New Environment Canada data shows the year that just ended was the hottest Canada has ever experienced.
Globally, land surface temperatures in 2010 were 1ºC above the average. This marks global land surface temperatures for 2010 as the warmest since record-keeping began in 1880, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Ocean temperatures were the third warmest on record.
All around the world the devastating signals that climate change is happening now and growing in intensity are everywhere. Consider these recent events:
- Eastern Australia, including Brisbane, the country’s third largest city, is flooded like never before with damages running into the billions of dollars.
- Russia, especially around Moscow, experienced its most intense and long-lasting heat wave in the summer of 2010.
- Severe floods ravaged Pakistan in the summer of 2010, causing loss of life, agricultural land and infrastructure.
Closer to home, Canada has seen its fair share of damaging floods (on the Prairies), forest fires (in B.C.) and storms (hurricane Igor in Atlantic Canada) in 2010. The statistics also show our climate is changing:
- Temperatures across Canada were a stunning 3ºC above average in 2010.
- All regions of Canada were warmer than average in 2010.
- Parts of Nunavut and northern Quebec were 4ºC above average in 2010.
- Canada has warmed on average 1.6ºC since accurate records started being record in 1948.
Despite this compelling evidence, Stephen Harper’s federal government has done next to nothing to address climate change. Again at recent U.N. climate change negotiations, Canada was an embarrassment on this file on the international stage.
CUPE urges all members and Locals to take action on climate change in their workplaces and communities.
For more information:
Read CUPE’s Climate Change Facts Sheets