B.C. climate news: 'Sewage beer' highlights water crisis in Singapore | UN talks in disarray as draft deal for climate cash is rejected | What you need to know to safely install an EV charger at home (2024)

Here’s the latest news concerning the climate and biodiversity loss crises, from the steps leaders are taking to address the problems to all the latest science.

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In climate news this week:

• COP29: ‘Sewage beer’ highlights water crisis in Singapore
• COP29: UN talks in disarray as a rough draft deal for climate cash is rejected by developing nations
• Water again flowing at Red Slough on the Pitt River, fresh hope for salmon
• What you need to know to safely install home EV chargers

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Human activities like burning fossil fuels and farming livestock are the main drivers of climate change, according to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This causes heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere, increasing the planet’s surface temperature.

The panel, which is made up of scientists from around the world, has warned for decades that wildfires and severe weather, such as B.C.’s deadly heat dome and catastrophic flooding in 2021, would become more frequent and more intense because of the climate emergency. It has issued a “code red” for humanity and warns the window to limit warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial times is closing.

According toNASAclimate scientists, “there is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate” and that human activity is the principal cause.

Check back every Saturday for more climate and environmental news or sign up for our Climate Connected newsletterHERE.

Climate change quick facts:

• The Earth is now about 1.3 C warmer than it was in the 1800s.
• 2023 was hottest on record globally, beating the last record in 2016. However scientists say 2024 will likely beat the 2023 record.
• Human activities have raised atmospheric concentrations of CO2 by nearly 49 per cent above pre-industrial levels starting in 1850.
• The world is not on track to meet the Paris Agreement target to keep global temperature from exceeding 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, the upper limit to avoid the worst fallout from climate change including sea level rise, and more intense drought, heat waves and wildfires.
• On the current path of carbon dioxide emissions, the temperature could increase by as much 3.6 C this century, according to the IPCC.
• In April, 2022 greenhouse gas concentrations reached record new highs and show no sign of slowing.
• Emissions must drop 7.6 per cent per year from 2020 to 2030 to keep temperatures from exceeding 1.5 C and 2.7 per cent per year to stay below 2 C.
• 97 per cent of climate scientists agree that the climate is warming and that human beings are the cause.

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(Source:United Nations IPCC,World Meteorological Organization,UNEP,NASA,climatedata.ca)

Latest News

UN talks in disarray as a rough draft deal for climate cash is rejected by developing nations

Splintered and rudderless after developing nations rejected what they called too little money to deal with climate change, United Nations talks dissolved into factions Saturday.

As workers began to dismantle the furnishings of the climate conference called COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, negotiators went from one big room where everyone tried to hash out a deal together into several separate huddles of upset nations. Hallway talk oscillated between hope for shuttle diplomacy to bridge the gap and kicking the can down the road to sometime next year. Negotiators and analysts had mostly given up hope that the host presidency would get the job done.

It’sa fight about big money, but the question dividing them is: Is it big enough?

Developing nations and United Nations reports say there’s a need for $1.3 trillion to help adapt to droughts, floods, rising seas and extreme heat, pay forlosses and damages caused by extreme weather, and transition their energy systems away from planet-warming fossil fuels and toward clean energy. The number would replace an $100 billion-a-year deal for climate cash that’s expiring.

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After an initial proposal of $250 billion a year was soundly rejected, the Azerbaijan presidency brewed up a new rough draft of $300 billion, that was never formally presented, but also dismissed roundly by African nations and small island states, according to messages relayed from inside. Then a group of negotiators from the Least Developed Countries bloc and the Alliance of Small Island States left the room.

Read the full story here.

—The Associated Press

COP29: ‘Sewage’ beer from Singapore highlights water scarcity

In the sprawling pavilion section of the United Nations climate talks, where countries, non-profits and tech companies use big, flashy signs to get the attention of the thousands of people walking through, small aqua and purple beverage cans sit conspicuously on a counter at the Singapore display.

Those who approach learn that the cans are beer — a brand call NEWBrew — and free for anybody who asks. But there is something not everybody who cracks one open finds out right away, if at all: the beer is made with treated wastewater.

“I didn’t know. I was really surprised,” said Ignace Urchil Lokouako Mbouamboua, an international relations student from Congo, who recently sipped one while taking a break from the conference.

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“I can even suggest that they make more and more of this kind of beer,” added Mbouamboua with a smile, sharing it was his third day in a row he stopped for a can.

NEWBrew is made in Singapore with NEWater, the name of treated wastewater that’s part of a national campaign to conserve every drop in one of the world’s most water-starved places.

The drink, which some attendees jokingly call “sewage beer,” is one of many examples of climate- and environment-related innovations on display during this year’s climate talks, COP29, taking place in Azerbaijan.

Read the full story here.

—The Associated Press

A proposed deal on climate cash at UN summit highlights split between rich and poor nations

A new draft of a deal on cash to curb and adapt to climate change released Friday at the United Nations climate summit pledged $250 billion annually by 2035 from wealthy countries to poorer ones. The amount pleases the countries who will be paying, but not those on the receiving end.

It’s more than double the previous goal of $100 billion a year set 15 years ago, but less than a quarter of the number requested by developing nations struck hardest by extreme weather. But rich nations say it’s realistic and about the limit of what they can do.

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It struck a sour note for developing countries, which see conferences like this one as their biggest hope to pressure rich nations because they aren’t part of meetings of the world’s biggest economies.

“Our expectations were low, but this is a slap in the face,” said Mohamed Adow, from Power Shift Africa. “No developing country will fall for this. They have angered and offended the developing world.”

Nations are still far apart on reaching a deal

The proposal came from the top: the presidency of the climate talks — called COP29 — in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Read the full story here.

—The Associated Press

‘A special moment’: Water again flowing at Red Slough on the Pitt River, fresh hope for salmon

An important salmon habitat in the Upper Pitt River that had become choked by logging road construction a century ago is once again flush with freshwater.

The Katzie First Nation and the B.C. Parks Foundation announced Tuesday the completion of the Red Slough restoration project,one of the largest projects to restore healthy salmon habitat in Western Canada.

The project began several years ago after the water turned a rust colour — a sign of low oxygen — and members of the Katzie First Nation found fish belly up. A minimum waterflow is needed to allow the salmon to find their natural spawning habitats, say experts.

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It then got a major boost in 2021 when B.C. Parks Foundation purchased and protected 295 hectares in the Upper Pitt River watershed with a major donation from Lightspeed founder Dax Dasilva and his charity Age of Union.

Funding has also come from the World Wildlife Fund, the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

“This is a very special moment,” Rick Bailey, a councillor for Katzie First Nation, said Tuesday. “My highest priority as a councillor is fish and wildlife. Because here at Katzie First Nation, we refer to the salmon as family. They’re part of our family.”

Read the full story here.

—Tiffany Crawford

Here’s what you need to know to safely install a home EV charger

On April 1, a Richmond homeowner, smelling burning rubber in their garage, found that the connector on the charger for theirTeslawasburnt beyond repair.

An investigation by Technical Safety B.C. found that the charger had been incorrectly installed by an unlicensed subcontractor who left loose connections and used inappropriate wiring, leading to arcing and extreme heat that burned out the connector.

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The electrician also failed to get the required installation permit and didn’t submit information detailing how the installed charger would impact the electrical load on the home.

Fortunately, the charger was in a detached garage and no other damage occurred. As the demand for electric vehicles ramps up, the need for home chargers will likely increase.

Here’s what you need to know to safely install an electric vehicle charger at your home:

Do I have to install a special charger for my EV?

Not necessarily. Most EVs come with a Level 1 charger, which plugs into a typical 120 volt home outlet. It can take from 12 to 20 hours to fully charge an EV battery with a Level 1 charger, but doesn’t require any installation.

Level 2 chargers, like the one that caught fire in the Richmond garage, provide much faster charging — typically six to 14 hours. They require a 240 volt outlet, like those used for dryers.

Can anyone install an EV charger?

Yes, but B.C. Hydro recommends hiring a licensed electrician.

If installing yourself, you’ll need to confirm there is enough spare electrical capacity to support EV charging, install a 240 V circuit breaker in your electrical panel, install a 240 V outlet and circuit (unless one already exists), and apply for a permit.

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Read the full story here.

—Nathan Griffiths

Ottawa residents could face more heat-related illness, cancers due to climate change: report

Area residents will likely face an increased risk of a slew of health issues due to climate change, according toan Ottawa Public Health report.

The document, which was to be discussed at the Ottawa Board of Health meeting Monday, said potential health impacts include more heat-related illness, more vector-borne diseases, more respiratory harm due to wildfire smoke, more food and water-borne illness, and more skin and eye cancers.

“Climate change is the greatest threat to human health of the 21st century, already affecting the health and well-being of many Canadians,” the report said. “Immediate reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is needed to reduce the rate of climate change so that adaptations to improve community resiliency are as effective as possible.”

Submitted by Ottawa Public Health’s medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches, the report said five climate change health hazards were “identified from a local perspective as top health risks.” It said that Ontario Public Health requires health units to assess the health vulnerability status of their community and address health impacts in key areas related to climate change.

The five identified local hazards included extreme heat, vector-borne diseases, wildfire smoke, food and water-borne illnesses and ultraviolet radiation due to the thinning of the ozone layer.

Read the full story here.

—Ottawa Citizen

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