Resources North Association

   
 

September 2011 Listserv

  

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NORTHERN CLIMATE CHANGE NETWORK LISTSERV
                  September / 2011 – Issue 24
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The NCCN newsletter focuses on climate change information that fosters greater awareness of community level climate change impacts and adaptation, and which have relevance to north-central British Columbia. The views expressed by the organizations and websites referenced in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of Resources North Association. Contributions from readers for future issues are welcome. Send us your ideas.
 
BC NEWS and LINKS
 
PICS launches new “Climate Insights 101” web courses
The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) and its partners have launched the first of four online short courses in its “Climate Insights 101” series. These courses, a first of their kind, are designed for civil servants, but are expected to be widely accessible for most audiences. They will combine animations, interviews and click-thrus to inform viewers about the basic concepts and findings of climate science research. More information about the series is available via the course Introduction on the PICS website, and in the related press release. View Module 1: Climate Science Basics, and its four lessons: Carbon Dioxide and the Greenhouse Effect; Mother Nature’s Influence; Observable Changes; and Introduction to Climate Modelling.

BC Regional Adaptation Collaborative (RAC) projects progressing
The BC Regional Adaptation Collaborative (RAC) consists of 21 collaborative projects across the province to support decision-making on water allocation and use, forest and watershed management, flood protection and floodplain management and community planning. Initiated in 2009 and coordinated by the Fraser Basin Council and the BC Ministry of the Environment, the program, also known as Preparing for Climate Change: Securing BC's Water Future, seeks to build regionally relevant tools and information, and to integrate climate change adaptation into planning and decision-making. The projects are grouped under four interrelated themes: Water allocation and Use; Forest and Watershed Management; Flood Protection and Floodplain Management; and Community Adaptation. For general inquiries and project updates concerning the BC RAC, contact:
                Terry Robert, Manager, Fraser Basin Council
                T: (250) 612-0252     
                E: trobert@fraserbasin.bc.ca
 
Prince George elementary school installing solar photovoltaic system
Highglen Public Montessori Elementary School in Prince George will be installing a solar photovoltaic (PV) system on the school’s roof by September 2011. The school is one of eleven schools in the Province of BC (and one of only two in northern BC) to receive a grant through SolarBC (see Solar PV) this year towards these installations. The photovoltaic system will supplement the school’s electrical needs, and during low energy demand periods any surplus power the PV system generates will be fed back into the local energy grid. The fundamental purpose of these solar installations, however, will be to educate students, school staff and the broader community about renewable energy options to meet society’s growing energy requirements. Once installed, performance data from the system will be collected and made available in the local School District, and students throughout the District will have opportunities to learn more about renewable energy opportunities and technologies.
 

NEWS and LINKS from CANADA and ABROAD
 
A UN survey indicates that businesses see climate change adaptation as an opportunity
A recently published report entitled Adapting for a Green Economy: Companies, Communities and Climate Change suggests that climate adaptation offers competitive advantages to businesses throughout the world. The report was jointly published by the UN Global Compact, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Oxfam and the World Resources Institute. A UNEP news story states, “In response to a survey of global businesses, 86 percent described responding to climate risks or investing in adaptation as a business opportunity. ‘Business can only thrive in stable and enabling environments,’ said Georg Kell, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. ‘Climate adaptation offers a pathway to help communities that are already feeling the devastating impacts of climate change. At the same time, it creates a wealth of new opportunities for the private sector.’ Drawing on the results of a 2010 survey among companies engaged in Caring for Climate, the joint climate action platform of the UN Global Compact and UNEP, the study makes the business case for private sector adaptation to climate change in ways that build the resilience of vulnerable communities in developing countries. Already, businesses worldwide are beginning to see the risks and economic impacts of more frequent and intense storms, water scarcity, declining agricultural productivity and poor health.”

Climate variability and global conflict study
A study published in August in the international journal Nature indicates a strong correlation between climate events and global conflicts. The report’s authors state that “Using data from 1950 to 2004, we show that the probability of new civil conflicts arising throughout the tropics doubles during El Niño years relative to La Niña years. This result, which indicates that ENSO [the El Niño/Southern Oscillation] may have had a role in 21% of all civil conflicts since 1950, is the first demonstration that the stability of modern societies relates strongly to the global climate.” Mark Cane, a climate scientist at Columbia University who co-authored the report, noted in a press briefing (see related CBC news story) “What it does show beyond any doubt is even in this modern world, climate variation has an impact on the propensity of people to fight… It is frankly difficult to see why that won't carry over to a world that is disrupted by global warming."
 
 
EVENTS
 
PICS public presentation at UNBC, Thursday, September 22nd 2011
Dr. Tom Pedersen, Executive Director of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) at UVic will present a public lecture entitled “Climate Change and the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions: Blending Science, Social Science, Politics and Opportunity” at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George on Thursday, September 22nd  2011 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm in the Canfor Theatre (Room 6–213). The lecture is the final presentation in the 2011 Speaker Tour of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS). Dr. Pedersen will describe the role PICS is now playing in contributing to British Columbia's response to the climate challenge and place it within the larger North American context. 'Solutions'-based case studies that span both the science-policy intersection and large geographic scales will be presented.
 
NRCAN Climate Change Adaptation and Water 2011-2012 Webinar Series
 
Natural Resources Canada’s Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Division is offering a series of water-themed webinars based on projects from the Regional Adaptation Collaborative (RAC) Program. Beginning this fall, presenters will share leading practices, innovations and lessons learned based on RAC projects underway that are informing adaptation decisions related to water planning and management. Dates regarding the three webinars are listed below, or click here for more details:


Managing storm water in a climate of extremes
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
1:30 - 3:00 PM EDT

Adapting to climate change in the agricultural sector
Thursday, November 10, 2011
1:30 - 3:00 PM EST

Sea level rise, coastal issues and climate change
Thursday, January 12, 2012
1:30 - 3:00 PM EST

 
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, REPORTS and LINKS
 
Reports and Publications:

Organizations and Programs:
Additional links of interest:                                                         

 
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