Climate change has been established by many independent research groups and organizations as a real and serious threat to the planet. The increased concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the earth’s atmosphere has been directly linked to the average global temperature, and has been rising steadily since the time of the Industrial Revolution. The most abundant greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, which is produced by burning fossil fuels.
Projections published by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) give an idea of what can be expected based on a scale of warming scenarios:
• Agricultural yields are expected to drop in most tropical and sub-tropical regions.
• Diseases, especially those carried by vectors like mosquitoes, could spread to new areas in the world.
• Millions of people are expected to be exposed to increasing water stress like rising sea levels.
• More intense weather-related disasters.
• Extinctions of large numbers of plant and animal species.
Effects of Climate Change (image from www.epa.gov)
The District of Digby is a coastal region that is vulnerable to the effects of Climate Change and understands the importance of environmentally sustainable projects to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Download a copy of the Municipality's Climate Change Action plan below: