Climate Change

On this page you can read about:

• Our climate change initiatives

• SES publications

• Policy document - "Toward a Sustainable Energy Strategy for Saskatchewan"

• Web-based resources on climate change

The world’s climate is changing. As greenhouse gas emission levels continue to grow, it is anticipated that we will see a rise of several degrees in average global temperature by the end of the century.

In Saskatchewan climate change is likely to mean:

• longer and more frequent droughts;
• reduced river flows as the glaciers which feed our rivers shrink;
• erratic rainfall, with more frequent and more serious flooding;
• loss of at least the southern part of the boreal forest.

We need to do our part in reducing our emission levels of the major greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. In ratifying the Kyoto protocol, Canada has made a commitment to reduce annual emissions to 6% below 1990 levels by 2008-2012. In Saskatchewan our emissions have risen by over 30% since 1990.

We have a big job ahead of us. SES’s energy conservation projects, including Destination Conservation Saskatchewan, are making a significant contribution to the solution.

SES climate change programs and projects

Destination Conservation Saskatchewan — This project is a practical, student-driven, activity-based program that brings environmental education alive in our schools. In the first six years of operation this SES program saved Saskatchewan School Divisions over $650,000 and prevented the emission of over 5,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Energy Awareness Training - Start saving money, energy and the environment today! Learn of behavioural and technical changes that can be made both at work and at home with this informational session.

Building Operator Training - Start saving energy and money at your facility through educating custodians and building operators on energy conservation principles, new technologies and facility retrofits.

SES / Affinity Credit Union Energy Conservation for Non-profit Organizations — With this program the Affinity Credit Union and the Saskatchewan Environmental Society have been working together since 2000 to make it easier for non-profit organizations to reduce their utility expenditures through energy conservation. To January 2006, assessments have been conducted for 15 buildings. The assessments have identified potential savings averaging 23% or $7000/year (50 tonnes CO2/year) per building.

SES climate change publications

"Towards a Sustainble Energy Strategy for Saskatchewan"

Designed to help decision-makers take seriously the possibility of a sustainable energy future for Saskatchewan. Identifies the nature of the resources, technologies and opportunities available, barriers to their adoption, and practical steps towards a transition to a sustainble energy system.

Click here to download the document in PDF

SES Climate Change Fact Sheet Series

These three fact sheets on climate change are available both in HTML and as PDFs.

• Saskatchewan — A look at the issue of climate change from a Saskatchewan perspective.
• Taking Action — A list of actions that you can take to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.
• International Issues — A look at the issue of climate change from an international perspective.

Would Nuclear Power be a Good Choice for Saskatchewan? — Why nuclear power is not the answer to climate change that the nuclear industry says it is and what energy choices would be better options.

Climate Change and Saskatchewan's Boreal Forest — At least one-third of the world’s forests are in danger from global warming. This 2004 report looks at the potential impact of climate change on Saskatchewan's boreal forest.

More on climate change

More information on climate change can be found on the following websites:

• Planetary Citizen’s Guide to the Global Climate Negotiations (PDF) — a Sierra Club of Canada publication that will "give you an easy to understand review of the history, science and critical issues that lie ahead".

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — numerous resources—for beginners or experts—such as introductory and in-depth publications, the official UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol texts, a search engine to the UNFCCC library, and a glossary of climate change terms

• One Less Tonne — an on-line tool to help Canadians choose actions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

• Climate Change Saskatchewan — Saskatchewan-relevant information on climate change

• Climate Change — how climate change will affect Canada; what is being done about it; resources for teachers, students; publications

• Climate Change: Impacts and Solutions — reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, electrical generation,industry, heating buildings, landfills

• Climate Action Network — a worldwide network of over 340 non-governmental organizations working to promote government and individual action to limit human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels

• Climate Action Network Canada — a Canadian network of organizations and individuals working to "support and empower Canada’s governments, private sector, labour and civil society by designing, developing and implementing effective strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions"

• Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative — interdisciplinary research network examining the potential impacts of climate change on the Canadian prairie provinces and conducting research necessary to develop appropriate adaptation strategies