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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CANADA’S
TOP CLIMATE SCIENTISTS ISSUE OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER HARPER CALLING FOR
ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Ottawa, April
19, 2006 - Ninety of Canada’s top climate scientists and oceanographers
today issued a call to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, urging his government to
develop a national strategy on climate change. The group, which
represents some of Canada’s leading researchers from the university and federal
research communities, endorsed the conclusions of international assessments on
climate, which have highlighted the role of humans in global warming and the
need to adapt to new conditions. Their letter cites several examples of warming
such as the rapid rise in Arctic temperatures, as well as impacts of climate
change on socio-economic activities and ecosystems.
Speaking on behalf of the group,
Dr. Gordon McBean stated “there is an increasing urgency to act on the threat
of climate change”. The signatories backed up their call with information
and evidence on climate changes and on its current and future impacts on Canada,
including : inadequate water for agriculture and hydroelectric power generation,
spread of insects through our forests and greater susceptibility to forest
fires; increased severity of extreme weather events; thawing of permafrost,
affecting northern communities and wildlife and releasing even more greenhouse
gases; and threats to Arctic sovereignty, ecology and resources due to increased
shipping in the North.
According to Dr. McBean, “several
key research questions must be answered in order to understand adequately how
the climate will warm and what this means for our way of life and our economy.
Solid impartial science is essential for development of sound policies.”
The group called on the Prime
Minister to develop a national climate change strategy, as well as strategies to
adapt to the inevitable changes that will affect us all. They also offered to
provide the Government with a scientific briefing on global warming.
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Note: Dr. McBean will
be available for interviews April 19, 2006 between 3:45-4:45 pm at the offices
of the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (Suite 901,
Office Tower, Delta Hotel, Queen Street at Lyon, Ottawa). Tel. (613) 238-2223
ext. 208.
Letter text available after
1:00 pm at www.cfcas.org in pdf format.
Media contacts
National
Dr. Gordon McBean, FRSC
Professor, Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction
University of Western Ontario
Chair, Board of Trustees
The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences
cell phone - 519-871-7230
Tel:
+1 (519) 661-4274
British Columbia
Andrew Weaver - cell phone 250-888-7591
School of Earth and Ocean Sciences
University of Victoria
Victoria, BC, V8W
Tel: (250) 472-4001
e-mail: weaver@uvic.ca
Dr. Philip H. Austin
Associate Professor, Earth and Ocean Sciences University of British Columbia
Principal Investigator, NSERC/CFCAS Clouds and Climate Research Network
Voice: (604) 822-2175
Fax: (604) 822-6088
e-mail: paustin@eos.ubc.ca
Prairies
Dr. Martin Sharp
Professor and Chair
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences University of Alberta
Tel : (780) 492 5249
e-mail: martin.sharp@ualberta.ca
Dr. David J. Sauchyn
Research Professor
Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative University of Regina
Tel: (306) 337-2299
e-mail: sauchyn@uregina.ca
Ontario
Dr. James R. Drummond, FRSC
Professor, Department of Physics
University of Toronto
Office phone - 416-978-4723
Home phone - 416-233-4281 Ex 1
Cell: 416 302-9284
e-mail: james.drummond@utoronto.ca
Dr. W.R. Peltier, FRSC
Director, Centre for Global Change Science
University Professor and Professor of Physics
Department of Physics
University of Toronto
Telephone: Office 416-978-2938
Home: 416-923-0829
e-mail: peltier@atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca
Dr. Peter Victor
Professor, Faculty of Environmental Studies
York University
President, Royal Canadian Institute for the Advancement of Science
Telephone: (519) 736-2100 ext. 22614
e-mail: pvictor@yorku.ca
Quebec
Dr. René Laprise
Professor
Université du Québec à Montréal
Principal Investigator, Canadian Network on Regional Climate Modelling (CRCM)
Tel. (514) 282-6464, ext. 265
E-mail: laprise.rene@uqam.ca
Louis Fortier
Canada Research Chair on the response of marine arctic ecosystem to climate
change
Scientific Director of ArcticNet
Université Laval
Tel. (418) 656-5646 or 418-559-5646 or 418-656-5917
e-mail: louis.fortier@bio.ulaval.ca
Atlantic
Dr. Marlon R. Lewis
Professor, Department of Oceanography
Dalhousie University
902-494-3513 (Dal) or 902-492-4780 (Satlantic).
e-mail: marlon.lewis@dal.ca
Randall Martin
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science
Dalhousie University
Phone: (902) 494-3915
e-mail: Randall.Martin@Dal.Ca
Arctic
Dr. Louis Fortier
Canada Research Chair on the response of marine arctic ecosystem to climate
change
Scientific Director of ArcticNet
Université Laval
Tel. (418) 656-5646 or 418-559-5646 or 418-656-5917
Dr. John England
Professor & NSERC Northern Chair
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3
Tel: 780-492-5673
Fax: 780-492-2030
Dr. David Barber
Canada Research Chair in Arctic System Science
Faculty of Environment
University of Manitoba.
Tel (204) 474-6981 or (204) 736-2670
e-mail: dbarber@ms.umanitoba.ca
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