Tag Archives: BC Drought

Water

Cortes Island’s impending water shortage

Cortes Island is experiencing a wetter than normal Spring this year, but some of Cortes Island’s shallow well owners experience water shortages every summer. Scientists appear to agree that there will be more severe shortages in the future. 

This is a global phenomenon and there appear to be many causes: the depletion of forest coverage, growth of human infrastructure, natural drought cycles and, on top of all that, the transition to a warmer global temperature.

Continue reading Cortes Island’s impending water shortage →
Environment

Environment minister says Canada must prepare for “unavoidable” climate risks detailed in new IPCC report

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Canada must do its part to bring down planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, but the country also needs to prepare for harsher consequences from climate change, the federal environment minister said Monday in the wake of a new United Nations report.

“We need to reduce our emissions [but] we’ve entered the era of climate change. We know there will be more catastrophes, we know they will be more severe. So, we need to better prepare,” Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault told Canada’s National Observer in an interview.

Continue reading Environment minister says Canada must prepare for “unavoidable” climate risks detailed in new IPCC report →
Indigenous Nations, Rivers & Oceans

Worry for our Waters

qathet Living, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Lee George stands on the bank of the Tla’amin Creek, his baseball cap dampening in the light July rain. The ground he stands on is muddy. He scans the river, looking for coho fry. 

Just a few inches of water flow
over the rocky creek.
A few tiny fish swim by. 

Lee, who has managed this hatchery since about 1990, is worried about the level of the water, the heat. What will it do to this year’s salmon? 

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Cost of Climate Change

Election 2021: Is Trudeau flubbing the West Coast vote by failing to push hard on climate change?

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

One reason Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s campaign may be flagging in his preferred stomping grounds in British Columbia, especially with young voters, is in part because he’s failing to push hard enough on climate change as a key election issue, one pundit suggests. 

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Food Security, Weather

How island growers are adapting to the dry summer heat

CKTZ News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Closely observing and responding to weather fluctuations has always been key to a grower’s success, however the recent extreme heat in early July is forcing farmers to rethink plans for future resiliency.

“This heat dome was the first time where I actually felt, holy crap, here it comes. We’ve been talking about it, we’ve been hearing the impact of the droughts in some of our southern neighbours. We’re going to have to get a lot stronger about how we’re doing things and how we’re supporting each other as community members and how we can support the food producers,” said Tamara McPhail. 

Continue reading How island growers are adapting to the dry summer heat →