12 Years to Limit Climate Catastrophe

I usually reserve this spot for real estate news but I wanted to talk about the new report by the IPCC (United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) this past Thanksgiving. The report states that we have twelve years left to limit climate change or we risk the fate of our planet. This year alone we saw massive flooding in Toronto, summer heat-related deaths, and 1,325 Ontario forest fires with 276,356 hectares burned. As the temperature rises this will only increase, along with a huge rise in refugee numbers coming to Canada and hundreds of millions of lives lost. The report has not been covered well by media but I can tell you, this will definitely affect Toronto real estate!
In the largest peer-reviewed article of all time, the world’s leading climate scientists have warned we have little more than a decade for global warming to be kept to 1.5˚C, beyond which even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks. They say urgent and unprecedented changes are needed to reach the target, which they say is affordable and feasible although it lies at the most ambitious end of the Paris agreement which Canada is not currently on track to meet.
“We must act now.” says IPCC report co-chair Debra Roberts, “This is the largest clarion bell from the science community and I hope it mobilises people and dents the mood of complacency.” The world is currently 1˚C warmer and we can already see the devastating hurricanes, flooding and fires we have had because of it right here in North America, as well as record droughts in Cape Town and even forest fires in the Arctic. Our economy simply cannot endure the type of disasters on their way at current levels. The report talks about how to keep to 1.5˚C and suggestions include reforestation, electric transportation and carbon capture technology. Carbon pollution will have to be cut by 45% by 2030 and come down to zero by 2050. At the current level of commitments, the world is on course for a disastrous 3˚C of warming.

What can we as ordinary Canadians do? 
Take collective action Come together and fight for change. Montreal saw a march of 50,000 last weekend to demand change. Toronto can totally beat that! If you want to get involved, email me.
Go vegan Start with Meatless Mondays. If cows were a country, they would be the third largest carbon source after China and the US.
Insulate homes Simple measures such as sealing drafts make a big difference and will save you money, especially here in Canada.
Invest in solar panels Electricity is only going to become more expensive in Ontario. Here is a great guide to going solar.
Choose Electric Walk and take transit more and pick an electric car when you next need a new one. I saw my first Telsa 3 today, a gorgeous red one.
Reduce, reuse, recycle Buy less, fix things instead of throwing them away despite the fact that it is cheaper to do so, and take what you no longer need to your local Value Village. This Christmas, the adults in my family are sponsoring a needy family instead of giving gifts.
Vote This one is the most important. We can’t do this alone, we all need to work together. Hold your politicians to account. This is so much bigger than which party you support. If they make bad choices, demand that they change. They are working for us.