Category: North America

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Wildfires Ravage Eastern Canada Amidst Political Gridlock

bird's view of tall trees covered with smokes

13 June 2023 – By Willy Phillips

Canada is on track to have the deadliest year of fires to date, and the question of how to move forward is largely unanswered.

Eastern Canada has experienced the worst season of wildfires to date. With over 400 burns since the fire season began in May, the 43,000 sq km of burned area may only be the beginning. So far,  15,000 people have been displaced within the past two weeks, bringing the total displacements this year up to 100,000. Many more risk the same fate as fire season has just begun and extends into late October.

The atmospheric impacts of the fires have been far reaching as apocalyptic-like haze has become commonplace along the east coast, stretching 700 miles south into North Carolina. Major league baseball games, flights within the US, and many outdoor activities within this international stretch of land have been canceled or delayed as hopes for blue summer skies dwindle.

Multiple factors have contributed to these fires, mainly a buildup of dry brush within forests, a lack of controlled burns, higher-than-average temperatures, and low rainfall levels. While climate change is not entirely responsible for record-setting burns, it has played a significant role in creating ideal fire conditions, setting the scene for more devastating and uncontrollable fires. 

The United States and other countries have provided over 600 additional personnel and various resources to aid the Canadian Government. Internally, response teams are stretched to their limits as the fires crawl insidiously and sporadically along their path. Fire crews have reportedly been working 12-18 hour shifts to limit the damage done to residential and wilderness areas.

The Canadian House of Commons has been filled with intense debate and finger-pointing as a response to the fires. No consensus has been reached for a preventative solution as both sides remain in a deadlock and have passed the blame onto one another. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has publicly criticized the opposition Conservative Party for blocking progress in the climate sector. Similarly, Trudeau has been called out for his approval of new extraction plans and subsidies given to the fossil fuel industry.

While politics has clouded the situation, the need for improved fire prevention and management strategies has become apparent. For Canadian citizens, a new approach to fire management is paramount. Katrina Moser, Western University’s geography and environment department head, has made clear the answer does not lie in political blaming but rather in concrete and unifying action. “Scientists have been warning us about this for years,” said Moser. “Everybody should be working on reducing fossil fuel emissions. That’s the critical thing: these fires are telling us something. We really need to take action right now. We need to get serious about reducing fossil fuel emissions.”

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EPA Power Diminished in Supreme Court Ruling

blue and white boat on water under white clouds and blue sky during daytime

2 June 2023 – by Willy Phillips

This post covers the recent Supreme Court ruling which limits power of the EPA to regulate water pollution.

In a 5-4 decision last week, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled to limit the power of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in policing water pollution via the Clean Water Act. This decision limits the power of the EPA to set regulations and has raised concerns about the potential risks to valuable ecosystems and national water quality.

The ruling, which stemmed from the Sackett V EPA case in Montana, has narrowed the EPA’s jurisdiction to regulate pollution in wetlands. According to the Supreme Court, the EPA overstepped its authority by expanding the “waters of the United States” definition under the Clean Water Act which was established over 50 years ago. The court’s majority opinion argued that the EPA’s broad interpretation of this term encompassed bodies of water that did not fall within the scope of federal regulation.

Wetlands play a crucial role in supporting diverse ecosystems, acting as natural filters for water, and providing habitat for numerous plant and animal species. This ruling has raised concerns that the reduced authority of the EPA to regulate wetlands could lead to increased pollution and degradation of these valuable ecosystems. Without robust federal oversight, wetlands and their associated ecosystems may be vulnerable to harmful practices such as industrial pollution and unregulated development.

The Supreme Court’s decision has created a fragmented regulatory framework across states. Unlike state lines, wetlands do not have clear borders. As a result, states may adopt varying standards and regulations, creating inconsistencies and gaps in environmental protection, further complicating national efforts to address pollution. Acting as a new precedent, more cases challenging EPA jurisdiction are sure to arise. 

Environmentalists and conservationists have expressed concern about the ruling, highlighting the potential consequences for water quality and biodiversity. They argue that wetlands are vital for maintaining the balance of ecosystems, protecting against floods, and supporting wildlife populations. Justice Elena Kagan led the dissenting opinion, stating the court has unjustly positioned itself as the “national decision-maker on environmental policy.” 

This decision highlights questions about the balance between environmental protection and property rights. Critics of expansive EPA regulations argue that they impose unnecessary burdens on landowners, limiting their ability to utilize their properties for economic purposes. Meanwhile, proponents of the regulations argue environmental matters are the responsibility of the EPA and not the Supreme Court. The ruling essentially reflects a judicial attempt to balance protecting the environment and respecting individual property rights, of which the implications are yet to be realized.

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Imperial Oil Leak: Negligence Towards Indigenous Communities

smoke going out on pipe during golden hour

30 May 2023 – by Ella Kiyomi Dobson

Two leaks from an Imperial Oil  tailings pond in Alberta, Canada, occurred in May 2022 and again in January 2023. Imperial Oil did not report the first spill to Athabaskan Chipewyan First Nations and Northwest Territories government officials until the second spill occurred nine months later. The Alberta Freedom of Information Act of 2015 requires companies to notify the public of environmental or public health and safety risks within 24 hours; this incident was a clear breach of this agreement.

First Nations have a large hunting and fishing presence in the Athabasca River and its connected tributaries. As a result of the failure of Imperial Oil to notify the public, First Nations were harvesting and collecting water from contaminated regions for nine months. The seepage contained high levels of iron, sulphates, and arsenic, among other toxins. This reporting error represents a massive breach of trust between the Indigenous communities, the oil industries, and the Alberta Energy Regulator. While the CEO of Imperial Oil has apologised for the incident and stated they are working tirelessly to prevent further leaks, some community members feel they may have to leave their homes due to health risks. 

Federal inspectors have ordered Imperial Oil to stop the leak and take measures to prevent future incidents. However, this is not the first time Imperial Oil has been found in violation of environmental regulations. In July 2022, another wastewater leak in the Northwest Territories, not far from the Kearl Pond sites, led to the closure of the pipeline at Norman Wells. In 2021, they failed to disclose contamination in over 200 locations in Saskatchewan, some of which they had known were contaminated for years. These are just two examples of repeated incidents in which Imperial Oil has failed the communities that neighbour their operations by allowing harmful incidents to occur and, consequently, not communicating such harms to those involved. 

The impact of the oil sands industry on Indigenous communities is often overlooked in discussions of the industry’s economic benefits. For Imperial Oil, 2022 saw record earnings and cash flow. However, First Nations rely on the Athabasca River for their livelihoods, and incidents like this highlight the importance of recognizing the environmental and social harms of oil sands extraction. It is imperative that the oil sands industry takes a more proactive approach to environmental stewardship and engages in genuine consultation with Indigenous communities, whose land they have directly benefited from, to ensure their well-being is the highest priority. Until this paradigm shift happens, marginalised communities worldwide remain most at risk from these extractive industries. 

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US Coastline Experiencing “Unprecedented” Sea Level Rise

Flooding in the US state of Louisiana in 2016

19 April 2023 – by Cosmo Sanderson

An “unprecedented” rise in sea levels on the US southeastern and Gulf Coasts is fuelling catastrophic flooding, according to new research  – with one study finding the trend represents a threat to “national security.” 

Two studies published in the last two months paint an alarming picture for the millions of Americans living on those coastlines, including in major cities such as Miami, New Orleans and Houston. 

One study published in Nature by researchers from Tulane University, New Orleans, found that sea levels have risen roughly a centimetre per year on the southeastern and Gulf Coasts since 2010 – around 12 centimetres in total.

The researchers said this was “unprecedented in at least 120 years.”

By comparison, global sea levels have risen around 3.6 millimetres annually since the early 1990s, according to figures from the US Environmental Protection Agency. 

The study found that the drastic sea level rise was caused by an unfortunate combination of man-made global warming and natural variations in the system of currents in the Atlantic. 

This rise has led to “exponential increases” in flooding and “increased damages due to major storms such as hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, and the prospect of accelerating land loss in the most vulnerable settings.”

The study says these examples illustrate that further increases in the rate of sea level rise, particularly rapid ones, “threaten the national security of the US”.

Another study published last month in the Journal of Climate by a team from the University of Arizona also found a “rapid” acceleration of sea level rise along the same coastlines since 2010, an “extreme” departure from the long-term trend. 

This coincided with “record-breaking” North Atlantic hurricane seasons in recent years, the study found. As in the other study, researchers found worsened coastal flooding due to the storms and exacerbated the damage caused. Last year’s Hurricane Ian racked up around US$113 billion in damages in the US alone. 

United Nations secretary general António Guterres recently warned that rising sea levels could cause climate migration on a “biblical scale”. And this is not limited to developing nations. One of the US states included in the recent studies, Louisiana, is already the home of what are reportedly the first climate migrants in the country.

Another recent study found that US households on the Atlantic coast are moving inland following natural disasters, but people on lower incomes are being left behind.

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Poorer Households Need Support to Move After Natural Disasters, Finds US Study

New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005

26 January 2023 – by Cosmo Sanderson

Households on the Atlantic coast of the United States are moving inland after natural disasters, according to a new study, but those on low incomes are being left behind. 

Poorer households that don’t receive support to leave disaster-prone areas are far less likely to than those on higher incomes, the study found.

It concluded that there is a need for “incentivising and aiding” the migration of vulnerable populations who are less likely to do so on their own. 

Two researchers from the University of South Carolina released the study last year in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management.

One of those researchers, Tamara Sheldon, an associate professor of economics at the university, recently told US publication The Post and Courier that there is not much empirical research out there on “human migration following natural disasters in developed countries.”

Her study relied on US census data collected in states on the country’s east coast between 2005 and 2017.

The study found that rising sea levels and an increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters due to climate change are “increasing the risk” of living in vulnerable areas. It also raises the economic costs of having populations clustered on coast lines.

People are not necessarily more likely to move following less severe disasters, but the study found they are more likely to do so as disasters become “increasingly destructive”. However, households on the lowest 25% of incomes are far less likely to relocate without support from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency.  

Recent hurricanes to batter the US Atlantic coastline include Hurricane Florence, in 2017, and Hurricane Ian, last year.

Other countries to recently be hit by global warming-fuelled extreme weather events include Pakistan, where over 30 million people were displaced last year by historic floods that left a third of the country underwater. Flooding also devastated South Sudan last year, while, on the opposite end of the spectrum, two million people are currently displaced by drought in the Horn of Africa. 

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Hurricane Fiona Has Left Thousands Without Power One Month After Making Landfall on Puerto Rico

Hurricane as seen from space

13 October 2022 – By Ella Kiyomi Dobson

On Sunday, September 18th, Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico. The island’s southwestern region was devastated by 140kmh (85mph) winds, with the rest experiencing severe flooding. Flash floods and torrential rain continued through Monday 19th, with as much as 30 inches of rain in some areas.

Approximately 3 million people were without power in the days following. One week after the storm, about half of the electrical consumers on the island were still without power. Two weeks after, about 100,000 electrical customers were still without power. As of Wednesday, October 12th, nearly a month later, there are still up to 40,000 people without power. In the southwest city of Cabo Rojo, people are still unsure when they will have power back in their homes. 

Frustrations are high amongst the residents with no power, a situation some Puerto Ricans experienced not long ago. Hurricane Maria in 2017 left parts of the island in the dark for a year, weakened the power grid, and some regions are still not fully recovered from the damage from 5 years ago. Another prolonged blackout is something most people do not have the time, energy, or resources to contend with. There has been some critical backlash against Puerto Rico’s governor, Pedro R. Pierluisi, and US-Canadian conglomerate LUMA Energy, who took over power transmission on the island in June 2021. Energy prices have soared in the past year, almost doubling, and is said to be one of the highest of any US territory or state.  

Aside from the immediate dangers of natural disasters, the long-term economic, social and political impacts pose a mounting threat. The 2017 hurricane showed that many Puerto Ricans struggled to recover immediately after an extreme weather event. If, as is predicted, these weather events become more common, the time for Puerto Ricans to re-establish following a storm will diminish. As these events begin to compound, there will be little choice but for residents to evacuate with less and less preparation. This cycle of an underprepared disaster response paired with a severe storm may well be underway, with the only hopes of long-term sustainability resting in comprehensive and preventative action by/for Puerto Ricans. 

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“Regularization”: Canada Called On To Give All Migrants Residency

boat beside dock

10 October 2022 – by Cosmo Sanderson

The Canadian government is facing demands to grant permanent residence to 1.7 million migrants living in the country in the interests of climate justice, after it offered fast track applications for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. 

The Migrant Rights Network (MRE), which says it is Canada’s largest migrant-led coalition, joined with other groups last month to demand that prime minister Justin Trudeau implement a “comprehensive regularization program.”

This programme would ensure permanent residence for 1.2 million migrant workers, students, refugees and families in Canada, says MRE, as well as 500,000 undocumented residents. 

Thousands of migrants and their supporters marched in cities across Canada on the 18th of September in support of the demand. 

Climate Action Network Canada (CAN-Rac), a body of more than 100 Canadian environmental groups, wrote to Trudeau and immigration minister Sean Fraser in August arguing that the “regularization” process is essential to climate justice. 

Climate change exacerbates inequalities between rich countries, such as Canada, that are responsible for most of the world’s emissions and the “poorest, already marginalized and racialized groups – who bear climate impacts first and hardest,” said CAN-Rac. 

It continued that the climate crisis causes displacement in a “myriad” of ways, including disasters, droughts and famines. “We urge you to seize this moment to address one of these profound injustices by extending permanent residence to all migrants, leaving no one behind.”

In May, Canada’s parliament passed a motion that the government should publicly release a plan to expand economic immigration pathways so workers at all skill levels can access permanent residency. 

CAN-Rac said in its letter to Trudeau and Fraser that they therefore currently have a “strong mandate and a unique opportunity to correct a deep injustice in Canadian society.”

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Native American Tribe Members Become First US Climate Migrants

Isle de Jean Charles

17 September 2022 – by Cosmo Sanderson

Members of a Native American tribe have reportedly become the first climate migrants in the United States (US) as they begin a process of relocating from the sinking island their ancestors made home two centuries ago.

The Jean Charles Choctaw Nation has in the last few weeks started leaving Isle de Jean Charles – a slender island around 80 miles southwest of New Orleans in the US state of Louisiana – as part of a long-planned resettlement program. 

When the US government issued US$48 million grant to resettle residents of the island in 2016, it was said to be the first-ever federally funded effort in the country to move an entire community due to global warming. 

Many residents have already left the island, and the 100-or-so who remain are overwhelmingly of Native American descent. 

The Jean Charles Choctaw Nation descends from three Native American tribes that fled to the island to escape forced relocation under the Indian Removal Act passed by the US government in 1830.

Since 1995, however, the island that was once a refuge for the community has lost 98% of its land mass – a 320-acre skeleton of what it used to be. 

The only road connecting Jean Charles to the mainland often floods due to high winds or the tide, leaving the community stranded. 

The tribe says that the resettlement program, which has seen many residents move to the town of Schriever around 60 kilometres northwest, has been beset by years of “delays, confusion, and stress” caused by state and federal governments. 

According to the tribe, the resettlement has also been carried out “without meaningful consultation with, or the explicit consent from” its leadership. This is something the tribe says is “concerning” for many other nations and communities around the US that may soon go through a similar process. 

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Oak Fire in California: Sparking New Fire Management?

people walking near fire

1 September 2022 – Willy Phillips

This piece discusses the Oak Fire in California and the future of fire cycles in the state. 

On July 22nd, the foothills of Sierra Nevada, California, saw the state’s most sporadic and unpredictable fire to date, called the Oak Fire. The Oak Fire burned nearly 18,000 acres in its first three days. About 2,000 firefighters fought to keep the blaze at bay, which destroyed numerous properties and left thousands without power. The CAL fire department reported over 6,000 people evacuated in the first 72 hours of the blaze. Today, over a month later, the fire is nearly contained, but still holds an ‘active’ listing on the fire departments website. As the fire season comes to a close, many fear events as unpredictable and rampant as this are soon to be commonplace.

California has faced some of the United States’ most severe climate challenges. From extensive droughts to unmatched heatwaves, the state is familiar with the impact of climate change on their fire season. Beth Pratt, a regional fire expert, spoke of the regularity of big fires, saying, “The fire cycle up here, before these 1,500-year droughts which we’re in, was like a big one every 15, 20 years, now we have multiple big fires every year.” 

The uptick in massive fires has not happened overnight. Instead, years of unrelenting drought, warmer-than-average temperatures, and a buildup of dry-brush fuel on the forest floor have created ideal fire conditions. Across California, fire crews and departments have cited “explosive fire behavior” due to the unprecedented lack of moisture. In fact, soil records reveal these are the driest conditions California has seen in 1200 years, with no hopes of moisture on the horizon. As even drier conditions take hold in California, fire management is due for an overhaul. Evacuation as a management strategy is entirely unsustainable, but can only be avoided with comprehensive and collaborative management.

To build these new strategies, the state and supporting agencies have much work to do. Citizens can do their part by adhering to evacuation strategies and being disaster-ready with supplies on hand. However, a large amount of fire safety must come from proactive state-wide efforts to address climate change, like fire-proofing buildings, and prescribed burns throughout the state. Previous fire management strategies utilizing rainfall and cooler temperatures have fallen short. In response, experts are calling for more proactive and comprehensive approaches that depend on multi-level cooperation and continued adaptation to the observed conditions. Undoubtedly a tough task, but one that is critical to the longevity of the state and its residents.

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US Supreme Court Limits Ability of EPA to Regulate CO2 Emissions

body of water under cloudy sky during sunset

13th July 2022 – by Willy Phillips

On Thursday, June 30th, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled against the enactment of the Clean Power Plan (CPP) following a week of hallmark decisions. The CPP is a sub-section of the Clean Air Act which informs how the EPA can regulate Co2 emissions from electricity production. In the court’s majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts said the EPA has no grounds for the sector-wide restriction allowed under the CPP. According to Roberts, the US Congress is the only body that can enact a regulation of such high consequences. 

            Critics of the decision remain wary. In a fierce dissenting opinion, Justice Elena Kagan addressed that “the court appoints itself – instead of Congress or the expert agency – the decision-maker on climate policy.” It’s true; taking emission-standard authority from the government’s environmental organization seems counterintuitive. Justice Roberts, however, insisted that the sweeping regulation is a clear violation of the “major-questions” doctrine. This seldom referenced stipulation refers to the power given by congress to regulating agencies. Congress must provide clear and explicit permission for an agency to implement “decisions of vast economic and political significance.” 

            This case, known as West Virginia v. EPA, first took form in 2015 when Obama-era EPA guidelines set state-wide emission goals under the Clean Air Act. In 2016, SCOTUS suspended the plan in response to several state and private legal challenges. To this day, the CPP has never been enacted, so the SCOTUS ruling refers only to future EPA regulations. While The EPA may still pass site-specific emissions goals, the ruling limits the speed and uniformity with which the EPA can issue time-sensitive goals and standards.

            Many fear the court has set a dangerous precedent for muddying the extent of agency jurisdiction. Justice Kagan leaves her dissent with an honest recognition of SCOTUS limitations, asserting that “Whatever else this court may know about, it does not have a clue about how to address climate change,” she wrote. “And let’s say the obvious: The stakes here are high. Yet the court today prevents congressionally authorized agency action to curb power plants’ carbon dioxide emissions.”