nationalobserver--2020-12-02--The role of solar energy in reaching net zero by 2050

Solar energy has an increasingly important role to play in combatting the global threat of climate change and helping Canada reach its 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target .
In your recent article ( The glaring problem with Canada ’ s solar sector and how to fix it ) , writer Leigh Matthews is correct to point out that the volume of solid waste produced by decommissioned solar energy equipment will grow over the coming decades , and that the industry should not be complacent .
However , we would like to clarify a key point .
Citing a 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report , Matthews asserts that “ in 2020 , Canada ’ s solar sector is expected to produce 700 metric tonnes of waste from decommissioned solar panels.
” In fact , the report ’ s authors estimated that by 2020 , there would be a cumulative total of 700 tonnes of solar panel waste , from all the solar panels ever installed in Canada .
Moreover , this cumulative 700 tonnes represents just 0.002 per cent of the approximately 35 million tonnes of total solid waste already produced annually in Canada .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in neighbouring U.S. states are currently capable of handling the relatively small volume of solar panels decommissioned each year in Canada .
The Canadian Renewable Energy Association ( CanREA ) is nevertheless working proactively with our members , as well as with governments and industry stakeholders , to develop best practices for safe and sustainable end-of-life management of solar-energy technologies as the demand for solar and other forms of renewable energy grows .

Dec. 1, 2020 Letter to the Editor: Solar energy has an increasingly important role to play in combatting the global threat of climate change and helping Canada reach its 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target. In your recent article (The glaring problem with Canada’s solar sector and how to fix it), writer Leigh Matthews is correct to point out that the volume of solid waste produced by decommissioned solar energy equipment will grow over the coming decades, and that the industry should not be complacent.
However, we would like to clarify a key point. Citing a 2016 International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) report, Matthews asserts that “in 2020, Canada’s solar sector is expected to produce 700 metric tonnes of waste from decommissioned solar panels.” In fact, the report’s authors estimated that by 2020, there would be a cumulative total of 700 tonnes of solar panel waste, from all the solar panels ever installed in Canada. Moreover, this cumulative 700 tonnes represents just 0.002 per cent of the approximately 35 million tonnes of total solid waste already produced annually in Canada. As noted in the article, recycling facilities in neighbouring U.S. states are currently capable of handling the relatively small volume of solar panels decommissioned each year in Canada. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is nevertheless working proactively with our members, as well as with governments and industry stakeholders, to develop best practices for safe and sustainable end-of-life management of solar-energy technologies as the demand for solar and other forms of renewable energy grows.
Through our decommissioning working group, we are monitoring and pursuing opportunities for recycling solar panels and other renewable energy generation components within Canada. We remain engaged with emerging initiatives, such as the B.C. Ministry of Environment’s development of an extended producer responsibility framework for solar panels. Once launched, this framework will be the first of its kind in Canada. We look forward to working with federal, provincial and territorial government partners to ensure that every decommissioned solar panel in Canada is safely recycled. This is critical work, as solar energy, along with wind energy and energy storage, will have an increasingly important role to play in combatting the global threat of climate change and helping Canada reach its 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target. Sincerely,


nationalobserver--2020-12-02--Across North America, climate change is disrupting a generation's mental health

“ Anxiety for me is when I ’ m sitting doing my schoolwork and feeling like it is useless because I might not have a future to work towards , '' says the University of Guelph graduate student who also heads up a group called Climate Justice Guelph .
“ Your heart races .
Your vision can blur .
Your throat gets caught .
And you get very flushed and you just can ’ t focus on what you ’ re doing because it doesn ’ t feel productive.
” Climate change-induced angst among youth is helping fuel growing youth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a cross-border investigation involving more than 70 journalists , academics and students at 10 universities and three media outlets across Canada and the U.S. , including Canada ’ s National Observer , the Toronto Star and NBC News .
Nearly half — 49 per cent — of the 152 post-secondary students in Canada and the U.S. interviewed for the investigation listed “ existential angst ” over climate change , job prospects and future economic stability as one of their mental health stressors .
A bad day for Harris means pulling out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her course work and scrolling aimlessly on her phone .
“ With the pandemic now , not being able to go outside… the phone is the thing you turn to.
” Halfway across the country , University of British Columbia ( UBC ) student Em Mittertreiner experiences similar angst when thinking about climate change .
“ I feel guilty when I ’ m cleaning my room because I think there ’ s something else I could be doing right now .
I have a lot of trouble sleeping because I ’ ll be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll be like ' I could be doing work right now .
I could be productive right now , ' ” says the 20-year-old UBC psychology student .
The investigation ’ s findings reflect an increasing concern about climate change , says Beth Mark , a staff psychiatrist at the Student Counselling and Psychological Services Center at the University of Pennsylvania , who reviewed the responses of the investigation ’ s 152 interviewees , which included Mittertreiner .
“ This threat ( activates ) our nervous system , ” says Mark , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S.-based Climate Psychiatry Alliance .
“ ( Climate change ) makes people feel a kind of pre-traumatic stress because we know something is coming .
And it makes us feel bad , this existential threat .
So learning how to cultivate resilience and to keep our sanity and to keep moving is really important.
” Joanna Henderson , a senior scientist at the Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto , agrees that climate change is an emerging stressor for young people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are destroying the planet and it ’ s already too late .
It ’ s a lot of doomsday inputs that create a dichotomy that says , ‘ I ’ m supposed to be working really , really hard right now , but for what ?
’ ” Researchers have coined terms like eco-anxiety to describe the `` chronic fear of environmental doom , '' which climate change inflicts on increasing numbers of people .
“ It 's this feeling of anxiety , depression , powerlessness , that people feel when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with respect to ecological disasters , ” says Pamela Schwartzberg , president and CEO of Learning for a Sustainable Future , a non-profit organization working to integrate climate change and sustainability learning into Canadian education systems .
With political divides deepening , violent clashes between protestors and police and a looming climate catastrophe , young people feel they are staring down a future that feels more grim , chaotic and treacherous , say educators .
“ You just have to talk to them and they 'll tell you about their concerns about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Santa Ono , president of UBC , which has taken a number of recent initiatives to get a handle on some of the ways climate change is affecting students .
“ It used to be that people would go to university with the hope that they would get a job and the odds were good that their lives would be better than their parents .
That 's certainly not what people believe today .
Students do n't have hope for their futures.
” That despair has also been reflected in recent surveys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent of respondents to an interim report based on an online survey of more than 3,000 students , staff , faculty and alumni at UBC said they “ worry about climate change at least once a day , and nearly a third said that they worry about it at least once a week . ''
Meghan Wise , a UBC PhD candidate , used the survey results to study how universities in Canada and abroad were dealing with the impacts of climate change stressors on students and faculty .
“ These mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applicable across institutions and across provinces , ” says Wise .
“ We ’ re experiencing anxiety and depression and PTSD and climate grief and loss.
” Particular vulnerability to eco-anxiety has been observed in groups of people with lesser capability to manage or recover from its impacts , including those with lower socio-economic status , limited mobility and livelihoods that rely on the environment , such as agriculture or fishing .
That vulnerability is perhaps most clear in Canada 's Arctic , where climate change has already had a profound impact on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there .
The region is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world , according to a 2019 Environment and Climate Change Canada report .
The same report found the annual average temperature in northern Canada has increased by 2.3 C since 1948 .
Ashlee Cunsolo Willox , dean of the School of Arctic & Subarctic Studies at Memorial University , has studied the impact of a changing climate on mental health Inuit communities in Labrador .
Visible signs of climate change in the North from month to month or year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people who live there , she says .
`` People ... talk about experiencing strong emotional reactions : sadness and anger and frustration , '' she says .
`` It 's a grief without end .
Every day it 's changing and there 's a sense of loss . ''
The changing climate means traditional methods of survival are under direct threat , says Cunsolo Willox .
Things like getting food , hunting , practising culture and travel are getting harder and more dangerous .
`` You have people who for thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cold and ice environment ... and suddenly in one generation , you 're looking at ice-free winters and what that does to people , the utter devastation it causes . ''
A 2019 study by Lakehead University and Learning for a Sustainable Future surveyed more than 3,000 Canadians about climate change and found two-thirds of student respondents felt climate change will greatly harm future generations and nearly half said it 's already harming Canadians .
Roughly one-third said they believe nothing could be done at all , accepting that climate change was inevitable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel that we 're going to be able to solve the problem , which is a great concern , ” says Schwartzberg .
“ They do n't have the confidence in humans to make the changes necessary to stop climate change.
” In the classroom , teachers are faced with finding a balance between despair and hope , she says .
“ Teachers have to really have the skills to walk that fine line , to not scare the children but to create hopefulness and personal agency.
” Only 32 per cent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the knowledge and skills to teach about climate change , the 2019 report found .
When given a test on the mechanics of climate change , nearly 44 per cent failed it .
But there is hope , says Janelee Kluttz , a PhD candidate in the faculty of education at the department of educational studies at UBC who recently completed her own study of strategies universities in Canada and around the globe are using to help students cope .
“ Individual faculty members ( are ) realizing that it ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are a few new courses that are popping up at universities that look to be driven by faculty members who have decided 'we need an actual course on looking at the effect of the nature of the climate crisis . '
” Kluttz says students are also organizing groups to support each other .
UBC student Mittertreiner knows all about the role advocacy groups can play in pushing universities to address climate change .
The activism started in Grade 8 with a climate action group for kids that worked to expose the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was really , really inspiring.
” Through the years , Mittertreiner ’ s work intensified to include running workshops , advising UBC students on how to lobby politicians , where to attend city council meetings and how to have their voices heard .
For her part , MacKenzie Harris has intensified her climate-change activism , focusing on issues such as pushing universities to divest pension funds from oil and gas companies .
But burnout for these two student-activists and many others interviewed for this investigation remains a huge risk .
“ There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shame , ” says Mittertreiner , who hopes to get a PhD in psychology and teach the subject to university students .
“ Collective guilt around climate change is in a lot of ways a healthy thing , as long as the ways that people are trying to get rid of that guilt is in a productive way that is mitigating climate change.
” This series examining youth mental health is part of a cross-border investigation involving the Toronto Star , the Investigative Journalism Bureau ( University of Toronto ’ s Dalla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBC News , Canada 's National Observer and journalism faculty and students from the following universities : Stanford University , Temple University , University of Missouri , Syracuse University , City University of New York , University of British Columbia , Ryerson University , Carleton University and the University of King ’ s College .
See the full list of contributors here .
View the whole series and full project credits on the Investigative Journalism Bureau 's website .
You can find the Toronto Star ’ s Generation Distress project page here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .

David McKie, Declan Keogh, Charlie Buckley, Robert Cribb

“Anxiety for me is when I’m sitting doing my schoolwork and feeling like it is useless because I might not have a future to work towards," says the University of Guelph graduate student who also heads up a group called Climate Justice Guelph .
“Your heart races. Your vision can blur. Your throat gets caught. And you get very flushed and you just can’t focus on what you’re doing because it doesn’t feel productive.”
Anxiety for me is when I’m sitting doing my schoolwork and feeling like it is useless because I might not have a future to work towards.
Climate change-induced angst among youth is helping fuel growing youth mental health instability across North America, according to a cross-border investigation involving more than 70 journalists, academics and students at 10 universities and three media outlets across Canada and the U.S., including Canada’s National Observer, the Toronto Star and NBC News.
Nearly half — 49 per cent — of the 152 post-secondary students in Canada and the U.S. interviewed for the investigation listed “existential angst” over climate change, job prospects and future economic stability as one of their mental health stressors.
A bad day for Harris means pulling out of organizing meetings, tuning out of her course work and scrolling aimlessly on her phone.
“With the pandemic now, not being able to go outside… the phone is the thing you turn to.”
Halfway across the country, University of British Columbia (UBC) student Em Mittertreiner experiences similar angst when thinking about climate change.
“I feel guilty when I’m cleaning my room because I think there’s something else I could be doing right now. I have a lot of trouble sleeping because I’ll be lying in bed, and I’ll be like 'I could be doing work right now. I could be productive right now,'” says the 20-year-old UBC psychology student.
“I feel that I constantly have to be organizing things and reaching out to people and do protests and organize (campaigns). And it’s really hard to calm myself down and say, ‘OK, you’re also in school,’” says UBC psychology student Em Mittertreiner. Photo by Rachel Cheang
The investigation’s findings reflect an increasing concern about climate change, says Beth Mark, a staff psychiatrist at the Student Counselling and Psychological Services Center at the University of Pennsylvania, who reviewed the responses of the investigation’s 152 interviewees, which included Mittertreiner.
“This threat (activates) our nervous system,” says Mark, who is also on the steering committee for the U.S.-based Climate Psychiatry Alliance. “(Climate change) makes people feel a kind of pre-traumatic stress because we know something is coming. And it makes us feel bad, this existential threat. So learning how to cultivate resilience and to keep our sanity and to keep moving is really important.”
Santa Ono, president of the University of British Columbia, worries that students “don't have hope for their futures.”
Joanna Henderson, a senior scientist at the Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, agrees that climate change is an emerging stressor for young people.
“They receive many messages about how we are destroying the planet and it’s already too late. It’s a lot of doomsday inputs that create a dichotomy that says, ‘I’m supposed to be working really, really hard right now, but for what?’”
Researchers have coined terms like eco-anxiety to describe the "chronic fear of environmental doom," which climate change inflicts on increasing numbers of people.
“It's this feeling of anxiety, depression, powerlessness, that people feel when it comes to issues that are so overwhelming, with respect to ecological disasters,” says Pamela Schwartzberg, president and CEO of Learning for a Sustainable Future, a non-profit organization working to integrate climate change and sustainability learning into Canadian education systems.
With political divides deepening, violent clashes between protestors and police and a looming climate catastrophe, young people feel they are staring down a future that feels more grim, chaotic and treacherous, say educators.
“You just have to talk to them and they'll tell you about their concerns about the sustainability of the planet,” says Santa Ono, president of UBC, which has taken a number of recent initiatives to get a handle on some of the ways climate change is affecting students.
“It used to be that people would go to university with the hope that they would get a job and the odds were good that their lives would be better than their parents. That's certainly not what people believe today. Students don't have hope for their futures.”
President of the University of British Columbia, Santa Ono, worries that students “don't have hope for their futures.” CP file photo
That despair has also been reflected in recent surveys and reports commissioned by UBC.
Fifty-three per cent of respondents to an interim report based on an online survey of more than 3,000 students, staff, faculty and alumni at UBC said they “worry about climate change at least once a day, and nearly a third said that they worry about it at least once a week."
Meghan Wise, a UBC master's student applying for her PhD, used the survey results to study how universities in Canada and abroad were dealing with the impacts of climate change stressors on students and faculty.
“These mental health impacts are ubiquitous. They are applicable across institutions and across provinces,” says Wise. “We’re experiencing anxiety and depression and PTSD and climate grief and loss.”
“Climate anxiety is a natural response to a climate trauma,” says UBC PhD candidate Meghan Wise. “It’s a rational fear. We want to let (students) know that it’s normal to feel these things.” Photo provided by Meghan Wise
Particular vulnerability to eco-anxiety has been observed in groups of people with lesser capability to manage or recover from its impacts, including those with lower socio-economic status, limited mobility and livelihoods that rely on the environment, such as agriculture or fishing.
That vulnerability is perhaps most clear in Canada's Arctic, where climate change has already had a profound impact on the environment and the people who live there. The region is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, according to a 2019 Environment and Climate Change Canada report. The same report found the annual average temperature in northern Canada has increased by 2.3 C since 1948.
It's a grief without end. Every day it's changing and there's a sense of loss.
Ashlee Cunsolo Willox, dean of the School of Arctic & Subarctic Studies at Memorial University, has studied the impact of a changing climate on mental health Inuit communities in Labrador.
Visible signs of climate change in the North from month to month or year to year make the repercussions inescapable for the people who live there, she says.
"People ... talk about experiencing strong emotional reactions: sadness and anger and frustration," she says. "It's a grief without end. Every day it's changing and there's a sense of loss."
The changing climate means traditional methods of survival are under direct threat, says Cunsolo Willox. Things like getting food, hunting, practising culture and travel are getting harder and more dangerous.
"You have people who for thousands of years have been connected to a cold and ice environment ... and suddenly in one generation, you're looking at ice-free winters and what that does to people, the utter devastation it causes."
A 2019 study led by Ellen Field, assistant professor at Lakehead University, and in collaboration with Learning for a Sustainable Future, surveyed more than 3,000 Canadians about climate change and found two-thirds of student respondents felt climate change will greatly harm future generations and nearly half said it's already harming Canadians. Roughly one-third said they believe nothing could be done at all, accepting that climate change was inevitable.
“(Students) don't feel that we're going to be able to solve the problem, which is a great concern,” says Schwartzberg. “They don't have the confidence in humans to make the changes necessary to stop climate change.”
In the classroom, teachers are faced with finding a balance between despair and hope, she says.
“Teachers have to really have the skills to walk that fine line, to not scare the children but to create hopefulness and personal agency.”
Only 32 per cent of educators surveyed said they feel they have the knowledge and skills to teach about climate change, the 2019 report found. When given a test on the mechanics of climate change, nearly 44 per cent failed it.
But there is hope, says Janelee Kluttz, a PhD candidate in the faculty of education at the department of educational studies at UBC who recently completed her own study of strategies universities in Canada and around the globe are using to help students cope.
“Individual faculty members (are) realizing that it’s a problem and creating (workshops). There are a few new courses that are popping up at universities that look to be driven by faculty members who have decided 'we need an actual course on looking at the effect of the nature of the climate crisis.'”
Kluttz says students are also organizing groups to support each other.
“It is important to talk about mental health and climate change if we’re going to build resilient communities and resilient individuals,” says UBC PhD candidate Janelee Kluttz. “So, yes, I do see it as a bigger area of research.” Photo by Allison Painter
UBC student Mittertreiner knows all about the role advocacy groups can play in pushing universities to address climate change. The activism started in Grade 8 with a climate action group for kids that worked to expose the risks of pipeline projects.
“It was really, really inspiring.”
Through the years, Mittertreiner’s work intensified to include running workshops, advising UBC students on how to lobby politicians, where to attend city council meetings and how to have their voices heard.
For her part, MacKenzie Harris has intensified her climate-change activism, focusing on issues such as pushing universities to divest pension funds from oil and gas companies.
But burnout for these two student-activists and many others interviewed for this investigation remains a huge risk.
“There’s a really fine line between guilt and shame,” says Mittertreiner, who hopes to get a PhD in psychology and teach the subject to university students.
“Collective guilt around climate change is in a lot of ways a healthy thing, as long as the ways that people are trying to get rid of that guilt is in a productive way that is mitigating climate change.”
This series examining youth mental health is part of a cross-border investigation involving the Toronto Star, the Investigative Journalism Bureau (University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health), NBC News, Canada's National Observer and journalism faculty and students from the following universities: Stanford University, Temple University, University of Missouri, Syracuse University, City University of New York, University of British Columbia, Ryerson University, Carleton University and the University of King’s College. See the full list of contributors here.
View the whole series and full project credits on the Investigative Journalism Bureau's website.
You can find the Toronto Star’s Generation Distress project page here.
Listen to the 'This Matters' podcast here.


nationalobserver--2020-12-02--'Humanity is waging war on nature': UN secretary-general

This article was originally published by The Guardian and appears here as part of Canada 's National Observer 's collaboration with Climate Desk Humanity is facing a new war , unprecedented in history , the secretary-general of the UN has warned , which is in danger of destroying our future before we have fully understood the risk .
The stark message from António Guterres follows a year of global upheaval , with the coronavirus pandemic causing governments to shut down whole countries for months at a time , while wildfires , hurricanes and powerful storms have scarred the globe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ war on nature .
This is suicidal .
Nature always strikes back — and it is already doing so with growing force and fury .
Biodiversity is collapsing .
One million species are at risk of extinction .
Ecosystems are disappearing before our eyes … Human activities are at the root of our descent toward chaos .
But that means human action can help to solve it.
” • Widespread lake drainage on tundra another sign of climate change , researchers say • What Indigenous knowledge can teach us about resilience in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the rescue of Vancouver restaurants He listed the human-inflicted wounds on the natural world : the spread of deserts ; wetlands lost ; forests cut down ; oceans overfished and choked with plastic ; dying coral reefs ; air pollution killing nine million people a year , more than the current pandemic ; and the fact that 75 per cent of new and emerging human infectious diseases have , like COVID-19 , come from animals .
Though Guterres , like his two predecessors , has frequently spoken on the dangers of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ language yet .
The UN was founded 75 years ago at the end of the Second World War to try to promote world peace after two devastating global conflicts .
Guterres made a deliberate invocation of that original mission , applying it to the climate and biodiversity crises .
“ Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century , ” he said , in a virtual address entitled the State of the Planet , at Columbia University in New York .
“ It must be the top , top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said future generations would face ruin from our actions today .
“ This is an epic policy test .
But ultimately this is a moral test … We can not use ( our ) resources to lock in policies that burden ( future generations ) with a mountain of debt on a broken planet.
” He also put inequality firmly at the heart of the problem , warning that the poorest and most vulnerable — even in rich countries — were facing the brunt of the attack .
Guterres said greenhouse gas emissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international climate negotiations began in 1990 .
A report from the World Meteorological Organization , also published on Wednesday , found 2020 was on track to be one of the three warmest years on record globally , despite the cooling effects of the La Niña weather system , while the past decade was the hottest in human history and ocean heat was found to be at record levels .
“ Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century , ” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said .
“ It must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone , everywhere.
” # COP26 # ParisAgreement # climatechange Even with the impacts of the coronavirus crisis , greenhouse gas emissions are set to rise again this year .
However , Guterres also struck a note of hope .
Many countries , including the biggest emitter , China , the EU and the U.S. president-elect , Joe Biden , have adopted targets of reaching net-zero emissions around the middle of the century .
Renewable energy is now cheaper than coal in many regions , and new technologies such as electric vehicles are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I firmly believe that 2021 can be a new kind of leap year — the year of a quantum leap towards carbon neutrality .
Sound economic analysis is our ally.
” Investors and governments must seize the opportunity to “ flick the green switch ” while there was still time , he said .
He looked ahead to the vital UN COP26 climate talks , to be hosted by the U.K. next year , as the moment when nations should make a decisive turn towards a green global economy .
In 10 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the French government and Boris Johnson , will host a summit of world leaders to prepare for the COP26 talks that were postponed by a year to next November because of the pandemic .
At the Climate Ambition Summit , which marks five years since the forging of the Paris Agreement , governments are expected to affirm plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions drastically in the next decade , in line with their long-term goals .
Earlier this week , the Climate Action Tracker calculated that if all the net-zero pledges made by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , temperatures would rise by about 2.1 C above pre-industrial levels .
That is not far above the upper limit set by the Paris Agreement , of holding temperatures to no more than 2 C above pre-industrial levels , regarded as the limit of safety beyond which climate breakdown is likely to become catastrophic and irreversible .
However , that depends on long-term targets set for decades hence to be fulfilled with action now .
Guterres warned that pledges were not enough in themselves .
He said : “ We need all governments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans and targets with specific timelines .
This will provide certainty and confidence for businesses and the financial sector to invest for net zero.
” Guterres called for countries to put a price on carbon emissions , stop investing in fossil fuels and phase out fossil fuel subsidies , stop building new coal power plants and to shift their fiscal base from taxing incomes to taxing pollution .
He also said governments must act swiftly on the biodiversity crisis , as the UN plans several major conferences next year that will address species @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cities .
“ Next year gives us a wealth of opportunities to stop the plunder and start the healing , ” he said .
The stark message from Guterres was echoed by Laurent Fabius , the French foreign minister , who led the landmark Paris conference in 2015 .
“ There is no vaccine against climate warming , ” he warned .
“ But there is an antidote , which is to fully implement the Paris Agreement.
” He said financial assistance for developing countries would be essential to forging a global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was fundamental to success at Paris .
“ Money , money , money , ” said Fabius , was key to the talks , and rich countries must make good on their promise to provide at least $ 100 billion a year to developing nations , to help them cut emissions and cope with the impacts of climate breakdown .
Along with financial assistance , governments must try to ensure that the transition to a green economy benefited all sections of society , added Fabius .
“ The question of climate change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We must deal with this , otherwise we have a big problem.
” Amber Rudd , the former U.K. energy and climate minister , who represented the U.K. at the Paris talks , said Boris Johnson had weakened his own position at COP26 by reducing the U.K. ’ s spending on overseas aid , which would diminish the host ’ s leverage in bringing developing countries together .
“ A country that understood the seriousness of COP26 would not be cutting international aid right now , ” she said .

This article was originally published by The Guardian and appears here as part of Canada's National Observer's collaboration with Climate Desk Humanity is facing a new war, unprecedented in history, the secretary-general of the UN has warned, which is in danger of destroying our future before we have fully understood the risk. The stark message from António Guterres follows a year of global upheaval, with the coronavirus pandemic causing governments to shut down whole countries for months at a time, while wildfires, hurricanes and powerful storms have scarred the globe. Guterres said: “Humanity is waging war on nature. This is suicidal. Nature always strikes back — and it is already doing so with growing force and fury. Biodiversity is collapsing. One million species are at risk of extinction. Ecosystems are disappearing before our eyes … Human activities are at the root of our descent toward chaos. But that means human action can help to solve it.”
He listed the human-inflicted wounds on the natural world: the spread of deserts; wetlands lost; forests cut down; oceans overfished and choked with plastic; dying coral reefs; air pollution killing nine million people a year, more than the current pandemic; and the fact that 75 per cent of new and emerging human infectious diseases have, like COVID-19, come from animals. Though Guterres, like his two predecessors, has frequently spoken on the dangers of the climate crisis, this was his strongest language yet. The UN was founded 75 years ago at the end of the Second World War to try to promote world peace after two devastating global conflicts. Guterres made a deliberate invocation of that original mission, applying it to the climate and biodiversity crises. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century,” he said, in a virtual address entitled the State of the Planet, at Columbia University in New York. “It must be the top, top priority for everyone, everywhere.”
He said future generations would face ruin from our actions today. “This is an epic policy test. But ultimately this is a moral test … We cannot use (our) resources to lock in policies that burden (future generations) with a mountain of debt on a broken planet.” “Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. “It must be the top, top priority for everyone, everywhere.” #COP26 #ParisAgreement #climatechange He also put inequality firmly at the heart of the problem, warning that the poorest and most vulnerable — even in rich countries — were facing the brunt of the attack. Guterres said greenhouse gas emissions were 62 per cent higher than when international climate negotiations began in 1990. A report from the World Meteorological Organization, also published on Wednesday, found 2020 was on track to be one of the three warmest years on record globally, despite the cooling effects of the La Niña weather system, while the past decade was the hottest in human history and ocean heat was found to be at record levels. Even with the impacts of the coronavirus crisis, greenhouse gas emissions are set to rise again this year. However, Guterres also struck a note of hope. Many countries, including the biggest emitter, China, the EU and the U.S. president-elect, Joe Biden, have adopted targets of reaching net-zero emissions around the middle of the century. Renewable energy is now cheaper than coal in many regions, and new technologies such as electric vehicles are gaining pace.
He said: “I firmly believe that 2021 can be a new kind of leap year — the year of a quantum leap towards carbon neutrality. Sound economic analysis is our ally.” Investors and governments must seize the opportunity to “flick the green switch” while there was still time, he said. He looked ahead to the vital UN COP26 climate talks, to be hosted by the U.K. next year, as the moment when nations should make a decisive turn towards a green global economy. In 10 days’ time, Guterres, along with the French government and Boris Johnson, will host a summit of world leaders to prepare for the COP26 talks that were postponed by a year to next November because of the pandemic.


nationalobserver--2020-12-02--Canada's decision to resume deportations amid COVID-19 criticized by refugee advocates

MONTREAL — Refugee advocates are criticizing Canada ’ s decision to resume deportations before the country irons out the details of a program to grant permanent residency to asylum seekers who have been working in the health-care system during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Frantz Andre , who advocates on behalf of asylum seekers , says the decision has heightened the feelings of insecurity among the essential workers dubbed `` guardian angels '' by Quebec Premier Francois Legault .
The Canada Border Services Agency confirmed it resumed deportations as of Nov. 30 , after halting most removals in March due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would not be deporting people who are likely to qualify for permanent residency under a federal program announced in August to grant a path to residency for people working in the health-care sector or in long-term care or assisted living facilities .
`` The CBSA would like to clarify that the agency will not be removing those who may be eligible to qualify for permanent residency under the guardian angels public policy , '' the agency wrote in an email Tuesday .
• What Indigenous knowledge can teach us about resilience in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to the rescue of Vancouver restaurants • Widespread lake drainage on tundra another sign of climate change , researchers say Advocates estimate that hundreds of asylum seekers have been working in long-term care homes in Quebec , which bore the brunt of the first wave of COVID-19 this spring .
Andre notes that the final details of the program have yet to be made public , leading many of the so-called guardian angels to fear they may yet be deported .
`` So , we ’ re starting ( deportations ) three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the details of this special program for the asylum seekers or orderlies can not be announced , '' he said .
`` I call this criminal .
This is not right . ''
Andre said the initial elation over the announcement of the program has faded , leaving many asylum seekers feeling fearful and unsure if they ’ ll qualify .
He says some workers who could have been eligible have given up and decided to return home ; others have contemplated suicide .
Advocates estimate that hundreds of asylum seekers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quebec , which bore the brunt of the first wave of COVID-19 this spring .
Wilner Cayo , the president of a group that advocates for asylum seekers and visible minorities , notes that even asylum seekers working in long-term care — the exact group targeted by the program — are not sure they ’ ll qualify because there are other criteria to meet , including having been issued a work permit and having a certain amount of experience and hours worked .
He said the uncertainty is causing people `` enormous anxiety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long time and the rules are not clear , we don ’ t know what to expect , '' he said in a phone interview .
Quebec has a large degree of control over immigration criteria for the province , and it will select the applicants who qualify under the federal program and wish to reside in Quebec .
In an email , a spokesperson for the Quebec Immigration Department said the program is expected to come into effect over the winter , and the details of how it will apply in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Cayo said the program also does not address the situation of other essential workers , including security guards and cleaning staff in care homes , truck drivers and those working in food production .
`` These people sacrificed for Quebec , sacrificed for Canada , '' he said .
`` When many people were staying home , these people went out to work . ''
Their contribution has shown they are not a burden to Canada , but a gift , he added .
Andre believes the deportation order should be suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eligible for the guardian angels program .
But in his opinion , all the asylum seekers who have been in the country since the pandemic began deserve to stay .
`` I think they all have contributed economically , to saving lives , and Canada is better thanks to these people , '' he said .
In its email , the CBSA defended its decision to deport , noting that the `` timely removal of failed claimants plays a critical role in supporting the integrity of Canada ’ s asylum system . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the Gaza Strip , Syria , Mali , Venezuela , Haiti , Afghanistan and Iraq .
The agency also said the volume of deportations is expected to be reduced for some time , and that claimants will continue to have access to all the appeals and recourses available under the law .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2 , 2020

MONTREAL — Refugee advocates are criticizing Canada’s decision to resume deportations before the country irons out the details of a program to grant permanent residency to asylum seekers who have been working in the health-care system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frantz Andre, who advocates on behalf of asylum seekers, says the decision has heightened the feelings of insecurity among the essential workers dubbed "guardian angels" by Quebec Premier Francois Legault. The Canada Border Services Agency confirmed it resumed deportations as of Nov. 30, after halting most removals in March due to the pandemic. The agency clarified that it would not be deporting people who are likely to qualify for permanent residency under a federal program announced in August to grant a path to residency for people working in the health-care sector or in long-term care or assisted living facilities. "The CBSA would like to clarify that the agency will not be removing those who may be eligible to qualify for permanent residency under the guardian angels public policy," the agency wrote in an email Tuesday.
Advocates estimate that hundreds of asylum seekers have been working in long-term care homes in Quebec, which bore the brunt of the first wave of COVID-19 this spring. Andre notes that the final details of the program have yet to be made public, leading many of the so-called guardian angels to fear they may yet be deported. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "So, we’re starting (deportations) three weeks before Christmas, when the program and the details of this special program for the asylum seekers or orderlies cannot be announced," he said.
"I call this criminal. This is not right." Advocates estimate that hundreds of asylum seekers have been working in long-term care homes in Quebec, which bore the brunt of the first wave of COVID-19 this spring. Andre said the initial elation over the announcement of the program has faded, leaving many asylum seekers feeling fearful and unsure if they’ll qualify. He says some workers who could have been eligible have given up and decided to return home; others have contemplated suicide. Wilner Cayo, the president of a group that advocates for asylum seekers and visible minorities, notes that even asylum seekers working in long-term care — the exact group targeted by the program — are not sure they’ll qualify because there are other criteria to meet, including having been issued a work permit and having a certain amount of experience and hours worked. He said the uncertainty is causing people "enormous anxiety."
"When they take such a long time and the rules are not clear, we don’t know what to expect," he said in a phone interview. Quebec has a large degree of control over immigration criteria for the province, and it will select the applicants who qualify under the federal program and wish to reside in Quebec. In an email, a spokesperson for the Quebec Immigration Department said the program is expected to come into effect over the winter, and the details of how it will apply in Quebec will be announced "shortly."


nationalobserver--2020-12-02--Boil-water advisories in First Nations communities to continue past March 2021: feds

OTTAWA — The federal government says it will not meet a marquee pledge by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lift all boil-water advisories in First Nations communities by March 2021 .
Indigenous Services Canada says at least 22 long-term water advisories in 10 First Nations communities will remain in place beyond that deadline , which was set following an ambitious 2015 Liberal election promise to lift them all within five years .
`` What communities want is not an Ottawa-imposed deadline , '' Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday during a news conference in Ottawa .
The COVID-19 pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upgrade water systems and carry out on-site training , with supply chains snarled and construction put off as some reserves opted to restrict travel , the department said at an earlier briefing .
• What Indigenous knowledge can teach us about resilience in a time of climate crisis • TikTokers come to the rescue of Vancouver restaurants • Widespread lake drainage on tundra another sign of climate change , researchers say `` COVID has really changed everything , '' Miller said .
“ Because of COVID , many projects lost a full construction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of access to clean water in scores of First Nations communities `` totally unacceptable , '' but did not set a second deadline .
The complexity of projects , which can include infrastructure overhauls and depend on increasingly unreliable winter roads , have added to the delay , he said .
It has also been a challenge to hire and retain operators for water and wastewater treatment plants on remote sites .
Miller , who has held the Indigenous Services portfolio since November 2019 , sought to shield Trudeau from blame for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I bear the responsibility for this , and I have the responsibility and the duty to get this done , '' he said .
The department says 97 boil-water advisories have been lifted since 2016 , while 59 remain in place in 41 communities as the problem of unreliable drinking water persists .
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller called the continued lack of access to clean water in scores of First Nations communities `` totally unacceptable , '' but did not set a second deadline .
# cdnpoli In late October , about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northern Ontario , which has had a boil-water advisory in place for 25 years , were evacuated from their homes following the discovery of an oily sheen in its reservoir .
Opposition parties slammed the federal government for falling short of its goal .
“ Indigenous communities don ’ t need more empty promises or artificial government timelines .
They need certainty , clarity and competence from their government , '' said Conservative MP Gary Vidal , his party ’ s critic for Indigenous Services .
Vidal called for a more commercially driven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business minds and entrepreneurs '' to get taps flowing safely .
`` Imagine Minister Miller going to his riding in Montreal : ’ I apologize , but we missed our deadline to get you clean drinking water.
’ Would he ever think it was appropriate ? ''
Singh asked at a news conference .
“ This is not a broken promise .
This is a betrayal of trust , and it sends a message that Indigenous people don ’ t matter . ''
In its fall economic statement Monday , the Liberal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year to work toward lifting all long-term drinking water advisories in Indigenous communities , on top of $ 2.1 billion already committed since 2016 .

OTTAWA — The federal government says it will not meet a marquee pledge by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lift all boil-water advisories in First Nations communities by March 2021. Indigenous Services Canada says at least 22 long-term water advisories in 10 First Nations communities will remain in place beyond that deadline, which was set following an ambitious 2015 Liberal election promise to lift them all within five years. "What communities want is not an Ottawa-imposed deadline," Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday during a news conference in Ottawa. "It’s a long-term commitment to access to clean water." The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench into efforts to upgrade water systems and carry out on-site training, with supply chains snarled and construction put off as some reserves opted to restrict travel, the department said at an earlier briefing.
"COVID has really changed everything," Miller said. “Because of COVID, many projects lost a full construction season." He called the continued lack of access to clean water in scores of First Nations communities "totally unacceptable," but did not set a second deadline. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The complexity of projects, which can include infrastructure overhauls and depend on increasingly unreliable winter roads, have added to the delay, he said. It has also been a challenge to hire and retain operators for water and wastewater treatment plants on remote sites.
Miller, who has held the Indigenous Services portfolio since November 2019, sought to shield Trudeau from blame for the failed goal. Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller called the continued lack of access to clean water in scores of First Nations communities "totally unacceptable," but did not set a second deadline. #cdnpoli "Ultimately, I bear the responsibility for this, and I have the responsibility and the duty to get this done," he said. The department says 97 boil-water advisories have been lifted since 2016, while 59 remain in place in 41 communities as the problem of unreliable drinking water persists. In late October, about 250 residents of Neskantaga First Nation in northern Ontario, which has had a boil-water advisory in place for 25 years, were evacuated from their homes following the discovery of an oily sheen in its reservoir. Opposition parties slammed the federal government for falling short of its goal.
“Indigenous communities don’t need more empty promises or artificial government timelines. They need certainty, clarity and competence from their government," said Conservative MP Gary Vidal, his party’s critic for Indigenous Services. In a statement, Vidal called the crisis a "national embarrassment." Vidal called for a more commercially driven approach that draws on the "brightest business minds and entrepreneurs" to get taps flowing safely.


nationalobserver--2020-12-02--Widespread lake drainage on tundra another sign of climate change, researchers say

Scientists say a year in which almost 200 tundra lakes drained away could point to what 's in store for Canada 's North .
Between 2017 and 2018 , 192 lakes in northwest Alaska lost at least a quarter of their area as the permafrost that held them melted .
Canada has plenty of the same kind of landscape and can likely expect the same effects , said Claude Duguay , a University of Waterloo researcher and co-author of a new paper in the journal Cryosphere .
`` It 's pretty widespread , '' he said .
Duguay and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , shallow lakes that dot the tundra of Alaska 's Seward Peninsula .
Many have been stable for millennia while others wax and wane depending on the stability of the permafrost that blocks water from draining both underneath and along the shoreline .
During the winter of 2017 and into summer 2018 , the entire region experienced unusually warm temperatures and exceptionally heavy precipitation consistent with what climate change models predict across the Arctic .
• Boil-water advisories in First Nations communities to continue past March 2021 : feds • What Indigenous knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time of climate crisis • TikTokers come to the rescue of Vancouver restaurants `` These conditions are basically projections of what may be happening in the future , '' said Duguay .
Warmer than usual — air temperatures that year averaged 0 C — and insulated by a thick blanket of snow , much of the permafrost that ringed the shores and sealed the bottoms melted away .
In a single year , nearly 1,200 hectares of lake disappeared .
That 's more than 10 times the usual rate of change and twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2005-06 .
Similar lakes sitting on similar geology are easy to find in Canada , Duguay said .
They cover the Mackenzie Delta in the Northwest Territories , the Old Crow flats in Yukon and the Hudson Bay lowlands in Manitoba and Ontario .
`` Some of those regions are already showing similar trends , '' said Duguay , who added that Canada has n't yet experienced anything like what happened in Alaska , but it could be coming .
`` The process could accelerate , '' said Duguay .
`` That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There 's been temperature increases of four degrees in the winter .
Higher temperature and more snowfall will lead to these types of winters . ''
`` The draining of these lakes will lead to the remobilization of carbon , '' says Claude Duguay , a University of Waterloo researcher .
# climatechange The Northwest Territories has long been experiencing the effects of melting permafrost : sinking buildings , heaving roads and cracking airstrips .
In 2015 , a lake in the N.W.T .
fell off a cliff when the permafrost holding it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people get around and use the landscape , Duguay said .
And as well as being a clear sign of climate change , draining lakes also contribute to it .
Permafrost is full of carbon from undecomposed plant material .
Melting permafrost exposes that material , which generates both carbon dioxide and methane , the two main greenhouse gases .
Canada 's vast stretches of tundra hold millions of tonnes of such material , said Duguay .
`` The draining of these lakes will lead to the remobilization of carbon . ''
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published Dec. 2 , 2020 .

Scientists say a year in which almost 200 tundra lakes drained away could point to what's in store for Canada's North.
Between 2017 and 2018, 192 lakes in northwest Alaska lost at least a quarter of their area as the permafrost that held them melted. Canada has plenty of the same kind of landscape and can likely expect the same effects, said Claude Duguay, a University of Waterloo researcher and co-author of a new paper in the journal Cryosphere.
"It's pretty widespread," he said.
Duguay and his colleagues examined some of the countless small, shallow lakes that dot the tundra of Alaska's Seward Peninsula. Many have been stable for millennia while others wax and wane depending on the stability of the permafrost that blocks water from draining both underneath and along the shoreline.
During the winter of 2017 and into summer 2018, the entire region experienced unusually warm temperatures and exceptionally heavy precipitation consistent with what climate change models predict across the Arctic.


nationalobserver--2020-12-02--Fossil fuel production must drop 6% a year to meet climate goals: UN report

Fossil fuel production around the world must start winding down now , dropping by six per cent per year for the next decade to avoid the more extreme consequences of the climate emergency , according to a major new study backed by the United Nations .
Instead , governments around the world , including Canada , expect to go in the opposite direction — producing more coal , oil or natural gas “ far in excess of the levels consistent with the Paris Agreement temperature limits , ” states the 2020 Production Gap report , released Wednesday .
Researchers working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Environment Program looked at publicly available energy strategies of eight major fossil fuel-producing countries that collectively account for 60 per cent of the global fossil fuel supply .
As a wealthy nation , said Levin , with expertise in renewable energy and clean technology , Canada has the ability to start down a path of a managed decline of fossil fuel production , while ensuring such a transition is just and equitable for workers in the sector .
“ It will require courage and leadership from our elected leaders to start having honest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means , and to stop dancing around an obvious truth : That we must transition off of fossil fuels , ” she said .
COVID-19 made a dent , but not enough Canada is one of four countries examined in the report , along with Australia , the United States and Russia , that are forecasting increases in their oil and gas production .
The eight countries studied also include China , India , Indonesia and Norway .
Global fossil fuel production must drop six per cent a year , starting now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Canada , expect to go in the opposite direction , according to a new report backed by @ UNEP The researchers — who also hailed from the International Institute for Sustainable Development ( IISD ) , Overseas Development Institute ( ODI ) and European think tank E3G — said the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures meant to stop the spread of the virus did take a bite out of fossil fuel production , but not nearly enough to stave off harsher climate disruptions .
They said preliminary estimates suggest global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent in 2020 , relative to last year .
Coal will drop by eight per cent , oil will drop by seven per cent and natural gas will drop by three per cent .
Pre-COVID-19 energy plans , as well as government stimulus and recovery measures , however , could “ prompt a return to pre-COVID production trajectories that lock in severe climate disruption.
” “ To date , governments have committed far more COVID-19 funds to fossil fuels than to clean energy , ” the report states .
“ As of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US $ 233 billion to activities that support fossil fuel production and consumption , as compared with US $ 146 billion to renewable energy , energy efficiency , and low-carbon alternatives.
” One very important fossil fuel player is missing from the report : The researchers could not find data from Saudi Arabia .
But the state-controlled fossil fuel giant Saudi Aramco has indicated in a Reuters story that it will ramp up production as soon as demand returns “ before a shift to cleaner energy makes crude all but worthless.
” Credit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government gets credit in the report for committing $ 1.7 billion towards cleaning up orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells , and for launching a methane emissions reduction program .
Canada , with its carbon pricing system , is also one of several governments that have introduced reforms and limits to fossil fuel consumption .
It is also one of three countries to have set up bodies that are helping design policies to facilitate a “ just transition ” away from fossil fuels .
Meanwhile , Alberta is also noted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Innovation and Emissions Reduction system , meant to help large industrial emitters cut their pollution .
Michael Lazarus , director of SEI ’ s U.S. centre and co-ordinating lead author of the report , noted that even though Canadian oil production is forecasted to continue to rise , the Canada Energy Regulator had “ substantially ramped down ” the projections in its latest report .
“ I think we may begin to see other countries starting to do the same , ” he said .
“ But the point is they need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t necessarily come automatically.
” Canada is also listed as a “ leading provider of fossil fuel producer subsidies ” and Alberta ’ s equity and loan guarantees for the Keystone XL pipeline are also singled out .

Fossil fuel production around the world must start winding down now, dropping by six per cent per year for the next decade to avoid the more extreme consequences of the climate emergency, according to a major new study backed by the United Nations. Instead, governments around the world, including Canada, expect to go in the opposite direction — producing more coal, oil or natural gas “far in excess of the levels consistent with the Paris Agreement temperature limits,” states the 2020 Production Gap report, released Wednesday. Researchers working in collaboration with the UN’s Environment Program looked at publicly available energy strategies of eight major fossil fuel-producing countries that collectively account for 60 per cent of the global fossil fuel supply. They found a planned average annual increase of about two per cent per year to carbon-intensive energy production. Such production levels would result in more than double, or 120 per cent more, high-carbon fuels by 2030 than would be consistent with holding global heating below 2 C above pre-industrial levels. “Governments are altogether still planning on producing far too many fossil fuels,” said Ploy Pattanun Achakulwisut, a scientist with the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the corresponding author of the report’s chapter on the production gap.
This includes Canada, which expects its crude oil and natural gas production to keep steadily climbing over the next two decades, even as the federal Liberal government commits to net-zero emissions nationwide by 2050 and promises to increase the stringency of its 2030 emissions target. Canadian crude oil production isn’t expected to peak until at least 2039, and natural gas production isn’t expected to peak until 2040, according to projections from the federal energy regulator that were released last week. Wednesday’s report cites Canadian projections showing 6.4 million barrels of oil per day and 187 billion cubic metres of natural gas by 2030. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Julia Levin, climate and energy program manager at Environmental Defence, said the report sounds the alarm over the disconnect between the climate commitments of countries and their plans for their energy sectors.
As a wealthy nation, said Levin, with expertise in renewable energy and clean technology, Canada has the ability to start down a path of a managed decline of fossil fuel production, while ensuring such a transition is just and equitable for workers in the sector. Global fossil fuel production must drop six per cent a year, starting now, to avoid climate catastrophe. But governments, including Canada, expect to go in the opposite direction, according to a new report backed by @UNEP “It will require courage and leadership from our elected leaders to start having honest conversations about what achieving zero emissions really means, and to stop dancing around an obvious truth: That we must transition off of fossil fuels,” she said. COVID-19 made a dent, but not enough Canada is one of four countries examined in the report, along with Australia, the United States and Russia, that are forecasting increases in their oil and gas production. The eight countries studied also include China, India, Indonesia and Norway. The researchers — who also hailed from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and European think tank E3G — said the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures meant to stop the spread of the virus did take a bite out of fossil fuel production, but not nearly enough to stave off harsher climate disruptions.
They said preliminary estimates suggest global fossil fuel production will drop by seven per cent in 2020, relative to last year. Coal will drop by eight per cent, oil will drop by seven per cent and natural gas will drop by three per cent. Pre-COVID-19 energy plans, as well as government stimulus and recovery measures, however, could “prompt a return to pre-COVID production trajectories that lock in severe climate disruption.” “To date, governments have committed far more COVID-19 funds to fossil fuels than to clean energy,” the report states.


nationalobserver--2020-12-03--Cannabis a potential harm reduction tool for youth at risk of fatal overdose, research shows

Canada ’ s overdose crisis — fuelled by increasingly toxic street drugs and compounded by COVID-19 — is going into overdrive , and youth are particularly vulnerable , researchers say .
But research suggests novel approaches might help youth struggling with illicit drugs , and mitigate the risk of overdose , including using cannabis as a harm reduction tool and focusing on other aspects of youths ’ lives before pushing treatment or recovery .
Even prior to the pandemic , Canadian youth ages 15 to 24 were the fastest growing population hospitalized for illicit drug overdoses .
Cannabis use , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drugs , is a tool for youth looking to relieve ongoing pain and mental health issues , she added .
“ In quite a few cases , young people will attempt to manage their substance use on their own with the use of cannabis , ” Fast said .
“ And as an option to manage risk in the context of the overdose crisis.
” Fast interviewed youth in Vancouver , and more recently in smaller regional cities and rural areas around Kelowna and Prince George , B.C.
, for her research .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an exit ramp from using other , more dangerous drugs and helped make me feel better overall , ” said Scarlett Nelson , a peer researcher with BC Centre on Substance Use , about using cannabis as a harm reduction tool .
Some youth involved in the study said using cannabis allowed them to abandon illicit street drugs altogether .
Scarlett Nelson , a BCCSU peer researcher and co-author of the study with Fast , said she ’ d resorted to using meth and heroin as a teen to try to deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defiance disorders after medically prescribed drugs failed her .
But the solution lay in securing authorization for medical cannabis , she said .
“ Cannabis , for me , was an exit ramp from using other , more dangerous drugs and helped make me feel better overall , ” Nelson stated .
Fast noted that some youth still identified negative effects associated with heavy cannabis use , but overall the findings need to be considered in harm reduction contexts around youth using illicit drugs who are at risk of overdose .
Fatal youth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youth struggling with substance use tend to be concentrated in urban centres like Vancouver , Fast said , the overdose crisis exists in all communities large and small .
“ As to whether illicit opioid use is an urban issue , I think the answer to that is simply , no , ” Fast said .
Many of the youth using substances in cities such as Vancouver arrive from the smaller communities on Vancouver Island or northern parts of the province , she said .
“ A lot of these young people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use started elsewhere , ” Fast said .
“ And certainly the coroner 's report data underscores that illicit drug use and overdose risk is happening across the province.
” The number of youth dying during in B.C.
’ s overdose crisis is similar to the national figures .
Of the total deaths across the province this year , 19 per cent ( 269 deaths ) were young people age 29 or younger , with 14 of the dead under the age of 19 , the BC Coroners Service ’ s most recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youth , the B.C .
government has committed $ 36 million to create another 143 new treatment beds for young people across the province .
Prior to the announcements made this summer , B.C .
had 103 treatment beds for youth .
Advocates have cited a lack of beds , long waiting lists and youths ’ dislocation from community and family networks during treatment as barriers to recovery .
However , though treatment and recovery programs are critical , accessing them is not necessarily the first order of business for youth with substance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When we ask ( youth across B.C . )
questions about treatment and service access , they shifted the focus to say that what they were focused on was finding suitable housing , and employment , and building a life that was enjoyable and they could really be invested in , ” Fast said .
“ So that they would have some kind of stability and a reason not to use drugs when they got out of treatment.
” Generally , youth are presented with treatment or recovery options before addressing housing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , often youth must sacrifice housing or employment to participate in treatment or recovery programs .
But youth recognize that even if they successfully manage treatment or a recovery program , they are still on shaky ground , Fast said .
Often when they get out of a program , youth find themselves in a situation of precarious housing and employment , with very little income , she said .
The perspectives of youth should trigger new approaches about how to best facilitate their substance use treatment , Fast said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to look beyond questions of access , ” she said .
“ And to look at what they needed to stabilize their lives much more broadly .
And I think that 's a shift for a lot of us.
” Steve Ayers , program manager for the Foundry located in Campbell River , on Vancouver Island , agreed that helping some youth achieve positive change in other areas of their lives can lead to drops in substance use .
The Foundry is a one-stop shop with a range of support for youth and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding rural communities , he said .
The youth hub also offers substance use counselling and a six-bed voluntary recovery program .
But not all youth using substances need to access intensive treatment or recovery programs , he said , noting youth are often less entrenched with illicit street drugs than other demographics .
“ Oftentimes , if you can give youth a positive vision for the future and help them to have some success , then their coping goes way up , ” Ayers said .
Sometimes that means reconnecting with schooling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ Those would be some goals for sure .
Then , they might find they don ’ t need these more problematic ways of coping , ” Ayers said .
“ And the reasons that they were using substances stopped being as important .
”

Canada’s overdose crisis — fuelled by increasingly toxic street drugs and compounded by COVID-19 — is going into overdrive, and youth are particularly vulnerable, researchers say. But research suggests novel approaches might help youth struggling with illicit drugs, and mitigate the risk of overdose, including using cannabis as a harm reduction tool and focusing on other aspects of youths’ lives before pushing treatment or recovery. Even prior to the pandemic, Canadian youth ages 15 to 24 were the fastest growing population hospitalized for illicit drug overdoses. And young people age 29 and younger account for approximately 20 per cent (3,200) of the more than 16,000 fatal overdoses across Canada between January 2016 and March 2020. Youth, especially those experiencing homelessness or unstable housing, are particularly at risk of overdose, said Danya Fast, a researcher with the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU).
However, many young people mistrust the medical system and face challenges in getting care for substance use issues, including long wait times for treatment or recovery programs, age restrictions or difficulty assessing safe supply (prescribed alternative drugs). But cannabis use among some young people may be helpful in reducing the harms from other substances, Fast said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Youth involved in a recent study indicated they weren’t using cannabis for recreation, but rather to reduce or eliminate the use of other more harmful drugs, including alcohol, or street drugs such as fentanyl, heroin and crystal methamphetamine (meth), Fast said.
Cannabis use, significantly less dangerous than using toxic illicit drugs, is a tool for youth looking to relieve ongoing pain and mental health issues, she added. “Cannabis, for me, was an exit ramp from using other, more dangerous drugs and helped make me feel better overall,” said Scarlett Nelson, a peer researcher with BC Centre on Substance Use, about using cannabis as a harm reduction tool. “In quite a few cases, young people will attempt to manage their substance use on their own with the use of cannabis,” Fast said. “And as an option to manage risk in the context of the overdose crisis.” Fast interviewed youth in Vancouver, and more recently in smaller regional cities and rural areas around Kelowna and Prince George, B.C., for her research. Some youth involved in the study said using cannabis allowed them to abandon illicit street drugs altogether. Scarlett Nelson, a BCCSU peer researcher and co-author of the study with Fast, said she’d resorted to using meth and heroin as a teen to try to deal with her diagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity and oppositional defiance disorders after medically prescribed drugs failed her.
But the solution lay in securing authorization for medical cannabis, she said. “Cannabis, for me, was an exit ramp from using other, more dangerous drugs and helped make me feel better overall,” Nelson stated. Fast noted that some youth still identified negative effects associated with heavy cannabis use, but overall the findings need to be considered in harm reduction contexts around youth using illicit drugs who are at risk of overdose.


nationalobserver--2020-12-03--Canada’s $100B recovery spending leaves student loan holders out in the cold

At the end of last month , 28-year-old office administrator Ashley Lees found herself with $ 2 left over after paying rent and other bills , including $ 362 due on her student loan .
Lees and thousands of other students and recent graduates in Canada face renewed financial uncertainty after the federal Liberal government did not extend a six-month repayment freeze , forcing them to pay back more than they can afford in a ravaged economy where young people have found it especially difficult to find and keep work .
Lees , who graduated in 2016 with $ 31,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October to extend the repayment assistance plan she ’ d been on before the COVID-19 pandemic , but was rejected for earning over a threshold amount that , at $ 25,000 a year before taxes , is below the poverty line .
“ If our MPs were living on some of the wages that we are , this wouldn ’ t be a thing , ” she said , speaking days after the government released a fiscal update that provided little comfort to students .
“ Me paying student loans in the middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money to everybody else feels like you just need me so you can hand out money to everybody else , ” she said .
• Widespread lake drainage on tundra another sign of climate change , researchers say • What Indigenous knowledge can teach us about resilience in a time of climate crisis • TikTokers come to the rescue of Vancouver restaurants Lees says she didn ’ t learn about the rejection until a pre-authorized payment was rejected and she ’ d waited on hold with the National Student Loan Service Centre ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
Patty Facy , who graduated from a master 's program in technology design at the University of Toronto this spring and has since only managed to secure contract work , echoes the frustration of Lees and thousands of other students unable to reach the bureaucracy meant to help them .
She says her application for relief , also filed in early October , is still pending at NSLSC ( meaning payments should be paused pending a decision ) , but that her account informs her that payment is past due .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coherent or consistent information , ” she said , noting that students are expressing their frustrations on Twitter in stories collected under the # nslsc hashtag .
“ There 's no policy that ’ s really helping young Canadians who are feeling very vulnerable financially , but a huge part of this is also a matter of infrastructure — where is the digital infrastructure to actually support people right now ?
” she said .
Patty Facy , who graduated this year , says students have been left in the dark by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facy Ottawa had announced a freeze on student loan payments in March , but let it expire at the end of September and assigned no funding to that task in its budget update released on Monday .
Students and recent graduates face renewed financial uncertainty after the federal government did not extend a six-month loan repayment freeze , forcing them to pay back more than they can afford in a ravaged economy amid COVID-19 .
The government did say it would extend a halt to interest accrual of the federal portion of student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they expect would cost them $ 321 million .
The lack of an extension of student loan relief is particularly confounding given it appears to ignore that the House unanimously adopted a private motion put forward by NDP MP Heather McPherson last week to extend the moratorium for eight months , from Oct. 1 to May 31 , 2021 .
McPherson said she is hearing from many of her constituents — the Edmonton Strathcona riding includes the University of Alberta ’ s campus — facing dire circumstances and that government officials “ don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s crazy how students have been left out in the lurch here , ” she said , adding that the NDP planned to keep fighting .
“ This is a pretty giant injustice that ’ s happening .
”

At the end of last month, 28-year-old office administrator Ashley Lees found herself with $2 left over after paying rent and other bills, including $362 due on her student loan.
Lees and thousands of other students and recent graduates in Canada face renewed financial uncertainty after the federal Liberal government did not extend a six-month repayment freeze, forcing them to pay back more than they can afford in a ravaged economy where young people have found it especially difficult to find and keep work.
Lees, who graduated in 2016 with $31,000 in student debt, tried in early October to extend the repayment assistance plan she’d been on before the COVID-19 pandemic, but was rejected for earning over a threshold amount that, at $25,000 a year before taxes, is below the poverty line.
“If our MPs were living on some of the wages that we are, this wouldn’t be a thing,” she said, speaking days after the government released a fiscal update that provided little comfort to students.
“Me paying student loans in the middle of a pandemic while they hand out money to everybody else feels like you just need me so you can hand out money to everybody else,” she said.


nationalobserver--2020-12-03--Plant-based meats are on the rise. But are they sustainable?

Vegetables are becoming increasingly common in an unusual place : the grocery store meat aisle .
Sales of alternative , or plant-based , meats are booming worldwide .
Driven by skyrocketing demand from consumers striving to cut back on meat and companies facing increasing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint , the market is anticipated to reach $ 23.1 billion by 2025 .
And major meat companies have been racing to meet demand , with big players such as McDonald 's and Maple Leaf Foods recently launching a suite of plant-based meats .
Meat contributes up to eight billion tonnes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the annual emissions of 1.6 billion cars , and according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) , a global shift to diets that contain less meat is essential to keep global warming under the 1.5 C limit agreed to in the 2015 Paris Agreement .
“ It ’ s well-known that eating lower down the food chain is more environmentally efficient , ” said Navin Ramankutty , professor of global environmental change and food security at the University of British Columbia .
• What Indigenous knowledge can teach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate crisis • TikTokers come to the rescue of Vancouver restaurants • Widespread lake drainage on tundra another sign of climate change , researchers say That ’ s because plants require far fewer resources — water , land , fossil fuels — to produce , per calorie , than meat .
It ’ s also healthier , the IPCC report notes , with excessive meat consumption linked to numerous health issues .
Those factors have fuelled a booming market in alternative proteins , meat- and dairy-like products that are usually manufactured from soy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent of Canadians saying they eat little or no meat , according to research by Dalhousie University ’ s Agri-Food Analytics Lab .
Companies in their infancy a decade ago , such as Beyond Meat , have become household names .
Now , major meat companies have jumped in the fray .
For instance , in the past three years , Maple Leaf Foods has purchased two venerable alternative meat companies — Lightlife Foods and the Field Roast Grain Meat Co. — and announced plans to build a $ 401-million pea-protein processing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the company launched a line of products made from a blend of plant and animal proteins , a “ direct response to Canadians ’ desire to eat sustainably , ” said Michael McCain , Maple Leaf Foods ' CEO , in a written statement .
Maple Leaf Foods isn ’ t alone in banking on sustained consumer interest in plant-based meats .
“ That question of sustainability has be asked in a much wider context than just the production of these plant-based ( meats ) , ” says Élisabeth Abergel , professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
# plantbased In the first half of 2020 alone , more than $ 1.4 billion was invested in alternative protein companies .
That ’ s more than twice the total amount spent last year , according to Coller Capital , an international private equity investment company .
The organization regularly publishes an index evaluating social , environmental and governance risk factors for 60 major meat and protein companies as a guide for sustainability-minded investors .
The # FAIRRIndex is the only comprehensive assessment of the largest global animal protein companies on critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governance issues .
Explore the data to identify the # industryleaders who play a role in addressing # climatechange https : //t.co/mzM4iagx7C pic.twitter.com/SVCMNOda17 — FAIRR Initiative ( @ FAIRRInitiative ) November 20 , 2020 For Sylvain Charlebois , director of Dalhousie University 's Agri-Food Analytics Lab , those numbers aren ’ t surprising .
“ I don ’ t think ( consumer demand ) is going to go away ... COVID may have stalled the momentum a little bit , but I am expecting the momentum to come back , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment , their health and the ethical treatment of farm animals .
Even veganism , one of the more challenging plant-centric diets to follow , is on the rise , he noted , with about 600,000 Canadians saying they were vegans this year compared to 400,000 in 2019 .
Concerns around meat 's environmental and health impacts , and animal welfare , are pushing an increasing number of Canadians to eat less animal protein , Prof. Sylvain Charlebois said .
Photo by Maple Leaf Foods Still , some researchers say that despite the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustainable than they appear .
“ That question of sustainability has to be asked in a much wider context than just the production of these plant-based ( meats ) , ” said Élisabeth Abergel , professor of sociology and environmental studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal .
Especially when it comes to evaluating industrially produced , plant-based proteins .
Simply measuring the number of resources used to produce plant protein and comparing that against the number used to produce an equivalent volume of animal protein doesn ’ t give an accurate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact , Abergel said .
Plant-based meats remain a small part of the major meat companies ’ total production , she said .
That makes it difficult for plant-based meats to significantly impact these companies ’ environmental footprint without additional , supply-chain-wide changes to how they produce and distribute food .
For instance , only four per cent of Maple Leaf Foods ' sales revenue last year — about $ 176 million — came from plant-based products .
However , the company has invested in a suite of initiatives to reduce its overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared to 2014 ) by 2025 .
Maple Leaf Foods has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its operations and supply chain by 30 per cent each by 2030 .
“ This is all part of our vision to become the most sustainable protein company on earth , ” said Michael McCain , the company 's CEO .
Photo by Maple Leaf Foods Abergel said an environmentally conscientious consumer should also consider how the base ingredients for plant-based meats are produced .
“ Certain companies use soy , other companies use pea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are these grown organically or are they grown in monocultures ?
Are they part of the same supply chain ... used for feeding cattle ?
” she said .
“ If the soy protein or the pea protein come from monocultures , and the soy is genetically modified , I think that sustainability measures have to take these into account.
” Industrial agriculture is associated with myriad environmental impacts , from nitrous oxide emissions tied to excessive fertilizer use to hurting pollinators through habitat destruction .
Not only that , the economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meat production is dominated by a handful of large processing and retail companies .
As a result , farmers often have little choice but to sell their crops at an unsustainably low price that isn ’ t reflected in the prices paid by consumers , according to Cathy Holtslander , director of research and policy at the National Farmers Union .
Farm debt has risen exponentially in the past 20 years , more than doubling since 2000 to reach $ 115 billion this year .
Meanwhile , Canadian farmers ’ net incomes have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion annually since the mid-1980s , rates unseen since the Great Depression .
That has pushed many out of business — the number of farms in Canada dropped 25 per cent between 1991 and 2011 — and has made it more difficult for those who remain to innovate with more sustainable farming techniques , such as cover cropping to absorb excess nitrogen or interspersing pollinator habitats in their fields .
Abergel also pointed out that many large food processors have also seen other concerns in their supply chains , everything from working conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the need for a definition of food sustainability that is broader than just an environmental footprint , she said .
“ If you ’ re somebody who is really concerned about sustainability , you need to go deeper .
”

Vegetables are becoming increasingly common in an unusual place: the grocery store meat aisle. Sales of alternative, or plant-based, meats are booming worldwide. Driven by skyrocketing demand from consumers striving to cut back on meat and companies facing increasing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint, the market is anticipated to reach $23.1 billion by 2025. And major meat companies have been racing to meet demand, with big players such as McDonald's and Maple Leaf Foods recently launching a suite of plant-based meats. Meat contributes up to eight billion tonnes of CO2 per year, roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 1.6 billion cars, and according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a global shift to diets that contain less meat is essential to keep global warming under the 1.5 C limit agreed to in the 2015 Paris Agreement. “It’s well-known that eating lower down the food chain is more environmentally efficient,” said Navin Ramankutty, professor of global environmental change and food security at the University of British Columbia.
That’s because plants require far fewer resources — water, land, fossil fuels — to produce, per calorie, than meat. It’s also healthier, the IPCC report notes, with excessive meat consumption linked to numerous health issues. Those factors have fuelled a booming market in alternative proteins, meat- and dairy-like products that are usually manufactured from soy or pea protein, with about 10 per cent of Canadians saying they eat little or no meat, according to research by Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Companies in their infancy a decade ago, such as Beyond Meat, have become household names. Now, major meat companies have jumped in the fray.
For instance, in the past three years, Maple Leaf Foods has purchased two venerable alternative meat companies — Lightlife Foods and the Field Roast Grain Meat Co. — and announced plans to build a $401-million pea-protein processing plant in the U.S. “That question of sustainability has be asked in a much wider context than just the production of these plant-based (meats),” says Élisabeth Abergel, professor of sociology and environmental studies at UQAM. #plantbased This year, the company launched a line of products made from a blend of plant and animal proteins, a “direct response to Canadians’ desire to eat sustainably,” said Michael McCain, Maple Leaf Foods' CEO, in a written statement. Maple Leaf Foods isn’t alone in banking on sustained consumer interest in plant-based meats. In the first half of 2020 alone, more than $1.4 billion was invested in alternative protein companies. That’s more than twice the total amount spent last year, according to the FAIRR Initiative, a global network of institutional investors that regularly publishes an index evaluating social, environmental and governance risk factors for 60 major meat and protein companies as a guide for sustainability-minded investors. The #FAIRRIndex is the only comprehensive assessment of the largest global animal protein companies on critical #environmental, #social and #governance issues. Explore the data to identify the #industryleaders who play a role in addressing #climatechange https://t.co/mzM4iagx7C pic.twitter.com/SVCMNOda17 — FAIRR Initiative (@FAIRRInitiative) November 20, 2020
For Sylvain Charlebois, director of Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab, those numbers aren’t surprising. “I don’t think (consumer demand) is going to go away ... COVID may have stalled the momentum a little bit, but I am expecting the momentum to come back,” he said, citing Canadians’ concerns about the environment, their health and the ethical treatment of farm animals. Even veganism, one of the more challenging plant-centric diets to follow, is on the rise, he noted, with about 600,000 Canadians saying they were vegans this year compared to 400,000 in 2019.