Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association

Global climate change is expected to increase the average global temperature of air and oceans, melt glaciers, increase sea levels, and increase the number and intensity of extreme weather events that result in heat waves, droughts, flooding and soil erosion.  These changes have already begun.

 

(For a sobering discussion of the connection to recent Red Hill Valley Flooding, and the failure to take global warming into account in the decisions building it, see the latest update from Citizens at City Hall.)

In 2009, the City undertook an Air Pollutants and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory to keep track of how much pollution is being released by the City. Community emissions were 12,758,652 tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2006, and these emissions rose to 13,131,097 tonnes by 2008, an increase of 2.9%. By 2020, if there are no programs put in place to enhance greenhouse gas emission reductions, the community’s forecasted emissions will rise to 17,349,621 tonnes. This forecast is 36% above the emission levels calculated for 2006 and 56% above target of 20% reductions of 2006 levels by 2020.

The City of Hamilton is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions levels by 10% by 2012, and 20% by 2020 through its Corporate Air Quality and Climate Change Plan.  

The City of Hamilton has recently released a Discussion Paper on greenhouse gas emissions entitled “Taking Stock: Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Hamilton“.

The City would like to get suggestions, ideas and actions from citizens on how we can work together to tackle climate change.   Feedback can be left on this survey.

Note that Councillor Brian McHattie is co-chairing the Community Energy Collaborative; it is doing an energy intensity map towards coming up with plans to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

For more detailed information, visit the city’s Climate Change website.