Climate change is not something that might or could happen. It’s something we’re seeing already — around the world and here in Toronto. There’s good reason to be concerned, and the dangers are bringing increased urgency to finding solutions. Here are five ways climate change is affecting us now.
1. It’s making our city hotter. NASA scientists say that, around the world, 2015 was the warmest year on record. Here in Toronto, December 2015 was the warmest December ever, according to Environment Canada. The Toronto Star reported that “the month was six degrees milder than normal.” That’s a significant temperature increase.
2. It’s making our weather more erratic. It isn’t just warmer, it’s also stranger. Record heat is sometimes followed by terrible cold.
The City of Toronto says, “Climate change is associated with volatile swings in weather, and while cold may become less common overall, unusual cold spells may occur more frequently.”
That’s what happened in 2015. According to the Toronto Star, February “was Toronto’s coldest month in recorded history.”
3. It’s affecting our health. Severe weather can hurt us in numerous ways. Extreme cold can bring frostbite and hypothermia. Intense heat can kill.
Sometimes extreme weather affects our health in more complicated ways. For example, heavy rainfall can flood buildings, resulting in the development of mould and harmful bacteria. Hotter temperatures can facilitate the spread of ticks and mosquitoes, which can transmit disease.
Biology professor Scott Findlay, of the University of Ottawa, has written, “Lyme disease — originally unknown in Canada — has been steadily advancing north, principally as a result of warmer winters, and is now endemic to parts of southern Canada.”
Toronto Public Health says West Nile virus and Lyme disease now “pose increased risks to human health.”
4. It may affect our food security. Climate change can bring flooding and drought, which can make some of our favourite foods — such as imported fruits and vegetables — less plentiful. It can also raise food prices, which is particularly difficult for Torontonians with modest incomes. When the cost of fresh produce rises, low-income people tend to pick cheaper, less nourishing options. Findlay suggests that, by pushing up food prices, climate change could contribute to obesity among the country’s poor.
There is also concern that increased storm activity and flooding could lead to contamination of local food and drinking water, which could contribute to intestinal ailments and diarrhea.
5. It’s pushing politicians to embrace solutions. Faced with climate change challenges, Torontonians are urging their leaders to find solutions. Some are telling the province to put a price on carbon. In January 2017, Ontario’s cap-and-trade system will do just that, giving us an incentive to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Some are advocating environmentally friendlier ways of getting around town, and all three levels of government are responding by building light rail lines, purchasing new streetcars and extending the subway.
The City of Toronto is also considering a crosstown bike lane along Bloor Street and potentially one along the Danforth.
