Climate change

A person holds an umbrella as rain falls while walking under fall foliage on the False Creek seawall in Vancouver, on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

At last, rain in Vancouver and elsewhere, but much more needed to break B.C. drought

Environment Canada is calling for less than 10 millimetres of rain in the SE corner of the province

A person holds an umbrella as rain falls while walking under fall foliage on the False Creek seawall in Vancouver, on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The Green Generation Gap Report, which surveyed 800 British Columbians on energy use and emissions found that Gen X has a larger carbon footprint than Boomers. (Courtesy of BC Hydro)

‘OK, X’er’: B.C. Boomers no longer have the largest carbon footprint at home, survey finds

As Baby Boomers downsize, Gen X takes their place in large homes with gas-powered amenities

The Green Generation Gap Report, which surveyed 800 British Columbians on energy use and emissions found that Gen X has a larger carbon footprint than Boomers. (Courtesy of BC Hydro)
A family cycles along Lake Okanagan in Kelowna, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. Late summer weather has stretched beyond mid-October for much of the province, but that is expected to change this weekend. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Fall set to finally reach B.C., as rain, skiff of snow forecast to replace heat

Rain coming for drought-afflicted Sechelt, overnight temperatures could dip to -11 C in northeast

A family cycles along Lake Okanagan in Kelowna, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. Late summer weather has stretched beyond mid-October for much of the province, but that is expected to change this weekend. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Todd McDonald, supervisor of arena and aquatic assets for the City of Winnipeg, is photographed at Eric Coy Arena in south Winnipeg, Friday, Oct.14, 2022. McDonald says it’s harder to refrigerate the rinks these days because of temperature changes. Cities are looking for more efficient ways to cool arenas. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

Climate Changed: Canadian arenas adapting and improving to combat temperature changes

Ice rinks are struggling to stay cool

Todd McDonald, supervisor of arena and aquatic assets for the City of Winnipeg, is photographed at Eric Coy Arena in south Winnipeg, Friday, Oct.14, 2022. McDonald says it’s harder to refrigerate the rinks these days because of temperature changes. Cities are looking for more efficient ways to cool arenas. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
People fuel up vehicles at a Shell gas station in Vancouver on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Vancity says it is launching a program that will allow its Visa credit card holders to track the estimated carbon emissions of their purchases. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Vancity to offer carbon footprint tracker for its Visa credit cards

Credit union says it will be the first to offer a Visa-based carbon footprint calculator in Canada

People fuel up vehicles at a Shell gas station in Vancouver on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Vancity says it is launching a program that will allow its Visa credit card holders to track the estimated carbon emissions of their purchases. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
A view of Gibsons Landing from the top of Soames Hill, a short but steep hike on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, is seen near the town of Grantham’s Landing, B.C., on May 23, 2016. Some businesses and amenities on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast must stop using all treated drinking water within hours as severe drought in the region forces declaration of a state of local emergency, but officials say there’s no need to panic. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lauren Krugel

First COVID, now drought, B.C. brewery takes water-use restrictions in stride

Water system that supplies Sechelt area is at ‘imminent risk’ of running dry

A view of Gibsons Landing from the top of Soames Hill, a short but steep hike on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, is seen near the town of Grantham’s Landing, B.C., on May 23, 2016. Some businesses and amenities on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast must stop using all treated drinking water within hours as severe drought in the region forces declaration of a state of local emergency, but officials say there’s no need to panic. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lauren Krugel
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau participates in a Q-and-A at a net-zero conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. Trudeau says he will guarantee that Canada will in fact meet its latest emissions target. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Trudeau guarantees Canada will meet its emissions target this time

Canada has set 8 different climate targets since 1988 and never come close to meeting one

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau participates in a Q-and-A at a net-zero conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. Trudeau says he will guarantee that Canada will in fact meet its latest emissions target. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Fresh cut sawdust is seen from a tree cut from a cut block near the “heli camp” in the Fairy Creek logging area near Port Renfrew, B.C., Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. A new analysis suggests Canada is underestimating greenhouse gas emissions from forestry, which it says equal those from Alberta’s oilsands in some years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Carbon emissions from forestry masked by government accounting, says report

Federal figures suggest emissions from harvesting almost balanced by carbon absorption from regrowth

Fresh cut sawdust is seen from a tree cut from a cut block near the “heli camp” in the Fairy Creek logging area near Port Renfrew, B.C., Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. A new analysis suggests Canada is underestimating greenhouse gas emissions from forestry, which it says equal those from Alberta’s oilsands in some years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
A worker is framed by a display of pumpkins while handing out candy to children during a drive-thru trick-or-treating Halloween event, at the Pacific National Exhibition grounds in Vancouver, on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. Agriculture experts in British Columbia say the record-setting drought has created favourable harvesting conditions for most crops this fall. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C. drought benefits some farmers, extending harvest and reducing rot

‘You can always apply more water, but it’s hard to get rid of water’

A worker is framed by a display of pumpkins while handing out candy to children during a drive-thru trick-or-treating Halloween event, at the Pacific National Exhibition grounds in Vancouver, on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. Agriculture experts in British Columbia say the record-setting drought has created favourable harvesting conditions for most crops this fall. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Luisa Weiskopf, visiting from Germany, takes advantage of a warm afternoon to sit in the sun and enjoy a book at Nanaimo’s Westwood Lake Park Thursday, Sept. 29. (Chris Bush/ News Bulletin)

Rainfall, drought and wildfires by the numbers in British Columbia

British Columbia should be well into its rainy season, but instead persistent…

Luisa Weiskopf, visiting from Germany, takes advantage of a warm afternoon to sit in the sun and enjoy a book at Nanaimo’s Westwood Lake Park Thursday, Sept. 29. (Chris Bush/ News Bulletin)
A man walks in the water off Locarno Beach during a stretch of unseasonably warm weather, in Vancouver, B.C., Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Water use in Metro Vancouver is much higher, while reservoir levels are lower than normal, prompting the regional district to ask millions of residents and businesses to conserve.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Drought prompts request for Metro Vancouver residents to take shorter showers

Region’s water use up by 20 per cent for time of year because of the extended dry weather

A man walks in the water off Locarno Beach during a stretch of unseasonably warm weather, in Vancouver, B.C., Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Water use in Metro Vancouver is much higher, while reservoir levels are lower than normal, prompting the regional district to ask millions of residents and businesses to conserve.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of two protesters who have thrown tinned soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s famous 1888 work Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London, Friday Oct. 14, 2022. The group Just Stop Oil, which wants the British government to halt new oil and gas projects, said activists dumped two cans of Heinz tomato soup over the oil painting on Friday. London’s Metropolitan Police said officers arrested two people on suspicion of criminal damage and aggravated trespass. (Just Stop Oil via AP)

UK climate protesters throw soup on Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’

No discernible damage caused to the glass-covered painting

Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of two protesters who have thrown tinned soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s famous 1888 work Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London, Friday Oct. 14, 2022. The group Just Stop Oil, which wants the British government to halt new oil and gas projects, said activists dumped two cans of Heinz tomato soup over the oil painting on Friday. London’s Metropolitan Police said officers arrested two people on suspicion of criminal damage and aggravated trespass. (Just Stop Oil via AP)
A microscopic image of solidified carbon, which a new research paper says could be achieved by injecting captured carbon dioxide into porous rock on the ocean floor. (Courtesy of University of Victoria)

B.C. university probes removing CO2 by injecting it into the ocean floor

Modelling suggests the captured carbon dioxide could turn into rock in 25 years

A microscopic image of solidified carbon, which a new research paper says could be achieved by injecting captured carbon dioxide into porous rock on the ocean floor. (Courtesy of University of Victoria)
B.C. Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth, left, and Shackan Indian Band Chief Arnie Lampreau view damage to Shackan land caused by last summer’s wildfires and November flooding west of Merritt, B.C., on Thursday, March 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Climate Changed: Communities on edge of catastrophe face choice of fight or flight

Some communities choose to move on, while others stay, rebuild and prepare for the next disaster

B.C. Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth, left, and Shackan Indian Band Chief Arnie Lampreau view damage to Shackan land caused by last summer’s wildfires and November flooding west of Merritt, B.C., on Thursday, March 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Ice floats in Slidre Fjord outside the Eureka Weather Station on Ellesmere Island, Nvt., Monday, July 24, 2006. While the Arctic is better known for blankets of snow than rain clouds, new research suggests the number of rainy days in the region will roughly double by the end of this century.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

‘Arrival of a new Arctic’: Study predicts Arctic rainy days will double by 2100

More frequent and intense rainfall expected to increase permafrost melt and speed up sea-ice loss

Ice floats in Slidre Fjord outside the Eureka Weather Station on Ellesmere Island, Nvt., Monday, July 24, 2006. While the Arctic is better known for blankets of snow than rain clouds, new research suggests the number of rainy days in the region will roughly double by the end of this century.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
B.C. Premier John Horgan makes an address, in Whistler, B.C., on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. The premier has signed a new climate agreement with the governors of Washington, Oregon and California.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C. signs new climate agreement with California, Oregon and Washington

Statement of co-operation aims to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy

B.C. Premier John Horgan makes an address, in Whistler, B.C., on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. The premier has signed a new climate agreement with the governors of Washington, Oregon and California.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Remains of a home destroyed during hurricane Fiona are seen in Port aux Basques, N.L., Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Climate changed: Fiona demonstrated wild hurricane future, and need to adapt

Fossil fuel emissions likely increasing the intensity of tropical storms from southern Atlantic

Remains of a home destroyed during hurricane Fiona are seen in Port aux Basques, N.L., Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
A man is silhouetted while riding a bike at Garry Point Park at sunset in Richmond, B.C., on Monday, February 27, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Daily heat records tumble again in B.C., as drought conditions worsen

11 daily maximum temperature records were set Wednesday across parts of the province

A man is silhouetted while riding a bike at Garry Point Park at sunset in Richmond, B.C., on Monday, February 27, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Fartum Issack, right, and her husband, Adan, stand by the grave of their 1-year-old daughter at a displacement camp on the outskirts of Dollow, Somalia, on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. The graveyard opened in April, and there's easily room for hundreds more graves. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

‘So many children dying’: Somalia drought brings famine near

Drought has astonished resilient herders and farmers by lasting four failed rainy seasons

Fartum Issack, right, and her husband, Adan, stand by the grave of their 1-year-old daughter at a displacement camp on the outskirts of Dollow, Somalia, on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. The graveyard opened in April, and there's easily room for hundreds more graves. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
B.C. Premier John Horgan addresses the Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention, in Whistler, B.C., on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. The premier is travelling to San Francisco for a series of climate-focused meetings with leaders from U.S. West Coast states.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C. Premier Horgan heads to California for climate deal with West Coast governors

Pacific Coast Collaborative grouping includes governors of California, Oregon and Washington

B.C. Premier John Horgan addresses the Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention, in Whistler, B.C., on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. The premier is travelling to San Francisco for a series of climate-focused meetings with leaders from U.S. West Coast states.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck