Harper Government Suppresses Climate Report - Now Available Here
Although the Conservative government has argued that a critical Health Canada report on climate change impacts is “too large” to be made available online, the DeSmogBlog has sourced a copy that you can now access through these links.
The synopsis is available for download here - or you can opt for a copy of the entire report here.
The report warns of forest fires, drought, and increased deaths from smog, heat and disease - a grim scenario against which the Conservative government is taking virtually no action. In fact, the Harper government's principal reaction was to try to supress the report, now available only by snail mail, with delivery in “two to four weeks.”
The 500 page “Human Health in a Changing Climate study” was supposed to be released early in 2008, with a coast-to-coast public engagement exercise. Instead the Harper government quietly revealed the document’s existence this summer, cancelled the publicity exercise and provided no on-line downloads.
The findings of this blue ribbon panel on the health impacts of climate change are grim to say the least. "Heat waves are very likely to increase in frequency and severity, which could lead to hundreds more heat-related deaths in Quebec and greater air pollution in cities such as Edmonton.”
The report also forecasts that more frequent heat waves will increase the number of heat-related illnesses and deaths and lead to more respiratory and cardiovascular disorders.
Frequent bouts of extreme weather - such as droughts, violent storms, heat waves and cold snaps - are expected to carry a higher risk of injuries, illnesses and stress-related disorders.
Air pollution, including higher levels of ground-level ozone and increased production of pollens and spores, will exacerbate asthma symptoms and allergies. Poor air quality will lead to more heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases.
Outbreaks of E. coli, typhoid and other water-borne pathogens are also expected as drinking and recreational water is contaminated by run-off from heavy rainfall. And the report predicts new infectious diseases - and a comeback of others previously eradicated in Canada - will crop up across the country.
The authors call on the government to act quickly to prepare for these sweeping threats. "The findings of this Assessment suggest the need for immediate action to buttress efforts to protect health from current climate hazards."
But Health Minister Tony Clement's response was that Canadians will "have to get used to" the gloomy scenario laid out in the report, adding, "This report makes it clear that if you have bad health outcomes now, you're likely to be more impacted by extreme weather events than if you're at the top of the health ladder."
Climate Change is a reality
There is global warming and global flooding. The facts are:
New Orleans was mostly distroyed.
Why? Please tell me why? Is it that the earth is spinning more slowly? Or is it the carbon dioxide blanket in the atmosphere?
Is There Anything Global Warming Can't Do?
Leslie you have barely scratched the surface of all the things global warming does.
These are excerpts from a list of about 600 things (and counting) blamed on global warming:
“acne, agricultural land increase, Afghan poppies destroyed, Africa devastated, Africa in conflict, African aid threatened, African summer frost, aggressive weeds, air pressure changes, Alaska reshaped, Agulhas current moves, Alps melting ... cholera, circumcision in decline, cirrus disappearance, civil unrest, cloud increase, cockroach migration ... flesh eating disease, flood patterns change, floods, floods of beaches and cities, flood of migrants, flood preparation for crisis, Florida economic decline ... mountains green and flowering, mountains taller, mortality lower, Myanmar cyclone, narwhals at risk, National security implications, native wildlife overwhelmed, natural disasters quadruple, new islands, next ice age, NFL threatened, Nile delta damaged ... trees in trouble, trees less colourful, trees more colourful, trees lush, tropics expansion, tropopause raised, truffle shortage, turtles crash, turtles lay earlier, UK coastal impact, UK Katrina, Vampire moths, Venice flooded, volcanic eruptions, walrus pups orphaned, walrus stampede ...”
The complete list is at http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/warmlist.htm and the items are neatly listed in alphabetical order. Enjoy
Mercy me, Leslie Satenstein,
Mercy me, Leslie Satenstein, is there any affliction that warmists don't attribute to global warming? Constipation? Acne? Are you aware that NOAA reports show that global cooling during the past year has reduced average global temperature to a level last seen in the late 1970s? The recent abrupt drop follows a gentle downward trend which began after the major El Nino event of 1998.
Anyway, if you have a sense of humor, check out this link for a list of a couple of hundred "bad things" that the media have attributed to the climate change catastrophe.
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/2045/
Oops! It's RSS - MSU data
Oops! It's RSS - MSU data that shows correlation between current temperatures and 1980. Sorry, my bad. BTW, GISS, even with "corrections" has us back at 1997 levels.
Climate Change is a reality -- and normal
New Orleans is sinking because it is a delta and the river system ca no longer deposit silt to keep it built up. Deltas change all the time, that's normal. What isn't normal is to build a city on such changing ground. They have no one to blame but themselves.
Texas. Here is the ACTUAL sea level changes for Galviston.
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/sltrends_station.shtml?stnid=8771450 It's also sinking for the same reason.
Ice in the Antarctic is the LARGEST it's been in 50 years.
http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn14724-antarctic-sea-ice-increases-despite-warming.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news6_head_dn14724
Antarctic sea ice increases despite warming
16:50 12 September 2008
NewScientist.com news service
New Scientist and Reuters
Deserts change all the time. The major component that is expanding deserts is due to human land (mis)use. That is, over grasing and poor farming practices. 55mya the Sahara was a tropical forest.
No Typo
I deliberately used "profit". Both Gore and Suzuki are making money from this AGW scam. And Suzuki pays Hoggan PR (which also has alternative energy clients who benefit from AGW promotion) to run this web site so Hogganites also rake it in by pimping AGW hysteria. Profits all.
greedy AGW hypocrites
Yes these greedy AGW hypocrites are making fortunes running their website, probably hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and they will stop at nothing to protect their enormous profits. Unlike nice honest oil companies like Exxon who's only making tiny amounts on the order of "biggest profits ever made by any company throughout history" and who probably wouldn't try to do anything to protect this or lie to anyone...
Your posts are an insult to the intelligence of all of us.
Good Point DT: Isn't it time
Good Point DT:
Isn't it time that we take down these evil oil companies before the employ even more of us?
Isn't it our duty to shut them down before we are completely spoiled by healthy economies and good living standards?
They should be ashamed of themselves for providing jobs and spin off opportunities for literally millions and millions of unfortunates that could have been home on the dole like good socialists should be.
Damn them.
"healthy economies" ?
"healthy economies"
...I really must congratulate you on the great timing on that point!
"good living standards"
You mean like the indian tribes in the Ecuadorian Amazon dying of cancer after Texaco dumped toxic waste there for 30 years in order to save a dollar per barrel?
http://justicianow.org
http://www.chevrontoxico.com/section.php?id=6
Yes is it time we take these greedy bastards down and drag them in to court. We would not still be burning their dirty fuel if they hadn't been stalling progress for generations. The engine first build by Diesel over a hundred years ago ran on peanut oil!
JMD... Your reply was quite
JMD...
Your reply was quite presumptuous. Guess I hit a nerve. I have noticed that this blog has gotten ruder and with more wild untrue or half true claims (usually but not exclusively on the skeptic side) all the time.
Anyways...this made me laugh.
"Al Gore is god and David Suzuki is his profit." I presume you meant to type "prophet". Gore somehow earning Suzuki for his efforts may be ironic but a pretty strange idea.
Nice try Stephan There was
Nice try Stephan
There was indeed a strong El Nino in 98 that was responsible for a large portion of the infamous 20th century warming period.
The fact is that global temps have been flat from 02 to 07 and dropped so much in 08 that all of the warming of the modern warm period (75 to 02)has been wiped out. So Technically, there has been no net warming since 75.
The past year marks the change to cold phase of the PDO. Get ready for 30 year of cooling. The PDO cycle is approximately 30 years of warm followed by 30 year of cool. Nothing new here, just more natural cycles.
The Solar influence has NOT been debunked and is indeed the dominent driver for the ocean cycles that actually drive climate.
CO2 plays a very small roll in warming and is only pushed by the multibillion dollar AGW industry to shame the ignorant into forking over their money.
And you really should go check your facts on CO2 and plants. They thrive at 1000 ppm in green houses all over.
We are no where near the upper safe limit of CO2 and all you AGW cultists know it perfectly well.
Stop spreading discredited BS. It does not impress anyone with a brain.
This Minimum will be rough
First, I want to know who pays for this site, the Liberals, NDP or the Green Party?
Second, it is not warming. There has been no warming for the last 10 years and this year the planet (yes, all of it) dropped .7 to .8 degrees C. The unknown is how much more it will cool by the end of the year. Since solar cycle 24 is not starting and the solar wind has dropped to never before seen levels, we are in for a few more and maybe a lot more years like this.
What the AGW crowd should know is that warming is good, crops grow, people live better while global cooling is bad, less food, more crop failures, starvation and more cold deaths.
We do not have a choice of planet temperatures, oore is not God but we can at least not make it worse with a carbon tax or by reducing CO2 emissions.
Eve, Eve, Eve. The planet
Eve, Eve, Eve. The planet is warming. You're guilty of cherry-picking at its worst.
First of all, in 1998, there was a very strong El Nino, which typically causes global temperatures to climb dramatically. Those who whine that the planet has cooled since 1998 are wrong, as 5-year average temperatures (i.e. 1997-2001, 1998-2002, 1999-2003, etc.), which iron out effects from El Ninos, the NAO, and other teleconnections, have increased. since the mid-20th Century (after the effects of the massive aerosol dump declined).
Also, this past year was a fairly strong La Nina, which typically leads to a dramatic decline in global temperatures.
Regarding the solar variation association, that's all been debunked most recently by Lockwood and Frohlich (2007) (seen here: http://publishing.royalsociety.org/media/proceedings_a/rspa20071880.pdf), as well as others.
Oh, and the "CO2 = Life" crowd has already been discredited, so no need to spout on about that. There's a limit to what plants can take in with respect to CO2, and there's evidence that the limit has already been reached, if not exceeded.
Tipping Point
Stephen, the earth has experienced several periods when atmospheric CO2 levels were many times the current level. So why didn't the earth reach a tipping point then? Where is the evidence that the planet cannot handle CO2 levels higher than they are now?
incorrect as usual
..unless you go back dozens of millions of years, but then it's not really relevant to the present situation any more.
It hasn't been near as high since homo sapiens left Africa for sure - and definitely not near as high with 6.5 billions of people depending on a stable climate for our food production...
Well the usual suspects are
Well the usual suspects are out in force I see....the trolls seem to have almost shut down any rational discussion.
Anyways...just wanted to thank DeSmog for the pdf copy of the report.
I will be taking a look.
Rational Discussion
For you, David, a rational discussion would seem to be the Desmog choir chanting over and over, "There is a consensus. Al Gore is god and David Suzuki is his profit. Gore is Great!"
If that's what you want, you need to convince Hoggan PR to restrict this discussion group to the AGW faithful. Then you can all reinforce each other's delusions without rude sceptics lurking about.
Missing the Point or Not Connecting the Dots
Somehow, it appears that we have to focus more attention upon the emerging and converging scientific evidence of ominously looming global threats to the family of humanity that are posed by the overpopulation, overproduction and overpopulation activities of the human species rampantly overspreading Earth in our time.
The ecological challenges presented to the human community in these early years of Century XXI are vital matters for discussion; however, our failure to acknowledge in open discussion "the human population factor" as a primary, driving force, one that is precipitating the ecological challenges visible on the far horizon, is making our best, necessary efforts insufficient.
Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population
established 2001
http://sustainabilitysoutheast.org/index.php
Steven: Your point is well
Steven:
Your point is well taken.
Population is a far more real and immediate problem than the Climate. (which we can't do anything about anyway)
While it is not really related to the AGW debate I for one would be interested in knowing what your proposed plan of action would be.
In the face of several religious groups that seem bend on world domination by population, how would you solve the problem with out resorting to the usual natural solutions.
IE: famine, War, Desiese, pestalance.
Who is providing the leadership?
Regardless of how you interpret the evidence on global warming, it is clear that broader environmental policy is a crucial element in this election. Many of the issues at hand are not just about global warming scenarios: they relate to equally pressing concerns such as global water resources and changing over to cleaner sources of local (and renewable) energy wherever possible to reduce international energy dependencies.
The debate here echoes the leadership debate: who is really willing to show leadership over this and other pressing issues we face coming out of this election? YOU tell us what you think: www.LeadershipScorecard.com
AGW dogma is psuedoscience
Let's be clear. I'm not against trying to clean up the environment and trying to limit our influence on the natural biota. I have donated to organizations who are trying to help populations of animals in various places around the world. I'm extremely concerned on the over population issue that is threatening species with extinction.
What I'm against is pseudoscience. And AGW dogma is pseudoscience. (As opposed to the THEORY of global warming). Funneling BILLIONS to this cause is siphoning off money that could be better used to help the biota and our impact on it. AGW is not doing any of that. It's just allowing some people to get rich off it (ie, Gore and Hansen).
Sadly Rob, I may have to
Sadly Rob, I may have to join you.
It is getting hard to stay civil in the face of such drivel.
The same old tired myths told by the same people with the same agenda.
My only hope is that the main drivers of the hoax are sued ruthlessly for losses when this is all over.
I won’t hold my breath though, I have not seen many TV evangelists made to pay back their scam winnings.
Also, I think it was
Also, I think it was "Chris", not "Rob". Not that you like checking your facts...
Don't let the door hit you on the way out
"Sadly Rob, I may have to join you. Blah blah sunspots blah blah"
Promises promises...
Thanks for the report. I
Thanks for the report.
I used to come here all the time but it's been a while. Sad to see the reasons I stopped are all still here.
Guess I'll stick to the front page.
Harper gets it.
Simple as that.
He knows that AGW is a myth.
He knows that he must pay lip service to it while it is politically correct.
He is doing exactly what is best for Canada.
Talk a good AGW line of BS, Do a little to appease the idiots and wait for sanity to return to the scene.
He gets it!.
The others are hopless idiots.
Harper
I actually respect Harper. He has the courage of his convictions that few political leaders have in the world today. I come from Australia and we have one of the most insipid Prime Ministers in the world. At least Harper says it how he sees it and not to placate some mythical public opinion.
As for another blogger here who said: "And so the bloggers know, scientific predictions are based on current scientific evidence. In denying the prediction your are either denying the ability of professionals to interpret the evidence, or worse, you are denying the evidence."
Well. Yes. I do say the ability of those scientists to predict dire outcomes of climate change is very suspect. I am a scientist and I see nothing in the climate record to date that concerns me.
The blogger who says our children will NOT survive the climate change that is visiting upon us should get out and smell the roses. Our species has been through worse climate change that we are experiencing today. We have survied two ice ages for god's sake.
I'm instinctively wary of
I'm instinctively wary of all politicians. Even if they have some good ideas and some competence, they still have to deal with complex situations, special interests and whoever they owe favors to. They deal with a changing world. They compromise. In the end they mostly fail.
Wow. I am really surprised
Wow. I am really surprised by the majority of blogger comments on this site. The tone is that Global Warming/Climate Change is not a threat, which is ironic given the numerous comments about the economy. The economy fluctuates significantly more when there is significantly more uncertainty correct? Then shouldn't it follow that the extreme uncertainty caused by the changing climate, which will effect everything from the amount of smog I breath in the city to my father's food production in Alberta, will result increasing economic uncertainty?
And so the bloggers know, scientific predictions are based on current scientific evidence. In denying the prediction your are either denying the ability of professionals to interpret the evidence, or worse, you are denying the evidence. Though it would be ridiculous to say that "the sky is falling" based on predictions, it is far more ridiculous to reject predictions that are based on carefully collected evidence and scientific interpretation. In short, don't panic, but heed the warning or stop pretending you are a rational person.
Matthew, Desmog isn't a dry
Matthew, Desmog isn't a dry science site that sifts numbers and bores people to death with actual science.
Instead it pursues the more interesting pastime of throwing sticks and stones at anything and everything that may pose a challenge to political moves that would attempt to alter the CO2 component of the atmosphere in a downward direction.
well thats great - but when we see all these sticks and stones flying around some of us join in the fun and occasionally throw a small pebble in the opposite direction.
I emphatically disagree with
I emphatically disagree with those who argue that climate change is not happening or not a problem we should deal with.
On the basis of the strong scientific consensus, we need to more rapidly to a low-carbon global society.
Why don't you start and let
Why don't you start and let us all know how it works out for you.
I'll be getting ready for the cold in the mean time.
easier said than
easier said than done.
Agriculture for example has become the practice of turning diesel fuel into food - I don't know how you turn that around - food is fairly important to 7 billion of us.
Getting the Electric Grid off coal is the next challenge. We honestly don't know where to start on that one.
Hi, Matthew
Don't be put off by the present situation. The regular DeSmogBlog posters who can see the AGW writing on the wall are just taking a break from the monotonous & very tiresome trolls and deniers. As I am sure you can appreciate, trying to have a reasonable, informed conversation gets very frustrating when you have to make yourself heard over the absurd claims about sunspots etc.
Fern Mackenzie
I agree completely with
I agree completely with Fern.
It is quite frustrating and futile to attempt to get AGW cultists to look beyond their doctrine and see the actualy reality around them.
There is no concrete evidence for AGW anywhere.
It is all conjecture and theories with huge assumptions on feedbacks that many say are just plain wrong.
I fear that AGW culsist are simply a bunch of silly twits that have found a fun cause to be a part of.
They are being milked by powerful people and have no idea it is going on.
It is really pathetic to have to endure the same tired old crap about CO2 being pushed by the IPCC and their paid lap dogs. CO2 is a minor infleuence at best and completely irrelevant at worst.
It is absolutely shameful to see you Peddle your silly fear mongering to inocent people that have no idea thay are being conned.
Wake up and smell the bullshit.
I agree with Fern too cause
I agree with Fern too cause I know I'll get in trouble if I don't
Oh, Gary
you are SUCH a hoot!
I don't think you are stupid, but I think that perhaps you are very much afraid. Go back to the science. Look at the credentials of the people you trust, and compare them to those of the people who are having their voices heard.
Oh what the hell. I'm going to sleep. You guys duke it out amongst yourselves.
Fern Mackenzie
Sadly Fern.
The science is what make me so frustrated.
The real science does not support the CO2 supremacy nonsence at all. Anyone that actually looks at it sees that.
Unfortunalely, most people just read the MSM and believe the propaganda.
It is truely sad to see so many people ge taken in by such a thinly vailed scam.
Shameful.
"thinly vailed scam"
Quite the opposite; anyone who does exactly what was just suggested to you and check the credentials of he overwhelming list of institutions who support the IPCC conclusions, then compares this to the ex-tobacco lobbyists and oil-sponsored thinktanks who keep repeating the same retired old denialist arguments will come to the opposite conclusion you just did.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_opinion_on_climate_change
Note how even the "American Association of Petroleum Geologists" is not dissenting any more.
When you harp on with the same old "someone predicted cooling in the 70's so therefore global warming can't be happening now" and similar arguments you have part and responsibility in stalling the action on the most important issue of our time.
You can read and write and I will assume you're not that stupid, therefore the only explanation(..not excuse) I can see is that you're getting paid by some thinktank to repeat these argument on all forums you can find under as many sock puppets as possible.
If not, and you're doing this for free, I really do think you are perverted.
Does anybody read 500 page
Does anybody read 500 page reports on a computer screen?
paper is the only way to go for that.
Hope you print on recycled..
But if you read it in paper form, how can you then quickly search through the whole document for your favourite terms without having to read the whole report? So that you can avoid reading it in vain in case it doesn't back your claims?
You know the ones I mean; "it's the sunspots", "global warming caused by aliens", "one paper mentioned global cooling once in 1970 therefore global warming isn't happening" and "al gore invented the internet therefore global warming isn't happening" ...?
I hope you print on recycled paper!
Old news
This was discussed in an article in The National Post back in August:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=737512
You and your children will
You and your children will likely live through an economic depression. You and your children will NOT likely live through the possible extremes of climate change.