Why is it less cold in Canada (June 2006)

Everyone told me that the Canadian cold was going to be terrible and hard to bear for my first winter! That I would regret going to live there, me, coming from the south of France where the heat is present all year long!

Alas, this winter was mild. Very mild. The real winter month was in February. A nice cold compared to the rest.

All Canadians tell me that global warming has something to do with it. Winters are not the same as they were 10 years ago. Moreover, in November, there was the International Conference on Climate Change in Montreal, after Kyoto, to make the whole world aware of a big problem. Everyone recognizes that the natural balance of our atmosphere is broken.

If you look around you, you will hear about an increase in floods, forest fires, prolonged drought, ice storms, temperature changes, cyclones (we can't think of any more names for cyclones because there are so many!) and typhoons etc.

Greenpeace Canada states on its website:

There is a natural greenhouse effect on the planet that increases the average temperature of the planet from minus 18°C to 15°C above the freezing point.

Two of the major greenhouse gases (GHGs), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), have reached levels not seen in the atmosphere for at least the last 250,000 years. Methane levels in the atmosphere have doubled since the beginning of the industrial era. For carbon dioxide, levels are projected to double from pre-industrial levels within 30-50 years if our consumption of oil, coal and natural gas continues on its current trend.

And the organization states regarding rising temperatures in the country: In Canada, this increase was 1.5°C and even climbed to 3°C in the Canadian Far North.

It is obvious that global warming is no longer in doubt and I don't see how we can not see it!

I have read and seen reports on the Canadian far north. Climate change is causing the thinning of the snow and ice cover, all the biomass of the boreal forest will disappear because of fires or deforestation and there will be more and more swamps. This is encouraging!

Mr. Ian Stinling, of the Canadian Wildlife Service and world specialist in polar bears, states that male bears have lost between 80 and 100 kg over the last 20 years, compared to their average weight, which can reach 600 kg. This decrease in the weight of the bears, according to Mr. Stirling, is the direct result of the decrease of the ice in the Arctic, which is necessary for the bears to feed during the winter, since the polar bear feeds little during the summer, living mainly on its reserves. However, since the ice is slow to come in the fall and breaks up in the spring, the bears are forced to spend more time away from their food source, hence their weight loss. Polar bears are not the only ones feeling the effects of global warming, caribou are also feeling the effects of climate change.

Concerning the cetaceans, I read in the local press an article entitled: "Where have the large cetaceans gone? Indeed, the whales in the St. Lawrence River are arriving later and later in the season. Some say that global warming is preventing the proliferation of the food stock, which makes tourists unhappy and risks diminishing local activity along the St. Lawrence.

It is said that a 2-3 hour whale watching tour (basic package) decreases the chances of meeting them! But it is necessary to stay at least 5 hours! However, not all companies offer this package.

The manager of the "Croisières du Grand Héron" company, located in the Upper North Shore (Quebec-Canada), has been navigating the St. Lawrence River for the past 10 years and confirms a decrease in the whale population. Belugas (delphinapterus leucas), dolphins, porpoises and seals are also declining.

The main factor in the presence or absence of cetaceans is food. If food is reduced by overfishing, pollution and global warming, all animals that depend on it are directly affected.

Therefore, I feel very concerned by this problem because I am in a cold country which is directly affected by global warming. I could quote hundreds of examples on this subject... The current government is not going in this direction.

Polluters continue to pollute, animal and plant species are disappearing, nuclear power is increasing (to produce electricity and nuclear bombs), overfishing and deforestation are not decreasing, non-visible and visible pollution continues... But what future do we have in store for our children?