Canada Participates in COP19

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Canada and nations around the world participated in COP19 — the 19th Conference of the Parties — in Warsaw Poland in mid-November. The Conference convenes ennvironmental leaders to discuss progress towards greenhouse gas emissions, and the continuing threat of climate change.

Progress towards meeting greenhouse reduction targets has been slow with world leaders backing away from the 2015 target for a global climate treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.

Last year marked another record year for global greenhouse gas emissions. And a recent report from the UK found fossil fuel subsidies around the world added up to about $500 billion in 2011 — on the order of five times the amount of subsidies doled out to renewable energy.

The prospect of keeping the global rise in temperature below two degrees Celsius looks highly unlikely if current trends persist. And Canada, for its part, is not on track to meet its own commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate change predictions forecast serious consequences for  all aspects of water and wastewater treatment — with predicted droughts, more severe storms and changing hydrogeological patterns. The inability of governments to curb greenhouse gas emissions is alarming. However, governments worldwide are trying to juggle environmental and social concerns with flagging economies.

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