Our forests, our water, our climate

Vancouver SunMarch 9, 2011

Home to some of the most diverse and beautiful natural resources in the world, British Columbia is finding itself a front runner in the sustainable business race.

Picture this: In the middle of a rainforest, a giant cedar tree is dying of thirst because in a warming climate, its roots are freezing.

This conundrum-described by University of British Columbia geographers Lori Daniels and Tom Maertens-illustrates one of the biggest threats to the future health of our forests and freshwater: Climate change.

It also demonstrates the critical role water plays as the planet heats up.

Daniels and Maertens, along with scientists from Alaska's Pacific Northwest Research Station, study Pacific Rim yellow cedars. Their research suggests the cedars have been declining over the last 100 years because they haven't been getting enough water. Not, as you might think, because of drought, but because an average warming of .6 degrees is bringing more rain than snow to the region. Without winter's protective ground cover, the cedar roots are damaged by cold snaps, the entire root system becomes weakened and the tree can't take in enough water to survive.

When the climate changes, everything changes

"If climate change is the shark, then water is its teeth," says Paul Dickinson, CEO of Britain's Carbon Disclosure Project. The impact of warming temperatures may be felt, not just as drought or flood, but through changes to nature's entire water cycle.

We will feel the bite in thousands of complex ways.

The good news is that some of the world's leading work to combat climate change is happening right here. Businesses are in a race to go carbon neutral. Industry,government, communities and environmental partners are tackling conservation challenges together. British Columbians, perhaps more than anyone else in Canada, want action.

In fact, an overwhelming 94 percent of British Columbians recently polled say they want new laws to protect the province's freshwater ecosystems.

Tackling challenges together

In B.C., WWF is working with scientists, governments and community leaders to help reduce the stress ecosystems will face in the future. Some of the world's leading companies are also stepping up to take action.

Catalyst Paper,one of NorthAmerica's largest producers of mechanical printing papers, set one of the most ambitious emissions reduction goals of any large corporation worldwide. Through WWF's Climate Saver program, Catalyst has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent since 1990. Along the way, the company found that protecting the environment also helped increase efficiency and save money.

This partnership is developing new tools to help communities plan for their future in the face of climate change impacts.

For people as much as for cedar trees, water will be one of the biggest sustainability issues we face. The B.C. government has promised to update our century-old Water Act. So WWF is working with other groups to ensure that the new law protects water for nature and for people. That means making sure that we always leave enough water in a river to sustain healthy ecosystems. And that we safeguard our groundwater, B.C.'s threatened "buried treasure".

Canadians are among the leading producers of greenhouse gases which cause global warming. Turning that around may seem like an insurmountable challenge, but here in B.C., we have the partnerships, the ideas, and the will to be a leader in clean energy and other sustainable solutions. Together we can create the best possible future for Canadians and for the planet.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/forests+water+climate/4407832/story.html