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Sustainable Energy Solutions at the End of The Age of Oil Date Recorded: Apr 23rd, 2007 |
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Topic Background |
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| Climate change is a change in the “average weather” that a given region experiences over time. When we speak of global climate change, we are referring to changes in the climate of the Earth as a whole, including temperature increases or decreases, and shifts in wind patterns and precipitation.
A worldwide scientific consensus has emerged that emissions of certain pollutants (particularly Carbon Dioxide) are causing the sun’s heat to be trapped rather than remitted to space, causing a global average increase in temperature, known as global warming, and resulting in significant regional changes in climate, such as increased storm frequency, drought and sea level rise. Recent changes in climate have increased the frequency of extreme weather events, including floods, ice storms, and hurricanes. A 2005 UN report warns of 50 million environmental refugees who will be displaced due to weather events by the end of the decade. According to the Red Cross, Rising sea levels, desertification and shrinking freshwater supplies already displace more people than war. Global warming’s impact on ecosystems and the animals they support, has been widely documented, with images of the polar bear threatened by thinning sea ice providing a provocative emotional symbol of the current situation. Climate Change is an issue that is currently being discussed and acted upon at every level of discourse- from international to neighbourhood. This talk was recorded at a symposium in Nelson, BC, called Climate Change: Exploring Regional Solutions presented by the West Kootenay EcoSociety |
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Speaker Biography |
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| Guy Dauncey is a Victoria, BC-based author, environmental consultant, and President of the BC Sustainable Energy Association.
His book, Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change, is a guide for individuals, businesses, cities, and federal governments to practice better solutions in the face of global climate change. In 2002, it won the Nautilus award at the New York book Expo. At the time of this talk, he was co-authoring a book called Cancer: 101 Solutions to a Preventable Epidemic, to be published in the Summer of 2007. He is co-chair of Prevent Cancer Now, founder of The Solutions Project, co-founder of the Victoria Car-Share Cooperative and editor of EcoNews, a monthly newsletter that promotes the vision of a sustainable Vancouver Island.
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