speak up when it comes to how our city deals with climate change issues
Heather Deal is a biologist for the David Suzuki Foundation and also sits on Vancouver City Council. She has introduced a motion on Climate Change to the Council. So far, nobody has signed up to speak to her motion (below). Apparently she is in need of recognition and support. If you can speak to this issue, write to tarja.tuominen@vancouver.ca to sign up today.
Just standing up at council to say you support the motion would be fine too. Or you could write a letter to the mayor and City Councillors (Mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca) like this one,
Honourable Mayor and Councillors, I have recently learned about Heather Deal's resolution on Climate Change. I am not able to come to speak in support of this resolution, but I think it is extremely important and hope you adopt this to support immediate action. Our city and its systems/infrastructures will be serious peril in the near future. We have seen and felt the effect of increase in storm intensity in our own Stanley Park. Our seawall, port and citizens need your farsighted and wise planning. Please act! Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
_______________________
MOTION ON NOTICE 5. Climate Change (VanRIMS No. 11-2000-14) MOVER: Councillor Heather Deal SECONDER: Councillor WHEREAS the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states: o That eleven of the past twelve years rank among the twelve warmest years since 1850, o That warming of the global climate is “unequivocal”, o That “it is very likely that anthropogenic greenhouse gas increases caused most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century” o And that “climate processes, feedbacks, and their timescales imply that anthropogenic warming and sea level rise would continue for centuries even if greenhouse gas concentrations were to be stabilized”; AND WHEREAS the coast of British Columbia has seen its temperature rise by 0.6% over the past 100 years; AND WHEREAS the Environment Protection Division of the BC Ministry of the Environment stated that the sea level has increased during the 20th century at a rate 10 times faster than the previous 3,000 years; AND WHEREAS a sea-level rise would result in increased coastal erosion, flooding, and a resulting loss of coastal wetlands; And WHEREAS sea-level rise threatens drainage, sewer and other coastal infrastructure; AND WHEREAS, the economic importance of both the Port of Vancouver and Vancouver’s recreational/residential waterfront makes Vancouver especially vulnerable to impacts from sea-level rise in combination with storm surge events resulting from global climate change; AND WHEREAS through the Cool Vancouver Task Force, Community Climate Change Action Plan and establishment of the Sustainability Group, the City of Vancouver has taken a leadership role in committing to actions which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and that such actions include numerous steps that save people and businesses money, support sustainable economic development, and contribute to leadership in urban sustainability; AND WHEREAS other major cities such as London, England are making significant investments in infrastructure adaptations in anticipation of rising sea levels; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT 1. Council direct staff to examine potential impacts of climate change on City of Vancouver infrastructure, including port facilities, stormwater and sewage systems (including the Iona sewage plant), seawalls and foreshore development; 2. Staff report back to Council with recommendations for measures which could be taken to mitigate these impacts, including targets, timelines and budgets; 3. In light of IPCC findings, Council affirm Vancouver’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gasses by 6% below 1990 levels by 2012, and direct staff to begin discussing more significant reduction targets beyond 2012; 4. Council request the Mayor send a letter to the Premier of British Columbia and the Prime Minister of Canada requesting that they commit to important and meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, both consistent with the Kyoto Accord and to long-term reduction targets; 5. Staff integrate community engagement around climate change issues into all City communications.
Comments
Two Degrees: Climate Change
Two Degrees: Climate Change Film Festival at VPL
If you're interested in learning more or hearing from experts on climate change, or know people who are interested, join VPL and the Sierra Club this week for the free Two Degrees: A Climate Change Film Festival at the Central Library. Things get started on Wednesday with Big Oil Night, and wrap on Saturday with a screening of An Inconvenient Truth.
More info: http://www.vpl.ca/branches/LibrarySquare/tec/climatefilmfestival.html
- Login to post comments
The climate change motion
The climate change motion will indeed go to council in the Planning and Environment Committee meeting at City Hall on Thursday, 1 March at 2:00 pm. It would be great to have lots of people express their views and concerns. If you'd like to speak to council, contact Nicole Ludwig at nicole.ludwig@vancouver.ca or 604-871-6399 by Wednesday, 28 February. If you're not able to attend, you can express your views my e-mailing mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca
Councillor Deal's motion again was:
MOTION ON NOTICE
5. Climate Change (VanRIMS No. 11-2000-14)
MOVER: Councillor Heather Deal
SECONDER: Councillor
WHEREAS the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states:
o That eleven of the past twelve years rank among the twelve warmest years since 1850,
o That warming of the global climate is “unequivocal”,
o That “it is very likely that anthropogenic greenhouse gas increases caused most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century”
o And that “climate processes, feedbacks, and their timescales imply that anthropogenic warming and sea level rise would continue for centuries even if greenhouse gas concentrations were to be stabilized”;
AND WHEREAS the coast of British Columbia has seen its temperature rise by 0.6% over the past 100 years;
AND WHEREAS the Environment Protection Division of the BC Ministry of the Environment stated that the sea level has increased during the 20th century at a rate 10 times faster than the previous 3,000 years;
AND WHEREAS a sea-level rise would result in increased coastal erosion,
flooding, and a resulting loss of coastal wetlands;
And WHEREAS sea-level rise threatens drainage, sewer and other coastal infrastructure;
AND WHEREAS, the economic importance of both the Port of Vancouver and Vancouver’s recreational/residential waterfront makes Vancouver especially vulnerable to impacts from sea-level rise in combination with storm surge events resulting from global climate change;
AND WHEREAS through the Cool Vancouver Task Force, Community Climate Change Action Plan and establishment of the Sustainability Group, the City of Vancouver has taken a leadership role in committing to actions which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and that such actions include numerous steps that save people and businesses money, support sustainable economic
development, and contribute to leadership in urban sustainability;
AND WHEREAS other major cities such as London, England are making significant investments in infrastructure adaptations in anticipation of rising sea levels;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT
1. Council direct staff to examine potential impacts of climate change on City of Vancouver infrastructure, including port facilities, stormwater and sewage systems (including the Iona sewage plant), seawalls and foreshore development;
2. Staff report back to Council with recommendations for measures which could be taken to mitigate these impacts, including targets, timelines and budgets;
3. In light of IPCC findings, Council affirm Vancouver’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gasses by 6% below 1990 levels by 2012, and direct staff to begin discussing more significant reduction targets beyond 2012;
4. Council request the Mayor send a letter to the Premier of British Columbia and the Prime Minister of Canada requesting that they commit to important and meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, both consistent with the Kyoto Accord and to long-term reduction
targets;
5. Staff integrate community engagement around climate change issues into all City communications.
- Login to post comments
Just in: "Council did not
Just in:
"Council did not deal with any of the motions at its meeting on Tuesday (yesterday). All the motions, including Councillor Deal's motion on Climate Change were referred to the Council meeting following the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment meeting. If Council agrees to hear the speakers on the Climate Change motion (which they most likely will) the speakers will be heard at a Standing committee meeting on March 1st - probably the Planning and Environment Standing committee meeting which starts at 2:00 p.m."
Stay tuned.