Cities and Climate Cities and Climate ChangeChange

Why Land Use and Transportation Why Land Use and Transportation MatterMatter

22FIGURE: Changes in the carbon dioxide content of the Earth’s atmosphere, 1950-2002

As (Almost) Everyone Knows, Rising Greenhouse Gases(GHGs) Pose a Major Challenge for the Coming Decades...

33

Contribution of the Transportation Contribution of the Transportation Sector to Climate ChangeSector to Climate Change

• The transportation sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gases (CO2 and nitrous oxide, in particular) in Canada.

• More than a third of all GHGs produced by human activity are generated by burning fossil fuels in cars, trucks and airplanes, a level that puts Canada second in the world only to the U.S. in consumption of fossil fuels for transportation purposes.

44

Contribution of the Transportation Contribution of the Transportation Sector to Climate ChangeSector to Climate Change

• International comparisons show that some more compact European cities have per capita levels of greenhouse gas emissions 40% lower than comparable North American cities and comparable per capita transportation use as much as 75% below North American levels.

• If no action is taken, GHGs from the transportation sector are expected to exceed 1990 levels by 26% in 2010 and 42% in 2020, thus greatly impacting on Canada’s ability to meet its Kyoto commitments.

55

Production of COProduction of CO22 in Developed in Developed

Nations’ Transportation SectorNations’ Transportation Sector

66

CaliforniaCaliforniaPollutionPollutionSourcesSources

In addition to producing GHGs, the transportation sector also contributes significantly to general air pollution, Itself a major health hazard and sources of losses to the economy.

77

Implications for Peak OilImplications for Peak Oil• In addition to producing air pollution, vehicles in low-

density environments consume precious fossil fuels….

88

What Are The Roots of Our What Are The Roots of Our Dependence on Automobiles?Dependence on Automobiles?

• While some of the blame can be laid at the door of our individualistic culture and the status associated with owning a car, the extent of our dependence cannot be explained by this because Europeans and Japanese are similarly materialistic and status-oriented and yet their car use is far lower.

99

Wealth ≠ Increased Car UseWealth ≠ Increased Car Use

1010

Wealth ≠ Increased Car UseWealth ≠ Increased Car Use

1111

The Main Culprit is The Main Culprit is SprawlSprawl

• Sprawl is low density urban development – residential, commercial, and industrial – that involves the dispersal and dis-aggregation of land uses.

• Cities that have lower rates of private automobile use, and higher rates of walking, cycling and transit use typically feature higher densities and greater proximity between land uses.

1212

America vs. EuropeAmerica vs. Europe

1313

In Addition to Promoting Car Use, Sprawl In Addition to Promoting Car Use, Sprawl Makes Transit Less Financially FeasibleMakes Transit Less Financially Feasible

1414

Municipalities and Climate ChangeMunicipalities and Climate Change• Municipalities, which are the principal regulators of

land use (density & land use mix), are beginning to take climate change seriously. A recent article in Municipal World cites the following statistics:

-two one-in-100-year storms in Ontario in 2005 causing $500 million damage

-48 smog days and 26 heat alert and extreme heat alert days in Ontario in 2005, greatly exceeding previous records

-hailstorms in Edmonton and devastating hurricanes in the Maritimes

-BC’s worst forest fire season in 2003, with 50,000 evacuated

-a 1998 ice storm that crippled eastern Ontario and Quebec, causing 28 deaths and much more…

1515

Municipalities and Climate ChangeMunicipalities and Climate Change• On March 30, 2005, 10 mayors representing more

than 3 million Americans, joined together to invite cities from across the country to take additional actions to significantly reduce global warming pollution.

• On June 13, 2005, the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement was passed unanimously by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Mayors inside and outside of the Conference continue to formalize their commitment by signing on to the agreement and by lobbying Bush for action on climate change.

1616

Municipalities and Climate ChangeMunicipalities and Climate Change• The Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program is a

network of more than 126 Canadian municipal governments which have committed to reducing greenhouse gases and acting on climate change.  PCP is the Canadian component of ICLEI's Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) network that comprises more that 600 communities world wide making the same efforts.

• PCP is a partnership between the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability. PCP receives financial support from the Government of Canada through the Climate Change Action Fund (CCAF).

1717

Municipalities and Climate ChangeMunicipalities and Climate Change• PCP is based on the CCP Campaign of a

five milestone framework used to guide municipalities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The five milestone process is a performance-based model which remains flexible; milestones do not need to be completed in sequential order. Each milestone provides an opportunity for municipal capacity building.

• The five milestones are: -Creating a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and

forecast; -Setting an emissions reductions plan; -Developing a local action plan; -Implementing the local action plan or a set of activities; & -Monitoring progress and reporting results.

1818

Other Lobby GroupsOther Lobby Groups• In addition to municipalities, a number of

groups have formed in the U.S. and Canada to press for environmentally sensible land use and transportation planning. These have formed under a variety of monikers (new urbanism, urban sustainability, etc.). Smart Growth is probably the most effective political umbrella created thus far.

1919

Other Lobby GroupsOther Lobby Groups• Such groups do not focus exclusively on climate

change, but they do raise it as an issue.

• Smart Growth is a focus not only for new task-specific “smart growth” groups, such as Smart Growth BC and the Smart Growth Canada Network, but also for older-line environmental groups, such as the Sierra Club and West Coast Environmental Law. They are increasingly coming to see that one can’t protect wilderness without changing land use and transportation policies in and for cities.

2020

Other Lobby GroupsOther Lobby Groups• Beyond that, groups like Greenpeace International

(www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/climate-change) adopt a variety of modalities to influence international decision-makers.

• Their techniques include producing scientific reports; doing media work; promoting alternative energy; attending international conferences where they lobby politicians, corporations and other decision-makers, and publicizing issues through direct action targeted at major GHG producers.

2121

Other Sources of GHGsOther Sources of GHGs• Industry is a big culprit, and some are critical of the

Government of Canada for focusing so much on the role of the individual (the One Tonne Challenge), and thereby seeming to let industry ‘off the hook.’

• As the Government of Canada site notes, “…almost 700 companies … produce about half of Canada's emissions…. Canada's LFEs [Large Final Emitters] include companies in the mining and manufacturing, oil and gas, and thermal electricity sectors. These sectors make an important contribution to Canada's economic base, but they are also large contributors to our GHG emissions – just under 50 percent of total Canadian GHG emissions. They must play a significant role in meeting Canada's climate change goals.”

2222

Other Sources of GHGsOther Sources of GHGs• The CERES organization, which promotes

socially and environmentally responsible business practice, recently ranked U.S. (and some non U.S.) companies on their climate change performance under nine categories.

• I wasn’t able to find out who the worst were, but the best performers in five categories were BP, Toyota, Alcan, Unilever, and Rio Tinto. In another four categories, the leaders were DuPont, GE, International Paper, and UPS.

2323

Other Sources of GHGsOther Sources of GHGs• Obviously, our lifestyles contribute to climate

change in a number of ways. To find out how, we can use the climate change calculator at http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/onetonne/ english/index.asp.

• I did my calculation and this is what I came up with (this is underestimated because I have two apartments – one in Vancouver and one in Nanaimo and I didn’t count the commute between the two, or other related factors that might add to my ‘footprint).’

2424

My Climate ‘Footprint’My Climate ‘Footprint’

2525

In Comparison to the AverageIn Comparison to the Average

2626

So, What Can You Do?So, What Can You Do?• Do an audit of Malaspina institutional, student and

employee impacts vis-à-vis the production of GHGs• Lobby the Student Union for a U-Pass or at least a

referendum on the subject• Join our informal Climate Change group that is tentatively

planning a Climate Change Fair in the fall [next meeting: Wednesday, April 11, 10-noon, Bldg. 356, Room 109]

• Join a group that is working on smarter land use and transportation policies

• Pressure the provincial and federal governments for more action on climate change

• Pressure industry to more aggressively do its part• Modify your own personal lifestyle & educate your friends

and family members.