energy and climate change – the importance of reaching the public

Energy and climate change – the importance of reaching the public

Steven EarleMalaspina University-College

OutlineWhat Canadians already know about

climate change*

*based largely on my experience with University students

What they should know

Why we need to improve their understanding

How we might achieve that goal

What do Canadians already know

(or think that they know) about climate change?

They know that it is getting warmer

But they think that the magnitude of change is insignificant

They know that greenhouse effect is the problem.

But they’re not very clear about what the greenhouse effect is.

Most Canadians know that the greenhouse effect has something

to do with greenhouse gases

Many people are confused about the difference between the greenhouse effect

and stratospheric ozone depletion.

But they have very little idea what the connection is, or even what a greenhouse

gas is.

Canadians are aware that not everyone (nor every

organization, nor every government) agrees that there is a climate-change problem.

This degree of uncertainty makes denial a little easier.

The biggest problem is that most Canadians think that:

“What I do is not the problem.”

Or even if they recognize that they are part of the problem,

they will argue that:

“A change in my behaviour won’t make any difference

anyway.”

This widely held belief makes denial a lot easier.

Canadians produced 546,000,000 tonnes of CO2 in

2003.*

* Statistics Canada

Each of us produced a seemingly insignificant

0.0000032% of that total.

18.3 tonnes of CO2 per Canadian

We consumed 37,000,000,000 L of automobile fuel in 2001*, or about 1233 L/person (24

L/week), resulting in emissions of 2.95 tonnes of CO2 per person. If each of us could cut our

transportation CO2 budget in half (by using a smaller vehicle, driving less, biking, walking or using public transit) we could lower our total emissions by 8%, and we would all be fitter

and would have better air to breath.

* World Resources Institute

My experience is that personal decisions that involve energy use

are based on:1) cost2) convenience and comfort3) fashion and prestige4) the local environment (pollution)5) the global environment (climate change)

What most people don’t know (and should know) about

climate change.

Canadians need to know about some of the consequences of

climate change.

• It is getting warmer and ice is melting• Sea-level is rising• The weather is becoming more extreme• Its going to cost us – a lot!

Ice is melting

Minimum Arctic sea ice 1979Source: NASA, 2003

Minimum Arctic sea ice 2003Source: NASA, 2003

Canadians need to know where greenhouse gases come from.

Otherwise they will never feel any responsibility for the

problem.

Canadians need to recognize that, in the long run, the global effects of climate change are far more significant than the local

effects of pollution.

Alas, very few people consider issues over the long term.

Sumas 2 gas-fired generator

Virtually all of the discussion around this project has been

about local air quality. Almost nothing has been said about the

green-house gas production.

The same is true for a proposed gas-fired plant in Nanaimo.

From: Sahay, Krishna [KSahay@NRCan.gc.ca]Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 9:54 AMTo: Steve EarleSubject: West Coast Oil and Gas Drilling Moratorium - File D04-55946

Dear Dr. Earle:

On behalf of the Honourable R. John Efford, Minister of Natural Resources Canada, I would like to thank you for your correspondence of February 13, 2004, concerning the federal review process, the conclusions of which will be used to inform a decision on whether or not to lift the moratorium on oil and gas activities for selected areas offshore British Columbia ...

The Government of Canada and Natural Resources Canada are committed to balancing environmental, social and economic needs when considering the development of our resources. The ultimate decision ...

Yours sincerely,

Krishna SahayDirector GeneralPetroleum Resources BranchNatural Resources Canada

This letter goes on for two pages about First Nations, environmental, social and

economic issues, but does not contain a single word about the greenhouse gas

implications of B.C. offshore oil and gas.

The stone age did not end for lack of stones!

Canadians need to understand the implications

of their driving habits

Fuel consumption (city) of some popular vehicles

Toyota Prius (hybrid) – 4.5 L/100 km

Honda Civic – 7.5

Honda CRV – 10.9

Ford Explorer – 15.5

GMC Yukon Denali – 19.5

Cadil lac Escalade – 18.1

Source: Office of Energy Efficiency, NRCAN

The Prius is pricey at around $30,000, but the Explorer is

about $45,000, and the Yukon Denali is over $65,000!

Lots of people think that they can’t afford one of those expensive hybrids, but they’ll

happily shell out a whole lot more to have a smart-looking SUV in their driveway!

It is critical for Canadians to understand how carbon is cycled

Again:Canadians need to be convinced

that every single person can make a difference

• Every one of us in the industrialized world is partly responsible for the current situation

• Every one of us can take steps to reduce our greenhouse gas contribution

Who do we need to reach?

• The public• Teachers• Bureaucrats (institutional, civic,

provincial, national)

• Politicians• Engineers, architects, technicians

What if we don’t bother?

• We’ll be left talking to ourselves

• Until we can increase the public level of understanding of the issues around climate change we are unlikely to realize the potential for acceptance of renewable energy technologies

Is it our job?

I think so – nobody else is actively trying to reach the public on this issue, and no

organization is better placed to do it than the ACCC.

How can we get the message out?

• Haul them in by the collar and lecture to them!

• Advertise on television and radio!

• Get them interested by showing them that they’ll save money, and then sneak in a message about climate change.

• Make a very compelling video and/or computer presentation that really gets their attention.

Videos

School visits

NRCAN climate-change posters

• Get our message into the schools

Steven EarleGeology Department

Malaspina University-CollegeNanaimo, B.C.

earles@mala.bc.ca