Environmental Impacts

“Climate change is posing challenges to environment, infrastructure, health, and economy in NL. We also bear an outsized share of responsibility for creating this problem. Fortunately, this means that the province also has an outsized (relative to our small population) to contribute to climate solutions – both by enabling lower-carbon lifestyles and economies, as well as by judicious approaches to oil & gas production (current and future).”
     – Dr. Joel Finnis 

Watch the recorded session:

Read the Forecast NL Final Report 
List of panelists in this discussion

Dr. Joel Finnis
Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Memorial University.

Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo
Vice-Provost, Memorial University Labrador Campus and Dean of The School of Artic and Subarctic Studies.

Ashley Smith
Owner and Managing Director, Fundamental Inc.

Key highlights from this session

Warmer Temperatures: In summary, he stated that NL can expect warmer temperatures everywhere, in every season – four degrees Celsius in some locations, and two to 13 degrees for parts of Labrador in the winter. In the simplest terms, by 2050 Corner Brook’s winter temperatures will resemble traditional St. John’s winters, and by 2100 Nain’s winter temperatures could resemble winter in St. John’s as well.

Wetter Weather: In terms of precipitation, Dr. Finnis explained that depending on the specific projection models used, what used to be a “one in 100 years” rain event will become a 25-year event or potentially a 10-year event. This will mean a much higher risk of heavy precipitation – about four to 10 times more likely – which will have significant impacts on flooding and infrastructure, as well as trickled-down impacts such as insurance costs on individuals.

Sea-Level and Storm Surge: Dr. Finnis also outlined changes expected to sea-level rise and storm surges. An increase of 0.5m to 0.75m by 2100 in some areas. He explained that with a half-metre rise the risk of coastal flooding increases dramatically – more than 100 times higher than present, and with a 0.75m rise the future low tide will be the equivalent to the current high tide.

Less Sea-Ice: Moving from the 1980s to the last decade or so, the number of days in which there has been open water around Labrador has been increasing, as has the mean annual concentration of sea ice. Landscapes are changing the oceans and thus changing the ways we can use the environment.

Other Changes: Other weather events will also be impacted such as freeze/thaw cycles, precipitation types, as well as changes to wind events – these will all have impacts on ecology and shift where animals are able to survive, where fish are, where plants, insects, pests etc. are found, along with other unexpected changes.

Rethink, Rebuild and Redesign: To begin to address the problem of climate change, Dr. Finnis suggests we need to “rethink, rebuild and redesign” our infrastructures, our cities and communities, as well as our lifestyles

 Additonal sources