Though some continue to bury their heads in the sand, the evidence of climate change is all around us, and will continue to impact every-day life in the years to come.
Last month saw Alberta record record-setting temperatures, during which heat warnings were declared in various communities.
While Alberta was experiencing a summer heat wave in mid-to-late July, the situation here had nothing on the seriously sweltering temperatures experienced in other parts of the world. Particularly alarming was the aptly named Death Valley in California, which recorded daily high temperatures north of 50 Celsius in July.
The impact of record-setting wildfires is the most obvious demonstration of what rising average temperatures will do to society in our part of the world. The repetitive arrival of hazy, smoky skies every spring and summer has become an unfortunate annual tradition in western Canada.
But other climate-related incidents and frustrations are also becoming more and more frequent. Case in point, our recent story about poor agricultural conditions brought on by heat and drought. The worsening crop conditions could spur Rocky View County to declare another agricultural disaster, like they did in 2021.
Another story that could be related to climate change is about the Alberta government introducing temporary Time of Day fishing restrictions for many rivers, streams, and waterbodies throughout the province. According to the government, these restrictions are intended to protect fish during low-flow periods caused by hot temperatures.
While climate change deniers will always try to find some other reason for these types of stories (wildfires are caused by humans, not lightning! Death Valley was recording temperatures north of 50 Celsius 100 years ago!) it’s glaringly obvious that extreme weather incidents like record temperatures, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. are becoming more and more severe, and more and more frequent.
