Climate change is changing the landscape of coastal Labrador. The early departure of sea-ice has a profound impact on everything, from local teachings to food security to mental health.
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador highlighted the region’s changing climate throughThin Ice, a series about the shift in Labrador’s North Coast and the Indigenous-led responses.
Our audience had questions about climate change and the series prompted Peter Cowan, CBC’s Peter Cowan, to bring them to Steven Guilbeault, federal Environment Minister.
The discussion has been edited for clarity and length. You can watch the entire conversation in the video player above.
Charlotte Wolfrey, Rigolet:Inuit are very dependent on the ice, and snow. We have a lot cultural information and teachings that we have accumulated over the years, which has been passed down from generation to generation. What are your plans to slow climate change and ensure future generations of Inuit have the opportunity to preserve our culture, our way of life, and our way of doing business?
Steven Guilbeault – To combat climate change, we must end our dependency on fossil fuels. We must find new ways to do what we are doing in every sector of society. Transportation,for example. We are currently working to ensure that every new car sold in Canada by 2035 is a 100 percent non-emitting vehicle. This can be either a hydrogen or electric vehicle. It won’t happen overnight. Our goal is 20 percent of new sales by 2026. We’re already at 13-14% in provinces such as Quebec and B.C.
We are working with companies across different sectors: steel and cement, aluminum, oil, and gas to find ways to reduce the carbon pollution that enters the atmosphere and causes global warming. We are making a record-breaking investment in greening the economy. Our government has invested more than $110 billion in greening the economy over the past six years. We will continue to do this. It’s a combination.
There are many things we can do, but we must also recognize that we have already entered the age of climate change. The quicker we reduce our pollution levels, we’ll be able to see the impact of climate change less.
Novalee Webb, Nain What are the plans, including actions, to reduce greenhouse gases emissions by a significant amount? How will you finance and implement them?
Canada’s 2030 targets were to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2030 when we came to power in 2015. Unfortunately, the previous government did not have any plans to achieve these targets. When we arrived, we discovered that Canada’s pollution and emissions levels were not decreasing. We would have been 12-14% above the 2030 levels, instead of 30 percent below.
This curve has flattened and pollution levels have started to fall in recent years. The 2030 goal is to reduce greenhouse gases emissions by 40 to 45%. Although the trend has already begun to shift downwards, we must accelerate this downwards trend in the next few years.
How can we be sure that we are getting there? The government of Canada must publish a national inventory every year. We must submit all the data we have about the pollution we have created and the measures we have taken to reduce it to the United Nations.
Peter Cowan, St. John’s. What about Bay du Nord. It seems contradictory that we say we are cutting emissions, but then approve a large oil and gas project that will produce more oil that will be burned or put into the atmosphere.
It might seem counterintuitive. It could seem counterintuitive if you look at studies by organizations like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Energy Agency. Both of these organizations state that we must reduce pollution and the use of fossil fuels. Both organizations acknowledge that fossil fuels will still remain in use by 2050.
We must ensure that the oil that will still be produced in 2050 has as little pollution as possible. We must also ensure that the emissions are compensated so that these projects are either carbon-neutral, or net zero.
Michelle Saunders, Happy Valley – Goose Bay: What policies is the federal government using to protect sea ice as an important habitat, both culturally and ecologically?
Canada wasn’t even protecting 2 percent of its coastlines or oceans when we came to power in 2015. Today, we are just slightly over 14%. Our goal is to reach 25% protection by 2025, and 30% by 2030.
We signed a memorandum omitting the local government of Nunatsiavut a month ago to establish a new conservation area close to the Torngat Mountain. We have just signed an agreement to establish four new protected areas in Newfoundland with the government from Newfoundland and Labrador. Once these areas have been protected, there will be no oil exploration or production in these areas.
James Tuttauk Hopedale. Our primary source for heat up in Nunatsiaviut was wood, but the weather has become unpredictable due to global warming. We had a very mild year and can’t get any wood. Our electric bills have risen to an alarming level. Will the federal government offer a lower price for our electricity?
We have a variety of solutions to these problems. We are working to modernize Canada’s building code so that new buildings are more energy-efficient. With the current knowledge and technology, we can now build buildings that don’t require heat even in colder climates. They are doing it in Sweden and in other countries.
We are investing heavily in a large retrofit programme to retrofit existing buildings across the country to be more energy efficient. This is both good for the environment and good for people, as they pay less for their energy bills. We are also investing in hybrid projects with Northern communities to reduce their dependence on diesel-generated electricity. This will allow them to pair their diesel generator with wind turbines and solar panels, which will reduce the amount of diesel consumed.
Caroline Nochasak, Nain – The rapidly decreasing amount of sea ice is cutting down the hunting season for Inuit. This has a significant impact on our food availability as well as our cultural traditions. How can you help to reduce the loss of food for hunting families by taking these measures?
It is a difficult task. We can reduce the loss of sea-ice if we act quickly, but it will take sea ice a long time to return, if ever. Federal government has established a number programs to ensure Northern communities have healthy and nutritious food. I can understand the argument of those who claim that this is no compensation for the impact on traditional ways of fishing and hunting. That is one of the many tragedies that climate change has brought about. I’m not saying that the programs aren’t keeping up. [with the rising cost of food]We’re making progress, but it’s not easy.
Samantha Sagsakiak and NainDirect and indirect exposure to climate change can have a negative impact on mental health. For example, you might be watching a disaster from afar or reading a scientific paper. Labrador’s rates of mental illness are alarmingly high. But has anyone considered the long-term effects climate change will have on one’s mental health?
The federal government is becoming more concerned about mental health. This issue is now being addressed by a minister. We have made it clear in the renegotiation process of the health deal with the provinces, territories, and the federal government that the federal government must transfer more funds to the mental health of the provinces and territory.
Are we aware of the long-term psychological effects of climate change on our mental health? I believe the honest answer to that question is no. Collectively, we have just recently begun to study the effects of climate change on human and mental health, as well as on ecosystems. We only have a small amount of evidence. Mental health has been studied only recently. We don’t know what these effects will be but we have begun investing in research to better understand them.
Thin Ice is a special CBC series on the changing climate of Labrador’s north shore and the Indigenous-led response to it.
