental and economic consequences of climate change. This government has effectively said, ‘We’re not going to do anything because it’s our belief that it harms the economy.’ What they probably mean is that it harms a particular sector of the economy which happens to be their political base,” said Smit.

For someone who engages with the topic of climate change day in and day out, Smit sees beyond the political rhetoric that aims to convince the public that acting on climate change is simply not worth the economic consequences.

“Here in Canada, I’m sorry to say, we’re way behind the times. We’re clinging onto our fossil fuel industry and we are not benefiting from the new economy that comes with it. So the argument that ‘Oh addressing climate change, an environmental issue is damaging to the economy,’ is nonsense. They’re not separate things. If you don’t address climate change, you will damage the economy. It’s already happening, and if you do address climate change, you can actually grow your economy on alternative energy sources and that’s amply demonstrated elsewhere. It’s whether or not you have the courage to take some initiative or are you going to be a lagger?”

A local uprising

Some U of G students have chosen not to be left behind in the climate change negotiations. As a response to a recent blow in Canadian climate change policy, 16 U of G students and one faculty member participated in a ‘strip mob’ event, where the participants overhauled the cafeteria and stripped down to their underwear, capturing the attention of those around them. After the strip, the participants picked up signs depicting messages about climate change and went around the school with them. The strip mob event has gained wide publicity in Canadian media due to its ferocity in raising awareness about climate change and the defeat of Bill C-311.
Bill C-311, a legislate revolving around policy changes to decrease Canada’s contribution towards human-induced climate change, was defeated by the Senate just before the United Nations Climate Change Conference, causing outrage by opposing parties. Prime Minister Stephen Harper supported the move by the Senate, stating he felt the bill was irresponsible and would have negatively affected the economy. As a result, Canada has arrived to the conference in Cancun empty handed. While the defeat of this bill was relatively quiet in the media due to the rapidity its elimination, the consequences of this loss did not fall on deaf ears.

Brenda Whiteside, Associate Vice-President of Student Affairs at the U of G, was the faculty member who participated in the strip mob and spoke about why the event was so effective. “I think all manner of protest can be effective, and it is a combination of approaches that work,” said Whiteside. “I think this is effective because the approach gets people to watch, but then the message is there.”
Fifth-year International Development student, Hilary Coburn, was one of the 16 students who participated in the strip mob and feels her inspiration for partaking in the event came from her passion about climate change and her disgust over Bill C-311 being defeated.

“I am embarrassed, outraged and saddened by the fact that Bill C-311 wasn’t even debated in the Senate before it was shot down,” said Coburn. “Our government claims to be democratic, however, if they can’t listen to the majority of citizens that acknowledged and agreed with this important bill, then we aren’t truly living in a democratic society.”

Raising awareness of climate change, and the apparent ineffective way the government is handling this global crisis, was the ultimate goal of the strip mob. While Coburn admits that there is a general apathy towards the subject, she also believes that there are people who care.

“I do believe that many students care about the implications of our greenhouse gas consumption on our planet’s environment and our future generations,” said Coburn. “It’s our duty to step up and put pressure on our government to take serious action.”

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As you may have noticed, this article was not written for naysayers. Nor will it appease those who remain largely skeptical of the climate change phenomenon. Rather, it was meant to gather some perspectives from within the boundaries of Canada on an issue that is both locally and globally relevant. With the negotiations currently taking place in Mexico and the issue of climate change being on the forefront of the media’s agenda, Coburn has pleaded with the public.

“Please be the integral part of this movement; every single letter and voice of concern makes a difference.”

Whether in this very moment you feel compelled to act on climate change or not, now is a good point in time to decide for yourself what exactly it is that you believe. Review the science. Understand the policy decisions. Ask around. Journey outside and consult with Mother Nature herself. Just don’t forget to recognize the vast and diverse lands that comprise our country, and be sure to talk to communities both near and afar. You might just find yourself learning something new.

Boxes:

1. 1. “We on a daily basis observe the minute changes that are occurring in the environment. We are the guardians of the environment, in fact, because we’re on the land every day…we’re the early warning system for the rest of the world.” – Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Canadian Inuit activist
2. 2. Did you know? A mountain pine beetle infestation in British Columbia is the most detrimental in recorded history. As temperatures have become unusually warm, the beetle has been able to live longer and spread farther. A total of 675 million cubic meters of timber has been killed. It is not uncommon to pass mountains that are entirely black and covered in dead forest.
3. 3. And I felt horror
   There on the freshwater ice
   And I felt horror
   When from the great sky out there
   Came the loud cracking of the ice

• - Paulinaq, traditional Inuit poetry

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