Scientists: act on climate change now

It is not easy to get a roomful of scientists to agree to anything, but more than 500 leading Canadian scientists have signed an open letter on global warming to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Members of Parliament to say three simple things.

First, global warming is happening at a faster pace and having a bigger impact than expected. We can see it in the ever-increasing proportion of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. We can see it in the droughts and fires in Australia, the flooding in Europe and the pine beetle devastation in British Columbia. We can see it in the stunning retreat of sea ice in the Arctic, and in myriad other changes in our land, air, waters and ecosystems.

Second, Canada needs to do much more to emit fewer of the gases that cause global warming if we wish to have a reasonable chance of avoiding the worst impacts. As the seventh largest emitter on the planet and the only country to have reneged on its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, Canada’s most constructive contribution to sealing a fair, effective and science-based global deal in Copenhagen would be to commit
to greater domestic emissions reduction and the actions necessary to achieve them.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, Canada committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by six per cent relative to 1990 levels when averaged over the period 2008-2012. Instead of taking steps to reduce emissions, inaction by governments of two political stripes means we are now operating at 34 per cent above our Kyoto target. Canada is now promising a 20 per cent cut by 2020 relative to 2005 levels. In essence Canada is telling the world that we do not honour our international commitments and instead we will aim for 4.7 per cent above our Kyoto target by the year 2020 instead of 2012. Is there any surprise why Canada’s international reputation is suffering lately?

Third, these scientists are urging our government to have faith in Canadians’ ability to rise to the occasion. We have the resources, the tenacity and the vision necessary to meet this challenging opportunity, so let’s get on with the job. The longer we wait the harder — and more costly—it will be.

Scientists don’t make this kind of a public call to action lightly. They more often stick to their research and hope that decision-makers will act on the knowledge they create. But as our political leaders gather in Copenhagen, we urge them to understand that the compromise laden world they normally inhabit is not
the natural world we need them to save. The rules that govern the natural world do not negotiate. Science, not political expediency, should guide our actions.

Climate change science is complicated, but can be summarized simply. By dramatically increasing the proportion of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere we are pushing natural systems beyond the limits of their considerable resilience, to the point where we are now engaged in an uncontrolled experiment
on the only home we will ever have.

There is nowhere to hide from the consequences of such an experiment, the brunt of which will fall on our children, and their children. It is the responsibility of the present generation of decision makers to scale up
our response so that it is commensurate with the threat that we pose to the quality of life of future generations, who are not at the table when today’s decisions are being made.

Gerald Butts
President and CEO, WWF-Canada

Andrew Weaver, Canada Research Chair
Climate Modelling and Analysis,
University of Victoria
Victoria, B.C.