What is Climate Change?
In essence, climate change can be understood as shifts in weather patterns and temperatures, some of these shifts are naturally occurring because of our changing planet. However, NSCF will focus on climate change that has been driven by human behaviour, such as the use of fossil fuels. Activists have encouraged the use of the term “climate crisis” or the “climate emergency” to emphasize the urgency of the situation.
More Than What You Think
The impacts of climate change go beyond direct changes in temperatures or sea levels which tend to be the major talking points. For example, climate change affects ecosystems often resulting in a prolonging of insect life cycles.
This can be beneficial in some circumstances but it also means that invasive and deadly diseases in nature can spread for a longer period of time and shorter winters (cooler seasons) mean the ecosystem has less time to reset for the next season.
Feeling Sneazy?
While perhaps not “breaking news” worthy, another way climate change may already be affecting you is the allergy season you may experience. For example, between 1995 and 2009, the allergy season in Winnipeg alone has been extended by 25 days.
These are just a couple of ways climate change impacts the world around you in ways you might not already think of.