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Home > Partners for Climate Protection > > >
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About Partners for Climate Protection |  |
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Greenhouse Gas Reduction Initiatives of the Month July 2010: Port Alberni arenas lighting retrofit
Climate change An international scientific consensus has emerged that our world is getting warmer. Abundant data demonstrate that global climate was warmed during the past 150 years. The increase in temperature was not constant, but rather consisted of warming and cooling cycles at intervals of several decades. Nonetheless, the long term trend is one of net global warming. Corresponding with this warming, alpine glaciers have been retreating, sea levels have risen, and climatic zones are shifting. Climate scientists around the world agree that average global temperatures could rise by 1.4 to 5.8 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. This increase will not be distributed evenly around the globe; in Canada, this could mean an increase in annual mean temperatures in some regions of more than 5 degrees. Climate change is more than a warming trend. Increasing temperatures will lead to changes in many aspects of weather, such as wind patterns, the amount and type of precipitation, and the types and frequency of severe weather events that may be expected to occur. Such climate change could have far-reaching and/or unpredictable environmental, social and economic consequences. The 1980s and 1990s are the warmest decades on record, with 1998 the warmest year. The 10 warmest years in global meteorological history have all occurred in the past 15 years. The 20th century has been the warmest globally in the past 1000 years. For more information on climate change, visit these websites: The City Climate Catalogue
Municipal governments have an important contribution to make to climate protection. Up to half of Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are under the direct or indirect control or influence of municipal governments. By 2012, communities could cut GHG emissions by 20 to 50 Mt from municipal operations and community-wide initiatives with investments in environmental infrastructure and sustainable transportation infrastructure. 
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