The West Kootenay EcoSociety hosted a two-day climate change conference in Nelson, BC on April 23rd and 24th. The focus, as described in the event title, was on exploring regional solutions.

A sold-out crowd packed the Capitol Theatre in downtown Nelson on the evening of the 23rd to learn about the scientific consensus and solutions to climate change. The former was explained by Dr Eric Steig of the University of Washington, and the latter by Guy Dauncey, president of the BC Sustainable Energy Association. Both speakers provided informative and illustrative presentations, outlining the myths and misinformation being propagated on the subject.

Dr Steig made a number of references to the initial science of climate change research, which originated over a hundred years ago. He cited the works of Joseph Fourier, John Tyndall and Svante Arrhenius, all of whom contributed to our understanding of the effect of the atmosphere and its gases on the Earth’s climate system. He successfully conveyed the message that global warming is real and that the world has understood this problem for a very long time. The minute details, such as precise timing, precise temperature changes, and precise rates of change, are now the focus of most research. But the foundation of this research has been well established for more than a century.

Guy Dauncey brought forward the issue of Peak Oil and explained that there is no “silver bullet” solution to this far-reaching problem. He introduced the wedge concept: using a number of different solutions and technologies to address the problem. Individual wedges may seem small and insignificant on their own, but together they can provide an effective alternative.

The next morning at Selkirk College, there was a full-day series of presentations and discussions. The initial focus was on the impact that climate change might have in the Kootenays. Dr Lori Daniels spoke about the potential for wildfires in BC’s inland temperate rainforest. This was followed by Dr Jeremy Littell’s talk on the water issues that climate change will bring. The main problems seem to stem from the extremes that will be introduced—drought, heavy and sudden precipitation, high winds, and large temperature changes. Any of these can have wide-ranging adverse effects on the environment.

For instance, increased winter precipitation can lead to spring flooding. If the snow falls all at once, the load can damage trees and buildings. If the snow pack melts all at once, this can cause flooding and mudslides, especially to logging roads and clear-cuts that are susceptible to erosion. More erosion means more silt in the water, which causes more build-up at hydroelectric dams. Any one problem can cause a chain reaction of events to unfold. Preparing for and adapting to these kinds of issues will be an important part of the Kootenay's regional solutions.

On the topic of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Amy Seabroke, a representative from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), spoke about the Partners for Climate Protection program, specifically on the grants and loans available for sustainable development projects. When I noted that most development requires the use of non-renewable, finite resources, and asked for the FCM’s definition of the word “sustainable”, she responded that there have been many internal discussions on this topic and the FCM is currently putting together a working definition.

This will be an interesting development to watch. “Sustainable” is the word of the day, used to greenwash and justify many different actions from sustainable mining to sustainable growth, when in reality it’s more about “sustainable collapse”. It truly is out of hand. A standard definition is required. Municipalities need to disclose the definition they are using and the assumptions they are making in their documentation. Otherwise it is no different than business as usual.

Presentations were given by communities and organizations implementing various energy strategies. Video conferencing enabled us to hear from Peter Vadasz, the mayor of Gussing, Austria, which is the European Centre for Renewable Energy, and from Richard Quail, the municipal manager of Okotoks, Alberta. Other speakers were Tim Wake, a city councillor from Whistler, Ray Green from Nakusp Energy Corporation, and Al Dawson and Andy Shadrack, councillors of the Regional District of Central Kootenays.

The mayor of Gussing stated clearly that reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) and adopting renewable energy technologies is beneficial to the economy. In his own town of 4,000 people, a total of 1,000 jobs have been created over the past 10 years in this sector.

The councillor from Whistler spoke about how their climate change programs started from a pivotal event a few years ago, when a talk was given in Whistler about the “Natural Step program”. He noted, “[Whistler] won’t have skiing right to the village for that much longer,” which raised questions from the audience about the 2010 Olympics. He answered that there are “real” concerns regarding snow conditions for the Olympics and there is a small chance that there won’t be enough. Interestingly, he pointed out that Whistler’s biggest source of GHG emissions is visitors’ airline travel.

Andy Shadrack and Al Dawson gave some insights on the Kootenays’ intense geothermal activity. Shadrack elaborated on a geothermal heating project that he helped fund for the community building in Lardeau. Since its installation, the community has saved thousands of dollars in heating bills. He said that the up-front capital costs of retrofitting homes with more efficient appliances may amount to only a few dollars a day, an investment easily justified by the paybacks for both the environment and the realized savings.

The Naksup Energy Corporation reinforced the benefits of investment in efficiency and renewable energy. They recently replaced the propane heater for their secondary school with an Austrian solution called an energyCabin, which uses both passive solar energy and wood pellets or wood chips to supply heat. They have plans to provide other nearby buildings, such as the elementary school, with heat from the same source. Not only were they able to reduce GHG emissions, they replaced a fossil fuel with a renewable one, using waste from the local lumber industry. They too are realizing ongoing savings from using an efficient and cheaper heat source.

That afternoon, the audience divided into three groups for break-out discussion sessions on energy, transportation and lifestyle.

Each group generated ideas, relating to both government and public action, on how the Kootenays should prepare for a future influenced by climate change. A report from these workshops will soon be issued by the EcoSociety.

The well-organized event brought together a full house on both days, providing an opportunity for the Kootenay communities to reach mutual understanding on the issue of climate change. It is hoped that the event will serve as a starting point for coherent action.

See West Kootenay Eco Society: eco.kics.bc.ca