Taking Action On Climate Change
As the snow and cold menacingly hang over us you have probably heard someone say something to the tune of “Global warming obviously isn’t real” or “We sure could use some of that global warming right now.” This, of course, is a good example of how climate change and its effects on our lives aren’t fully understood.
Even though it’s cold out right now the planet’s temperature is still rising. More importantly, if climate change continues snowstorms could actually get worse. Think about that as you shovel out your car.
Sustainable Development Goal 13, Climate Action, is incredibly important if we want to continue living on this planet. We need to ensure everyone has the tools and capabilities to manage as the climate becomes more extreme.
Canada has stepped up to join the fight and is giving its best thinkers the opportunity to uncover the best innovations to save us. Through the Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program (MCIP) and the Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP) communities can access funding to help investigate what should be done.
Alberta, for example, launched the Climate Change Innovation and Technology Framework (CCITF) program to help innovators in the province develop products and partnerships that are investigating problems like how to reduce methane emissions and the potential of biomass energy sources.
In Ontario WaterTAP used MAMP to help fund workshops to better help municipalities manage their water systems.
These are very important initiatives that will help Canadians get access to the tools we need to survive the coming climate storm.
One of the major worries concerning climate change is if we’ll be able to make a change if the big players refuse to contribute. How will we function if major governments choose to ignore the elephant in the room in the pursuit of money?
Simply put it is then up to the upstanding citizens to pick up the slack.
The US Climate Action Network is a good example of what can be done to ensure the country stays on track to meet its emission reduction goals. By gathering together organizations and working with them to follow through with the Paris Climate Agreement goals USCAN has the potential to help ensure the country doesn’t fall behind on its commitments to the agreement and the planet.
Of course climate change affects more than just us and our neighbours. Across the globe countries and their citizens are stepping forward to ensure what needs to be done gets done. These initiatives are all part of the very important Climate Action Network International.
In Europe Climate Action Network Europe () has gathered together over 1700 NGOs from 35 countries, empowering EU citizens to live sustainably. Asia, meanwhile, has Climate Action Network South Asia. This initiative is looking beyond just the obvious side effects of climate change and is aiming to find the best ways to help climate migrants and displaced communities and is also developing eco villages.
We know we need as many hands on deck as possible to quell the climate tidal wave that threatens to topple us and it’s great to see the initiatives that are being put forth.
It would be easy enough to wave our hands at the problem of climate change and dismissively decide to make it something our descendants will have to solve but this would be a grievous error.
Like it or not we are nearing the point of no return and we need to be seeking out the solutions before it is too late.
It’s good to see that there are initiatives across the globe working to try to limit the negative effect humanity’s actions have been having on the Earth. We need to do everything we can to embrace them and their solutions.
We need to take action before it’s too late. Don’t let Sustainable Development Goal 13 slip through our fingers. The world actually depends on it.