Category: Climate

Do you sometimes feel like you’re the only one that cares about climate change? We have good news for you 👇

The vast majority of people living in Canada do care about climate change! But just like you, the same people also think, that they are a minority.

This inaccurate perception of the general consensus can be a barrier to action, especially in times of uncertainty. To act on climate change as a society, we need to speak up and change these social norms. You might be surprised how many others feel the same way as you about climate change!

Share this with your circle – the more we learn that we’re not alone in this shared concern, the more we are likely to act – action encourages action!

The last thing people need in a crisis is bad information. Currently fake Hurricane Melissa videos are risking the safety of the public, including AI generated sharks (26,27).

As always, before you share a post, pause and think, “Is this accurate?”

Share this reminder with friends and family.

Sea level rise is a complex topic! Global sea level rise is real – but it’s not evenly distributed. Swipe through to learn why!

For thousands of years, sea levels were relatively stable. But around 1850, when we began burning fossil fuels on a large scale, the oceans started to rise – and they haven’t stopped since (6,10,11,12).

The global sea level average has already risen 8-9 inches (21–24 cm) since 1880, and the pace is accelerating (6,7,13). What was once 1.7 mm per year in the early 1900s increased to 1.9 mm by 1961, 2.1 mm in 1993, 3.4 mm in 2016, and 4.5 mm per year in 2023. And it’s expected to rise even faster in the coming decades (6,7,14,15,16,17).

Higher seas mean more coastal flooding and greater risks for the billions of people living near coastlines (7).

So, what’s really driving sea level rise today? Find out in the post! 🌊 

This post was made in collaboration between @ocean_networks and @scienceupfirst

Climate change is already affecting Canadians. More and more are having to adapt to threats to their health and safety caused by higher temperatures, poorer air quality, and more extreme and unpredictable weather events.

To help address these challenges, it’s useful to have a basic understanding of climate change, its causes, and what actions would be most effective in limiting its impacts on Canadians. The good news is that the vast majority of Canadians support strong climate actions, and are willing and ready to make substantial changes in their own lives to help limit further climate change.

This post was made in collaboration with the Government of Canada, to help better understand how Canadians’ think, feel and act on climate change.

When it comes to climate change, our actions matter. But some actions are more impactful than others in limiting climate change.

Read the full post to learn more about which actions help limit climate change, ranging from good, to better and to best actions.

These actions are even more effective when we work as a community, supporting groups and programs that make it easier for everyone to adopt climate-friendly behaviours.

This post was made in collaboration with the Government of Canada, to help better understand how Canadians’ think, feel and act on climate change.

Resources

The Program of Applied Research on Climate Action (PARCA) in Canada – Longitudinal Study: Wave 7 | Impact Canada

No Mow May is a movement that aims to support pollinators! You know, the birds, bats, butterflies – and most importantly BEES – we depend on. By mowing lawns less this month, we can help small flowering plants bloom and thrive (1,2,3). These wildflowers are often the only food sources for pollinators emerging from winter hibernation – especially in urban and suburban areas (4,5). When many people participate, it also reduces carbon emissions, which is great for climate (1,6).

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing! Some folks are concerned that waiting too long to mow can negatively impact their lawn. Indeed, avoiding mowing for a whole month might create stress and affect a lawn’s overall health and resilience (7,8,9). But, even mowing less often (every 2–3 weeks), and raising cutting height to 3+ inches boosts pollinator numbers and diversity (4,5,6,7,10,11,12).

No Mow May is just a starting point! Many garden plants are non-native and not ideal for native pollinators. Pollinators also need support beyond the month of May – March and April are crucial for some species, as well as before hibernation (1,5).

Here are other ways to help pollinators (1,5,7,13):

• Plant a variety of native flowering plants that will bloom from spring to fall.
• Provide nesting area by leaving bare soil patches, stems, dead stalks and leaves.
• Avoid using pesticides
• Dedicate an area on your lawn for plants to grow wild.
• Skip grass entirely! Many people are converting their yards from lawns to native pollinator gardens.

While not perfect, No Mow May raises awareness on the importance of pollinators and is a great first step toward sustainable garden management (1,5). It also strengthens our food system by helping the pollinators on which food crops depend (7).

 

Sources: https://tinyurl.com/SUFNoMowMay

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“No Mow May” is a movement that aims to support pollinators, like the bees, on which we depend.

Here are different ways to help pollinators 👇 https://t.co/WeOCco4OfI

What are you doing to help them? Tell us in the comments!#ScienceUpFirst pic.twitter.com/mlm3Y4dyrH

— ScienceUpFirst | LaScienced'Abord (@ScienceUpFirst) May 29, 2024

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Here’s a shocking statistic: As much as 40% of “green” claims about products and services online might be misleading (1).

A random sweep of 500 websites promoting clothes, cosmetics, and food around the world found 200 were misleading customers.

Here are three red flags to look out for (2):

• Vague terms like “eco-friendly” and “sustainable,” without an explanation ​​
• An “eco” logo made by the company, not a recognized, accredited organization like Rainforest Alliance or B Corp
• Nature imagery like clouds, plants, and animals and lots of green, without any specific claims

Did you find this post helpful?
Share it, and let us know what you are doing next week to celebrate #EarthDay

References: https://tinyurl.com/SUFGreenwashing

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“Eco-friendly” doesn’t really mean anything on its own

You should be skeptical of brands trying to sell you “green” products without real back-up to their claims.

Learn more here https://t.co/MY2RrhZEKV#ScienceUpFirst pic.twitter.com/8GIUThOswy

— ScienceUpFirst | LaScienced'Abord (@ScienceUpFirst) April 19, 2024

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When companies exaggerate or present false statements about their environmental practices or sustainability efforts, this is called greenwashing (1,2).

Here are 3 greenwashing tactics used by big oil and gas corporations to appear supportive of climate action, while in reality justifying the expansion and continued extraction of fossil fuels (3,4,5):

• Use words like “natural” to describe fossil fuels.
• Create “certified gas” programs.
• Evoke images of nature in marketing campaigns

These are just a few examples of the industry’s vast repertoire of greenwashing tactics. By obscuring their true environmental impacts, oil and gas companies delay and distract us from concrete climate solutions (1,2).

View our original Tweet!

Here are 3 greenwashing tactics used by oil and gas corporations:

– Use words like “natural” to describe fossil fuels.
– Create “certified gas” programs.
– Evoke images of nature in marketing campaigns

Learn more here 👇https://t.co/2TPrTagGXA#ScienceUpFirst

— ScienceUpFirst | LaScienced'Abord (@ScienceUpFirst) February 2, 2024

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