50 Stories: Combating climate change

WWF Canada



 
On April 29, 2011, WWF celebrated 50 years of environmental conservation. Join us as we highlight 50 stories in 50 days, looking back at what we’ve achieved together and looking forward to another 50 years.
Your computer. Your central heating. Your kettle. Your commute.
They have all become a normal part of everyday life. And they all require energy – and the source of that energy that we’ve used to date – largely oil, coal, and gas – is changing life as we know it, all over the planet.
Felipe Holguín has been farming in Chihuahua State, Mexico for 30 years – but recently it’s become much harder: “Our lands and crops depend totally on the climate. Snow kills plagues and weeds along with damaging insects. But now, new plagues and worms are appearing, and agricultural land has dried up and is full of fungus. Animals die for lack of water and pasture.”
Morihiro Nakata has been fishing on Japan’s coral reefs for more than 25 years. He remembers when the sea was so rich that you couldn’t see the coral for fish. Now the sea is warmer, corals are dying, and fish are disappearing.
“We don’t have a winter anymore,” he says. “The sea really has changed a lot. Losing the coral really makes me feel anxious, because I understand deep in my bones that if there is no coral then I cannot make a living.”
 

(c) Adam Oswell/WWF-Canon
What’s at stake?
 
Climate change is real. It’s happening now, and all the available science suggests it’s going to become more extreme if we choose to continue as we are.
Very real possibilities for Canada include water shortages, crop failures, diseases, major threats to biodiversity in protected areas, and extreme weather events like droughts and flooding – some of which have already begun. The World Health Organization estimates that climate change globally already causes more than 150,000 deaths a year. The future economic costs worldwide – from building flood defences to impacts on fisheries – could run into trillions of dollars.
For WWF, climate change threatens most of our achievements of the last 50 years. Countless species could become extinct, and even entire ecosystems, such as the Great Lakes, Arctic ice and large areas of boreal forest, could disappear.
To prevent an unprecedented tragedy, we need to change how we use energy. We need to improve our energy, transportation, and food systems and support renewable energy sources. This will play a huge role in stopping global temperatures rising more than 1.5°C above the levels they were before the Industrial Revolution. Technically speaking, that means global greenhouse-gas emissions need to peak by 2015, and we need to cut them by at least 80% globally (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050.
The story so far
 
WWF was one of the first organizations globally to understand the threat of global warming – and to push for action to address it.
We played a key role in the first international agreement on climate change, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Our work helped convince governments to begin negotiations, and to ratify the treaty.
We’re also working to reduce the impact of industry by promoting energy efficiency. Through our Climate Savers program, 25 of the world’s leading companies have already saved more than 10 million tonnes of CO2 – equivalent to the annual emissions of around 2.5 million people.
But it’s not just about governments and big business. We all have a responsibility and a big part to play if we’re to choose a different path. We’ve raised awareness through events like Earth Hour, and encouraged people to make changes in their own lives – from purchasing renewable energy to actively voting based on climate change priorities.
Did you know?
 
The 10 warmest years since records began have all occurred since 1998 – and 2010 tied as the hottest ever.
 
Facts and stats
 
2:1 – ratio of British Columbians to the rest of Canadians on the uptake of hybrid cars
Zero – Amount of coal production Ontario will have by 2014. It will do this by conservation, efficiency, and doubling its renewable energy sources by 2020 from 20% to 40%
 
69% – proportion of Canadians who support ending subsidies to oil, coal and gas
80% – proportion of Canadians who support energy efficiency retrofits & manufacturing, and requirements to produce cleaner cars & electric vehicles.
80% – proportion of Canadians who are concerned about climate change
 
 
 
What next?
 
At the end of this year, governments will gather in Durban, South Africa to try to reach a new climate agreement. WWF’s international team will be pressing them every step of the way to make sure they agree to a deal that’s strong, fair and legally binding.
We’re also seeking solutions that will help the world reduce and withstand the impacts of climate change:

  • Transforming the energy sector: generating energy is responsible for around two-thirds of global greenhouse-gas emissions. We urgently need to start using energy more efficiently and generating it cleanly. By 2050, we want a world powered almost entirely by renewable energy, enabled by conservation and efficiency – and we recently released The Energy Report showing how this could happen.
  • Ending deforestation: clearing forests is responsible for around 15% of global carbon emissions. Our goal is that by 2050, for every hectare of forest cleared, another hectare is planted.
  • Climate adaptation: Climate change is already happening. We’re developing strategies to help vulnerable communities, species and natural systems cope.

What you can do
 
You’ll find everything you need to know about climate change here.
Hear how ordinary people around the world are being affected by climate change on our Climate Witness site.
Be part of the celebration!