[All] Climate Crisis, data and the pitch.

Thu May 23 03:18:30 EDT 2019

Hi folks
So tonight I went to a meeting on Climate Change tonight to discuss plans to create a motion to call for a Climate Emergency in Kitchener. 
The idea came up that the need was there to make the issue local and to frame it on issues of economics. So in response I provide this email.  I wanted to share it to bring folks up to speed on what I see. This isn't an exhaustive list at all. I've provided data previously regarding water issues so this goes beyond that scope a bit to shed light on other areas.  
One of the questions that came up was a question on how much Kitchener's liability coverage is. I'm not sure if anyone has more accurate values but I did find some references to it in the City of Kitchener's last financial report as published online. It is their 2017 report. https://www.kitchener.ca/en/resourcesGeneral/Documents/FIN_ACCT_Financial_Report_2017.pdf
In terms of some of the local policies we could use to support the motion I have a few things we could look at. 
WATERLOO REGION PARTNERS FOR CLEAN AIRPartners as of October 2008 
Opening line reads: 
Clean air is a fundamental requirement of human health and well-being. In fact, it haslong been recognized that poor air quality has an adverse impact on human health andquality of life. 
The entire report shows they understand the risks and it is a local priority so it is reasonable to state this is within the mandate of the city. We are not asking them to do anything they haven't already made a commitment to do but if declaring a Climate Emergency can help reach those objectives faster and help secure fiscal resources to meet that vision, I think it could save us money in both prevention and with health care costs. If we have the chance to avoid incidents of asthma, stroke, high blood pressure and other ailments why the heck not?  https://www.kitchener.ca/en/resourcesGeneral/Documents/DSD_PLAN_CleanAirPlan.pdf
City of Kitchener's webpage on Climate Change 
The opening line reads: 
The City of Kitchener is committed to climate action. We understand our role as a global citizen and the need to be prepared for the effects of climate change. By reducing our GHG (greenhouse gas) impacts through conservation, efficiencies and innovation, climate action provides an opportunity for the City of Kitchener to work together to further our strategic priorities. https://www.kitchener.ca/en/city-services/climate-change.aspx?_mid_=12108
If you click on the strategic priorities, it goes to the City of Kitchener's Strategic Action Plan.I think the more we can present our work as complimentary to the objectives of the Strategic Action plan, the more successful we will be in our efforts to seek support for this motion and others. We should always refer to this policy when dealing with an environmental issues in the area of Kitchener. It makes good sense to do it if it helps them meet their own mandate. It reflects reasonable governance. https://www.kitchener.ca/en/city-services/strategic-action-plan.asp
Royal commission Inquiry into the Grand River Flood 1974This report was about the major flooding that took place with Hurricane Hazel. The costs and damages was extensive. The Commission gave specific orders on how to prevent the risks. So even before we knew of climate change, we had this problem with the flood risks.  Now that we know how climate change is impacting our communities, we need to review if the orders, as given by this inquiry, are being reasonably implemented to avoid the risks. What is the status of the dams? Are they reaching end of life? Are they still within the design constraints to reasonably avoid the risks or do we facing increasing risks? https://www.grandriver.ca/en/our-watershed/resources/Documents/Water_History_1974FloodInquiry.pdf

GRCA Flood ResourcesCurrently there are no flood controls on the Nith River which feeds into the Grand River and this leaves communities at risk. The GRCA has a website on this matter and I encourage folks to take a peek at the Brochures. I believe the homes in the flood zones can no longer be insured. https://www.grandriver.ca/en/our-watershed/Flood-Resources.aspx
Questions to ask about this info: Is the flood delineation still applicable? Does it factor in upstream development and associated runoff which could widen the river channels sending even more water down then before? Is the data current?  
Local experts give warnings
David Roewade: has a background in business and environmental science. He worked with community economic development, environmental resource management and climate change issues. David completed research on climate change in Waterloo Region and the risk management implications from future climate impacts. He currently works at the Region of Waterloo's Sustainability Office but presented his own research at an event I hosted. Here are the quick notes I took to provide a brief overview.    
   - Opened with a photo of climate change from http://www.explainthatstuff.com/globalwarmingforkids.html
   - Trees and oceans serve to remove 3 unites of carbon per year globally but we are exceeding their capacity.
   - We must observe the measured atmospheric C02.
   - Temperatures are expected to change 40-60% even if we were to stop all emissions today.
   - It can take anywhere from 50-100 year to see the full impacts. 50 year time lag from today's emissions.
   - What we do today will impact future generations
   - It takes 30 years to spot an official weather "trend". 
   - In Waterloo over the last 60 years we see that temperatures have changed.
   - 2010 was the hottest year in 19 different countries
   - 5% increase in annual precipitation 
   - 10% precipitation in spring
   - Winter and spring are both getting warmer. 
   - 2011 was the wettest spring with a 96% variance from the norm.
   - If you overlap precipitation patterns for 2008 and 2011 you will see they were the complete opposite. We had the same precipitation levels but the variability as to when it showed up. 
   - Annual predictability of weather patterns is no longer reliable.
   - 10 years we see an increase in daily extremes. 
   - Winds have increased and we need to adapt our infrastructure designs to withstand that. (Traffic lights, roofs etc.)
   - Winds at 40-50% threshold is what we are built for but when winds blow 50-60% we see increased damages of 650%. 
   - In 2005 the washout on Finch Avenue resulted in the 3rd most expensive catastrophic event in Canadian History and one of the top for municipal costs.  
   - With water conservation, cities can save electricity. 
   - Composting captures methane that can be reclaimed and used. If it's not used it created Green House Gas. It is better to use a green bin than to allow this waste to rot in the dumps.
   - Green bin programs now set up for school and residential use.
   - Our local landfill generates enough energy for 4,000 homes.
   - Biogas recovery is also happening at our local waste water treatment plants.
   - Buy local programs reduce transportation needs. 
   - In terms of flood management, bioswales control floods and also serves to cool areas. Concrete creates heat in urban areas. 
Wendy De Gomez has a Masters of Environmental Studies from UW, BA in Political Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Research interests in vulnerable populations in Canada and international contexts, geo-politics, climate change adaptation and emergency management issues. Worked for the social planning council of Cambridge and North Dumfries and currently works at The University of Waterloo.  Her Masters Thesis focuses on homelessness and weather and was conducted in Waterloo Region. She notes how people on psychotropic medication for mental illness experience thermoregulation. That is when the medicine adversely impacts the body's ability to respond to heat making them more prone to issues of hypothermia, sunburn, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. (Weihe, 1976) and it is noted on page 91 of her report, (105 of the PDF) https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/handle/10012/5501/de_G%C3%B3mez_Wendy_MES_Thesis.pdf?sequence=1&isAllow

Note: Many people, beyond homeless folks, use these same same medicines to deal with depression, anxiety, autism, schizophrenia etc. Kids using these meds are at risk on hot playgrounds, hot portables and school rooms that lack air conditioning. Construction workers, road workers and roofers are at an increased risk as well. 
Ms. Degomez spoke at an event I hosted and her are the brief notes I took from her studies:    
   - Our study focused on exposure and sensitivities of the homeless, and it considered both future exposures and future adaptation capacity in regards to the need options of the homeless and the expected impacts they will face.
   - Homeless participants were given special training and they did interviews with other homeless people for the sake of this study and the data was used to compile 2 peer reviewed university reports.
   - Out of 48 people interviewed, 22 state that Rain is the primary weather stressor they face followed with cold in winter at 18, winter at 17, cold in summer 14, Rainstorms 8, snowstorms 8, extreme heat 7, dampness 7, snow 7, wind 5. 
   - Wet weather is worse than winter. Greater problem.
   - During times of rain people hide under bridges, in shelters or head to second hand stores or coffee shops, the mall or library.
   - Wet clothing is often abandoned. They can't carry it around so it's left in trees in area woodlands.
   - When shoes get wet lit leads to foot diseases, hypothermia etc. 
   - Some homeless people commit crimes simply to get a warm night in jail
   - Some homeless cut themselves to find shelter in the psyche ward.
   - When it's cold they sleep on cardboard to avoid the cold pavement.
   - Some sleep in bank kiosks.
   - They are prone to hypothermia even in the summer.
   - Some homeless will ride the city's transit system for as long as they can to stay comfortable.
   - In the summer, pavement adds from 5-11 degrees Celsius in urban areas. This is the Heat Island effect. 
   - People on psychotropic medicines are very sensitive to light, temperatures and weather changes and heat. 
   - What the need are lockers, a place to dry clothing, rain gear and public water fountains to stay hydrated. 
   - We used to have a man in the Region who ran a shoe exchange program for the homeless pro bono from his home but he has since passed away. The area homeless are in great need for that kind of outreach. 

Carol Moogk Soulis professional training was in Occupational therapy at McGill University and she branched off into pediatrics which led her to study the impacts of heat islands on children. She led a program at Mary Johnston Public School to naturalize the playground area with more than 1500 trees and shrubs and was nominated for the Canadian Wildlife Federation's Queen Jubilee Medal for her efforts. The project was later destroyed by way of perceived threats and needs. Today she is pursuing scientific research to provide hard evidence to support the need to provide natural spaces for children with shade trees to help maintain public health.    
   - Heat was observed using thermal satellite images. 
   -  "When air temperature had reached just past 25 degrees Celsius, average surface temperatures on schoolyards of as high as 100 degrees Celsius were measured."
   - They stood out on the satellite photos. 
   - 800 Fields were studied. 
   - In the heat kids are not active and they are exposed to High UV radiation.
   - Shade trees should be provided so that there is enough shade for all the students to be able to stand under it. 
   - Currently 1 in 4 kids is obese but 1 in 7 will get skin cancer.
   - Shade trees are a good cost effective investment in prevention.
   - Trees benefit people psychologically, biochemically and give shade while providing carbon storage while creating habitat for birds.
   - The three hottest surface types are asphalt, tar and chip and mowed turf (as seen on sports fields.)
   - Although it would not be reasonable to put trees on a sports field, we could create "shaded oasis" along the side of the fields to allow players and observers to stay cool. RIM park is a place that could benefit from this.
   - The trees along the Waterloo Square have such fine leaves they don't give much shade. What shade they do give, only falls upon the roadways. This area needs more shade trees.
   - During the Jazz festival it's too hot for people to stand in the parking lot. It generates stress and is harder to breath. Buildings block the flow of wind so the air stays hot. It does not circulate.
   - Gatherings such as the Jazz festival could be located in areas like Waterloo Park with more grass and trees to help keep people cool.
   - Young children often ask to be lifted when it's hot because the temperatures in the arms of adults is up to 10 degrees cooler than along the pavement where they stand.
   - Pets are vulnerable to the heat and they need to stay hydrated.
   - Paws on hot pavement should be avoided. Dog booties can help.
   - The elderly are particularly vulnerable to the heat. They move slower, they walk more and if they live in urban centers, they are exposed to higher temperatures. 
   - If we remove our shoes and the pavement is too hot to walk on the temperature of that pavement is 60 degrees or over. 
   - Trees survive better in groups so if you want to plant one, go for more

I like the idea of creating the Climate Crisis motion by discussing it in a positive light because it really is a great idea fiscally speaking but more so, if we are to continue our roll as  leaders we must rise to a new way of seeing it. Here is how I think we can go with this. Stay positive and stay economic. 
Sustainable Waterloo 2018 Annual Reporthttps://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/SWR007_AnnualReport_2018_FA2.pdf

The report states: 
It is an honour to work with partners from all sectors of our community, private businesses, public institutions, other non-profits, and more. It is inspiring to support the work that is being done all over this region.
Now more than ever businessesand organizations are reducingtheir environmental impactand reaping the benefits.
2018 marks the year that the total amount of GHG reductions were greater than the total amount of that was committed. 62.5K Total Tonnes committed (CO2e) 62.9K Reductions to date (CO2e)
We need a cleaner more prosperous future. 
Based on what was said, I see this as the economic message: 
All sectors of our community are implementing ways to reduce emissions. It's working but doing more will provide us with better economic and environmental benefits.   

Waterloo Regional Farms: 2016 Census data: 
Gross Farm Receipts (2016)4: $563.63 million Gross Farm Receipts per Hectare of Census Farm: $6,478.69 
In Waterloo Region in 2016, 148 farms used some form of renewableenergy producing systems making up 11% of all farms. Solar was used in 91% of these cases. 
Of these farmsin Waterloo Region, the majority (324farms) used farm gate sales, stands, kiosksor U-pick to sell their products. Forty-ninefarms also sold their products at farmers’markets and 11 farms sold farm sharesto community members who in returnreceived a portion of the farm’s harvestedcrops.https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/resources/Census/120685_Census_Bulletin_2_Agriculture.indd_FINALaccess.pdf

When I read that, this is what I see: 
Local food makes local jobs while reducing transportation, waste and emissions. If the declaration of climate crisis means more resources to create local energy, we see the same pattern. Local energy creates local jobs while reducing transportation, waste and emissions. 
City of Kitchener's Successes
For more than 25 years, we've been putting the environment first - developing, implementing and promoting sustainable methods to reduce our collective footprint and help preserve our planet. https://www.kitchener.ca/en/city-services/environmental-actions.aspx

For years, you've reminded us time and time again that the environment should be at the forefront of every decision we make for our city. We've heard you loud and clear - and we're proud to say that Kitchener is considered a municipal leader in environmental planning and stewardship across the country. https://www.kitchener.ca/en/city-services/strategic-plan-for-the-environment.aspx

When I read those passages I think of this: 
 Kitchener has put environment first. That is what made us leaders. Let us continue our stewardship to help preserve our planet.  

Louisette "Lulu" Lanteigne700 Starflower Ave.Waterloo OntN2V 2L2 

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