Your Health and a Changing Climate: Newsletter - Volume 3

Policy Initiatives

Strategies to Reduce Effects of Heat Waves Adopted by the Montreal Public Health Board

The Montreal Public Health Department has developed a multifaceted approach aimed at protecting vulnerable populations from the effects of heat waves. They have mobilized environmental, health care, municipal and community resources and the media in order to ensure that their public health message reaches vulnerable populations and those that come into contact with them regularly. A Heat Warning takes effect when Environment Canada forecasts a temperature of 30°C or more and a Humidex level of 40 or more. The population is informed through the media and various web sites and reminded of preventative measures and the importance of outreach to those who are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures.

They have also developed a surveillance system in collaboration with Montreal hospitals and emergency services in order to follow the evolution of health events during heat waves in order to determine whether emergency procedures such as opening air-conditioned shelters are necessary. Putting such a decision into effect requires the mobilisation of resources from several different organizations and must thus be based on credible data.

For more information, contact Louis Drouin at ldrouin@antepub-mtl.qc.ca

Federal Government Commits to Helping Montreal Reduce GHG Emissions

The Government of Canada recently announced that 12 federal agencies and departments have confirmed their commitment to implementing the city of Montreal's Strategic Sustainable Development Plan, identifying more than 30 initiatives or activities within their existing programs that could potentially contribute to the success and achievement of the city's sustainable development objectives.

While most of the initiatives centre on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, these will have health benefits through improved air quality. Part of the government's commitment involved providing the assistance of NRC's Biotechnology Research Institute in measuring the environmental benefits of biodiesel or ethanol.

The Federal Interdepartmental Group on Sustainable Development (FIGSD) will coordinate implementation of the commitments made by federal agencies and departments.

Montreal Public Health is working in collaboration with municipal authorities, community groups and private enterprise on this initiative.

Additional information on this initiative can be found at  http://canada.gc.ca/main_e.html

Canada Has a New Climate Change Plan

In April 2005, the Government of Canada released the new climate change plan, Moving Forward on Climate Change: A Plan for Honouring our Kyoto Commitment; a set of policies and programs that would help Canada meet its Kyoto greenhouse gas reduction target of 6% from 1990 levels by 2012.

The Plan acknowledges the challenge of extreme weather events and its threat to human health; links climate change action and the resulting GHG reduction to improved air quality and reduce air pollutants that affect the health of Canadians. It highlights important health benefits associated with the proposed actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions including support for important health objectives in a number of areas such as children's health, mental health, active living and seniors' health.

Components

The major funding mechanisms to meet Canada's Kyoto commitment of greenhouse gas reductions include:

• Clean Fund: to buy domestic and international credits
  
• Partnership Fund: to work with the Provinces and Territories on major technology and infrastructure investments
  
• Renewable Energy Fund: including Wind Production Incentive and Renewable Power Production Incentive tax incentives
  
• Existing climate change programs contributing to greenhouse gas reductions
  
• One-Tonne Challenge: raising public awareness of simple energy efficient actions
  
• Large Final Emitter System: market-based system to secure reductions from large industrial emitters
  
• Automobile Industry: an agreement on improved vehicle emissions, alternative fuel vehicles and the use of high fuel efficiency technologies.
  
• Greening Government: funded through internal reallocation
  
• Business as Usual Sinks: through the continuation of existing agricultural carbon sequestration practices
  

Framework for Assessing Mitigation Technologies

The Plan also stresses the need to incorporate human health considerations into the decision making process and calls for a federal framework to ensure that new greenhouse gas technologies and mitigation measures (e.g., carbon sequestration, hybrid cars, domestic emissions trading, ethanol, etc.) be assessed for possible risks to human health before being implemented and commercialized.

Impacts and Adaptation

The new Plan acknowledges the current impacts of climate change and the need to invest in helping vulnerable populations such as children, seniors and northern Canadians adapt to these impacts. It highlights the need for investments in science to enhance the understanding of climate change patterns, inform decision-making and help Canada meet the challenges of climate change; and suggests a Federal Science and Adaptation agenda which could include (1) increased knowledge and understanding of climate change trends and impacts ; (2) enhancement of awareness and engagement in order to develop and advance a holistic approach; and (3) development of appropriate adaptation tools through the assessment of current policies and regulations.

For more information on the 2005 Plan visit:  http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/english/newsroom/2005/plan05.asp

Rural Water Supply and Climate Change in Ontario

Rural families in Ontario depend almost entirely on groundwater drawn from private wells for their potable water supply. In many cases, groundwater may be the only feasible water supply source and requires protection. Potential threats to private wells include quality impacts such as pathogens, and quantity impacts such as too little or too much precipitation or over extraction. These impacts can come from both potential human and natural sources. It is anticipated that the effects of climate change will exacerbate both the magnitude and frequency of these impacts.

Individual well owners each have a personal interest and valuable role in properly managing and protecting their water supplies. In order for private well owners to properly manage and protect their water supplies, they must be provided with technical information that is meaningful, memorable, and indicates clearly the actions that they need to take.

The Ontario Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) is a risk assessment tool and an educational process that helps farmers incorporate best environmental practices in all their farming activities (OFEC, 2004). The EFP workbook helps farmers evaluate environmental issues associated with their operations, and identify areas of environmental concern. This is accomplished by working through and completing worksheets that address 23 key environmental issues. The 2005 edition of the EFP workbook includes practices that would help minimize climate change impacts on private water supplies.

To date more than one-half of the registered farm businesses in Ontario, have participated voluntarily in the EFP program. The benefits of the EFP have been recognized widely. The EFP is a prerequisite for eligibility for funding through two municipally-financed watershed-based conservation programs.

The Private Water Systems information package is a comprehensive package of awareness and education materials for private well owners that has been produced by the Province of Ontario. These materials are designed to guide the reader from the point of becoming aware of the concern, though an increasing level of understanding, to implementing private water well best management practices. The materials contain information that would help a well owner to minimize climate change impacts on a private water supply.

Demand from the public for the package has been significantly greater than anticipated. Approximately 220 000 copies of the PWS information materials (English and French) have been distributed as soft cover packages to well owners. Additional resources have been secured to meet outstanding demand. In addition, 600 hard cover kits (package plus two videotapes) were provided to frontline ministry and agency staff that receive public water quality inquiries. The package was awarded a Blue Ribbon Award in 2004 by the American Association of Agricultural Engineers.

For more information, contact Hugh Simpson of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food at: hugh.simpson@omaf.gov.on.ca

Federal Government and Newfoundland and Labrador Sign MOU on Climate Change

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the government of Canada have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to work together to address climate change.

The two governments have identified priority areas in which they can build partnerships and ensure a "consistent, coordinated approach in their actions and initiatives on climate change." Newfoundland and Labrador is the fifth province or territory to sign a bilateral agreement on climate change with the government of Canada. Others include Ontario, Nunavut, PEI, and Manitoba.