the facts on climate change
Move your mouse over the image and click on the highlighted pictures to learn more about what climate change will mean for Nova Scotia.
Coastal erosion
Beaches are created from sediment that is eroded from one part of the coast and deposited in another. Sea-level rise and more frequent storms may change the patterns of sediment erosion, transport, and deposition, all affecting the look of our beaches.
To learn more about the effect of sea-level rise and more extreme storm events on coastal erosion, please visit the Adaptation component of this site.
Saltmarshes and natural buffers
Saltmarshes are important coastal ecosystems. They can help buffer the coastline as storms increase in frequency, but may also be threatened by sea-level rise. As the sea-level rises, saltmarshes may rise as well if they receive enough new sediment, or move inland if there are no barriers (e.g. seawalls and roads).
Pack ice
As the ocean and air warm, we may see less pack ice in the winter. This may result in more coastal erosion during winter storms along coasts that are normally protected by pack ice (e.g. the north shore and much of Cape Breton).
Soil erosion
Cutting down trees exposes the soil to erosion from runoff. We may get more intense rain storms in the future, so keeping trees in place will be important for protecting soil.
Greening the Grid
The transition to a cleaner energy supply will require us to develop more renewable energy sources, such as wind, biomass and tidal. To tap into widely scattered, intermittent sources like these, we will need to strengthen the transmission grid inside Nova Scotia.
We are also looking into opportunities to strengthen our grid connections with our neighbours. Nova Scotia is essentially an energy island. Our electricity grid has a slim 350-megawatt connection to New Brunswick. By contrast, New Brunswick enjoys 1400 megawatts of interconnection with Quebec and New England. This means that we have to produce almost all of the electricity we use. To tap into clean sources of power elsewhere, we need stronger connections with our neighbours.
To find out more, visit the Department of Energy's Renewable Energy page and read the new Renewable Electricity Plan.
Changing Forests
Some trees (southern species) may grow better and others (northern species) may not grow as well as the climate changes. Overall, forests may be more stressed as the climate changes and they have to deal with wetter winters, drier summers, more forest fires, more wind storms, and more exotic diseases and pests.
In 2007, Dr. Charles Bourque at the University of New Brunswisk led a study entitled Modelled Potential Species Distribution for Current and Projected Future Climates for the Acadian Forest Region of Nova Scotia. Researchers investigated the potential impacts of climate change on forest site conditions that influence tree species distributions in Nova Scotia. Using growing degree days and soil water content in combination with a middle-of-the-road climate change scenario, researchers assessed 12 native species for changes to their potential distribution, projected in 30-year time slices to the year 2100. The full report is posted on the Department of Natural Resource's website, here.
The Greenhouse Effect
The earth is getting warmer, and human activity is causing most of the change. The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is now far higher than at any time over the past 650,000 years. In Nova Scotia, climate change is already happening. The average temperature in Nova Scotia rose by 0.5 degrees C in the last century. The amount of rain and snow falling on Atlantic Canada increased by 10% between 1948 and 1995.
Greenhouse gas emissions are a by-product of the things we do, like burning fossil fuels for energy, transportation and heating. Such activities are responsible for the increase in average global temperature and the change in climate. We can already see the impact in some parts of Canada. Buds on some trees might appear earlier in spring, habitat conditions for thousands of ocean and land species could change, some glaciers and ice caps are melting, sea levels are rising, and droughts may become more frequent.
Solar Power
Solar energy can be either passive or active. Passive solar is absorbed directly from the sun- think about how warms it gets when the sun shines through a window in your house. Active solar energy involves capturing the sun's energy through the use of solar thermal panels or PV (photovoltaic) cells, then converting the energy to some type of storage medium for use in home heating or hot water or, alternatively, to electricity. For more information on solar energy, visit the Department of Energy's Renewable Energy page.
Wind Power
The strong winds that sometimes buffet coastal Nova Scotia are a tremendous renewable energy resource. With some of the highest average wind speeds in Canada, a wind turbine placed in Nova Scotia can generate a lot of power. Aggressive new targets for renewable energy were established in July 2009. By 2015, 25% of Nova Scotia's electricity will be supplied by renewable energy such as wind. Wind energy offers many advantages - it is emission-free, renewable, domestic, and relatively affordable. That explains why it is the fastest growing energy source in the world. Wind also presents some challenges particularly because it is, by its very nature, a variable source. Some challenges can be addressed through careful planning while some require further research and innovation to enable greater use of our wind resources. You can find more information on the Department of Energy's Renewable Energy information page.
Sustainable urban design
New building and urban design techniques can help us cope with a changing climate. Green roofs can absorb some of the increased run off from rain, which can reduce flooding and help keep buildings cool. Along with trees and other vegetation, they can help to keep urban areas cool.
Travel by bike or fuel-efficient car
Roughly 25% per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions are produced by driving. Instead of taking your car for short errands, try cycling. It's fast for traveling short distances and a great way to get some exercise. Find tips on how to bike safely in Tips for Cyclists and Motorists in the NS Driver's Handbook:
When you have to drive, you can save fuel and reduce your emissions by buying a more fuel-efficient car, or changing the way your drive. Reduce your speed on the highway, and turn off your car when you're not moving. To find out more, check out Conserve Nova Scotia, TRAX at the Ecology Action Centre, and DriveWiser, a program of Clean Nova Scotia.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Nova Scotia aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10% from 1990 levels by 2020. Because most of the energy we use comes from fossil fuels, we have an unusually long way to go in curbing the emissions that cause climate change. Almost 80% of Nova Scotia's electricity is produced by burning imported coal and coke, our dirtiest fuels. Electricity generation produces 46% of the province's greenhouse gas emissions. But Nova Scotia is taking action. Nova Scotia is the only jurisdiction in Canada to have hard caps on greenhouse gas emissions for the electricity sector.
The two most cost-effective means of reducing emissions from power generation in Nova Scotia are straight-forward: generating less electricity and generating it from clean, renewable sources. We will also reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, which are expected to rise in cost over the long term.
Saving energy by being more efficient (or by not using it at all) is often the easiest and cheapest way to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. Efficiency Nova Scotia, the new organization responsible for energy efficiency and conservation, has programs and information to help provide Nova Scotians with practical, affordable and meaningful ways to become energy efficient. You can learn more at Efficiency Nova Scotia.
Travel by bus
Transit systems like buses and ferries provide options for getting around without the hassle of driving through traffic. Taking the bus is also a great way to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. One bus can carry as many people as would normally sit in 40 to 50 cars. To find out more, visit Metro Transit, Kings Transit, and Transit Cape Breton.
