Ecologist Ole Hendrickson, chair of the Sierra Club Canada Foundation, warns that this summer could be a hot one and several other problems might arise from it.
“Given our feverish rate of fossil fuel burning and vegetation loss, we’re likely in for a hot summer and large areas burned by wildfires,” Hendrickson said.
The Government of Canada shows that last year, Canada’s wildfire season was the most destructive ever recorded. More than 6,132 fires burned through 16.5 million hectares of land. Normally, an average of 2.5 million hectares of land are consumed in Canada every year. The fires forced 230,000 people from their homes.
March 2024 is the 10th consecutive month to break temperature records, this trend has been going on since April 2023.
“It’s very unlikely that this trend will slow down anytime soon and I expect it to keep going throughout the summer and fall months,” Hendrickson said.
Across Canada, there are already 70 wildfires burning in B.C., Alberta, and the Northwest Territories, a result of fires ignited in the 2023 season, that did not go out, but smouldered underground.
The Canadian seasonal prediction system shows that between the months of July and September, there is a very high chance that Ontario will experience above average temperatures.
Over the past 12 months, average global temperatures have been 1.58C above pre-industrial levels.
The main problem is fossil fuel emissions which is largely uncontested in the scientific community. US researchers that humans are altering the climate by burning gas, oil, coal and trees.
While emissions are the main issue, they aren’t the only one that needs to be looked at. Hendrickson said, “One thing that would really make a difference is ecosystem restoration and revegetation.”
Trees and vegetation absorb water through their roots and cool what’s around them by releasing water vapour into the air through their leaves. This process lowers surface and air temperatures.
“Deforestation is a huge issue and we are seeing it all around the world, inducing here in Canada,” Hendrickson said.
A study done by Global Forest Watch shows that from 2001 to 2023, Canada lost 57.5 million hectares of tree cover, equivalent to a 14% decrease in tree cover since 2000.
According to Hendrickson, things like walking or biking instead of driving, using renewable energy and planting trees can contribute to a better future.
“Everything we do now delays that the worst case scenario. It means that our children are going to have a better quality of life. It’s never too late to do something,” Hendrickson said.