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Climate Science, Data & Tools

Urban Heat Island Effect - Why Cities Get Hot

We know that cities can feel extremely hot during summer heat waves and we can expect to experience more heat waves more frequently.

 

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has explains the "heat island effect", how it works and a graphic that demonstrates how different land uses impact heat retention.

 

The EPA also offers advice on cooling strategies. 

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New Climate Science
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - Sixth Assessment Reports 2021-22

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Thousands of researchers from 195 countries across the world contribute to the work of the IPCC. Their sixth and most recent assessment (AR6) is comprised of three working group (WG) reports: WGI - The Physical Science; WGII - Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability; and, WGIII - Mitigation of Climate Change. In particular the WGIII report is not all bad news. It suggests three actions — protecting forests and other ecosystems; restoring those ecosystems; and improving management of working lands, such as farms — are among the top five most effective strategies for cutting carbon pollution. Scaling up solar energy is No. 1 on the list!

Indigenous Information Sources

  • This website, Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) provides information on gatherings, resources, and tools that helps to amplify the voices and support Indigenous sovereignty.

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  • Indigenous Climate Hub is another Indigenous-led project sharing helpful resources and information on climate change, and to provide a space to share resources, information, and impactful climate change stories from Indigenous perspectives in Canada. 

General  Information Sources

 

  • The Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC) is a regional climate service centre at the University of Victoria, whose website offers climate data, assessment tools, research publications and data interpretation software for groups doing analysis of climate information. 

 

 

  • Project Drawdown's mission is to help the world reach “Drawdown” (the point at which levels of GHGs in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to decline) by providing a solutions-based resource to get us there quickly, safely, and equitably. Their Table of Solutions is an assessment tool of showing the relative affect of how various individual actions (and sectors) can reduce emissions.

 

  • ​National Geographic offers a prediction tool that demonstrates how climate will affect the way we interact with water, how we grow crops, deal with the rising temperatures, change weather patterns and increase health risks.

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  • Here is the link to access studies published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

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  • Need more data? Find it here at the Climate Atlas of Canada website.

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  • Calculate your carbon footprint using one of the websites listed in this CBC article.

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  • Connect here with Inspiring Climate Action BC, a project intended to build British Columbia’s capacity to adapt to climate change by providing working professionals with education, training and networking opportunities. 

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  • The Community Research Connections, a consortium of research dedicated to sustainable futures of Canadian communities, provides access to studies and initiatives including MC3-Meeting the Climate Change Challenge. 

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  • The Climate Centre offers an interactive set of materials prepared by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Climate Centre, with a specific youth training toolkit. 

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