Happy Earth Day

I say Happy Earth Day, but is it?

The signals are mixed at best. U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled an ambitious program to tackle the climate crisis even while earlier this year the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared 2020 to be the second warmest year on record following 2016 (NASA declared a tie between the two years).

“The average land and ocean surface temperature across the globe in 2020 was 1.76 degrees F (0.98 of a degree C) above average — just 0.04 of a degree F (0.02 of a degree C) cooler than the 2016 record,” the agency reported

“The Northern Hemisphere saw its hottest year on record at 2.30 degrees F (1.28 degrees C) above the 20th-century average.”

We are still in the throes of the pandemic. U.S. numbers are declining; in India they spiked to their highest levels yet.

Canada’s Environment and Climate Change Minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, had nothing but positive thoughts on how the Liberal government is proposing to tackle the climate crisis following the recent federal budget.

He said: “Budget 2021, released earlier this week, invests an historic $17.6 billion to continue charting the path to a healthier future, with a cleaner, stronger, more sustainable economy. With targeted investments to protect more nature, help Canadians upgrade their homes to be more energy efficient, and foster innovation in Canada's thriving clean technology sector, this year's Budget will help Canada build on the work already underway to recover from the pandemic in a way that ensures our economic viability now and into the future.”

But over at The Conversation, Bruce Campbell, an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at Toronto’s York University, argues the government’s latest budget falls short when it comes to tackling the climate crisis.

“Where is the road map to reduce Canada’s carbon emissions?” Campbell questions.

His conclusion: “The snail’s pace of action in this year’s federal budget is out of step with the urgency of the climate and income inequality crises.”

I urge you to read his argument in full.

The World Economic Forum suggests government and business sharpen their focus. “We know we have 10 years to get on track. We know we must remove about 25 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions in that time. We know the key sectors of the economy we must focus our relative efforts on.”

But the WEF also sees some hope out there, noting that “green innovation, climate-smart companies, and green or ESG investment funds” are becoming more valued every day.

“And consequently, we also know the transition risks we need to mitigate as we make the shift – the transition in jobs and skills for example, and the need for more comprehensive standards, reporting and accountability frameworks to help show which companies are taking action and managing climate risk best.”

Finally, The World Bank in a blog post frames the question: A day for sorrow or a moment of hope?

“Climate change will redefine our planet,” the authors say, as they weigh the crisis in the context of the global pandemic.

“Like the threat of COVID, the health risks from climate change are immediate. Unlike COVID, these risks are projected to rise over the coming decades unless rapid and profound action is taken.”

Obviously the prognosis is mixed, but it appears the scales may be tipping in favour of rapid action against the climate crisis compared to the previous four years. And that’s good news.

So…let’s call it Happy Earth Day. I hope you got out for a walk in the woods, planted a tree, paused long enough to contemplate the beauty that is nature, and otherwise celebrated this miraculous place we call Earth.