More people feeling concern around climate change, as wildfires burn across Manitoba
With wildfires burning throughout the province and dry conditions impacting the agriculture industry, some are pointing to climate change as the cause.
Now, a new poll conducted by Ipsos shows that nearly half of all Canadians have mounting concerns about climate change.
THE SITUATION IN MANITOBA
Right now, there are close to 130 active wildfires in Manitoba.
Droughts have also led to decimated crops and some producers are selling off their cattle.
Curt Hull, project director for Climate Change Connection, said what we're seeing has been predicted for a long time.
"Things like drought and floods, and severe weather, storms, that kind of thing. Those are the kinds of things that are predicted to be more frequent and more severe, and that's what we're seeing,” Hull said.
GROWING CONCERNS
Concern about climate change is growing among Canadians.
A poll conducted by Ipsos shows that in light of recent weather events, 49 per cent of Canadians say the need to address climate change is more urgent.
That sentiment is even stronger with younger Canadians. Fifty-six per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 say they feel climate change is more urgent than they did in the past, compared to 43 per cent of Canadians aged 35 to 54.
Hull said the youth in Canada are the ones who will have to live with the effects of climate change.
"The severe droughts, the severe floods that we're seeing right now are going to get more frequent and severe in the future, and that's their future,” he said.
“That's where they're living, that's where they're going to be living, so rightfully they're concerned about that future."
The Ipsos poll also shows the heightened urgency about climate change is more prevalent in Quebec and British Columbia at 56 and 55 per cent.
In Manitoba, only 44 per cent say they felt an increased urgency.
Hull said one of the keys to fighting climate change is being able to feed ourselves without a reliance on fossil fuels.
CREATING CHANGE
Anderson Family Farm says it has taken steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"We bought a solar system that basically replaces all our hydro on the farm,” said Brad Anderson of Anderson Family Farm.
“It's a grid-tied system so we get paid for the Hydro we produce and then we buy Hydro back from the grid."
Eric Reder with the Wilderness Committee said people have to act on climate change now to limit the challenges we're going to face in the future.
He said agricultural producers are going to feel the impacts the most.
"The way that they work the land, it's going to change, the way that suburbanites deal with their lawn, or their vehicles or heat or cool their houses, those things are going to have to change,” Reder said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.