concern for the environment is now at the

In the same month that global leaders gathered in Glasgow for what many consider to be failed negotiations on climate change, 40 per cent of voters said that the environment, pollution or climate change was among their top three biggest issues - its highest ever score - whereas just 27 per cent chose the pandemic. This is a sharp reversal from the last 18 months, during which the pandemic You might not even realize the impact it's having on your own life. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, "Air pollution from coal-fired power plants is linked with asthma, cancer, heart and lung ailments, neurological problems, acid rain, global warming, and other severe environmental and public health impacts." He has also outlined the contemporary environmental threats that we now face with irresistible clarity - climate change, the build-up of toxins in our soil, air and oceans and the spiralling level of resource consumption, waste generation and demand for energy which all threaten human progress in the future. There are countless examples where corporate involvement in various issues could contribute to environmental problems as a result. Corporations are major entities in the world and thus have an enormous impact (negative and positive) on all our lives. And concerns of overly corporate-led globalization contributing to environmental problems are View full document. 158. Over the past several decades, concern for the environmenthas a. been relatively steady because people expect to live in a clean and safeenvironment. b. increased significantly because pollution became a threat to life andhealth. c. been carefully handled by businesses because they are the primary source ofpollutants. d. Site De Rencontre Amoureux De La Nature. People who had to leave their homes due to fires burning across northern and western regions of Quebec will not be able to return to their communities until next week, says Premier François speaking at a news conference Wednesday morning in Quebec City, said dry weather and strong winds are creating dangerous conditions and heavy smoke in areas that have been evacuated so far."I want us to be realistic and not have rose-coloured glasses. We won't have rain in the next few days," he the Abitibi region, people have been forced out of their homes in communities including Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Senneterre, Lac Simon Anishnabe Nation, Barriere Lake, Normétal and west and north, evacations have taken place in communities including Manawan, Chibougamau and Oujé-Bougoumou. In Waswanipi and Mistissini, people are preparing to evacuate the area. A full list of evacuated areas is available on Quebec's date, 11,400 people have had to leave their of them have made their way to the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area for safety over the last two days. WATCH Experts say some parts of province benefited from rainfall How the weather is affecting Quebec's forest fires and smog - and what will have to happen to make it all betterEnvironment Canada's experts say some parts of the province benefited from rainfall this week, but the effects may only be temporary. For other areas, the situation may only get worse."I want to thank people from Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean," said Legault. "I was really impressed last night, on social media we saw people offer their homes to those evacuated. There is exceptional solidarity among Quebecers."Legault also said his government is looking at helping people out with expenses related to North Shore was an area of significant concern earlier this week, but the situation is now under control and Sept-Îles residents have been able to go home, said evacuees flee northern Quebec communities to safety of SaguenayAn important piece of Hydro-Québec infrastructure near Baie-Comeau is no longer under threat from the the premier warned, the situation could change quickly and it's possible that new evacuation orders will be said he "understands it's anxiety-inducing to leave your home, but your safety is more important." Out-of-province reinforcementsArmed forces and out-of-province firefighters have been on the ground in Quebec to help tame the wildfires, but local fire authorities have said they only have the capacity to fight about 40 fires at a time for far, 460,000 hectares of land burned — already surpassing the 1991 total of about 350,000 hectares, said Forestry Minister Maïté Blanchette Vézina."We have never seen these many hectares [burn]," she said. There are currently 670 people fighting the fires on the ground, excluding the pilots of waterbombing aircrafts, said Evacuees are exhausted but hopeful in ChicoutimiThe latest from the scene of the northern Quebec forest firesCBC's Kwabena Oduro reports on the latest from Chicoutimi, has 11 working aircrafts out of 13, and Yellowknife is lending the province two of its aircraft while Nova Scotia sent out four. Reinforcements from New Brunswick and France are on the way, said Legault, with plans to add more from Mexico, Spain, Portugal and the United States. If all goes to plan, 1,200 employees would be on the ground fighting the fires, said because fires are burning across the country, getting help from other provinces may prove tricky, he said. Newfoundland and Labrador has already taken back two of the aircraft it had lent to Quebec. As of noon Wednesday, 149 fires were blazing in the province, most of them out of control. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted Wednesday evening that reinforcements had started to arrive from the with more on the way. Hundreds of American firefighters have recently arrived in Canada, and more are on the way. On the phone today, I spoke with POTUS Biden about this critical support – and I thanked him for all the help Americans are providing as we continue to fight these devastating wildfires.—JustinTrudeauAir quality improving in MontrealA smog warning in Montreal was extended until 715 Wednesday. Legault recommends those with asthma and respiratory problems stay inside with the windows it comes to getting back to normal air quality, rain helps wash away the pollutants and particles, explained Jean-Philippe Bégin, a meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada ECCC.While there has been rain in some parts of the province, more is needed. Regardless, air quality is improving in some hard-hit regions, he does all this wildfire smoke in southern Quebec mean for your health?"Things have already improved in the Montreal area as of last night, the air quality is better, but in the Ottawa region, the air quality is still bad," Bégin said on winds shifting to the north and northeast on Thursday, there should be further improvement, he said, even if the winds aren't strong. However, the situation is changing hour by hour and requires constant monitoring, he fires or extinguished fires can change the forecast, he said. Global cooperation to protect the ozone layer can ensure a better future for us all 16 September 2022 Climate and EnvironmentAs the Montreal Protocol to Protect the Ozone Layer turns 35 on Friday, World Ozone Day, the United Nations has said that continuing the level of cooperation that led to the treaty’s adoption and success is just what is needed to protect life on Earth, end the climate crisis and ensure a brighter future for us all. Hailing the Montreal Protocol as the most successful environmental treaty ever, the UN Environment Programme UNEP said the instrument’s adoption ended one of the biggest threats ever to face humanity as a whole the depletion of the ozone layer. “When the world found out that ozone-depleting gases used in aerosols and cooling were creating a hole in the sky, they came together,” the agency said in a press statement, adding “They showed that multilateralism and effective global cooperation worked, and they phased out these gases. Now the ozone layer is healing, allowing it once again to shield humanity from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.” Catastrophe averted This action has protected millions of people from skin cancer and cataracts over the years since. It allowed vital ecosystems to survive and thrive. It safeguarded life on Earth. And it slowed climate change if ozone-depleting chemicals had not been banned, we would be looking at a global temperature rise of an additional by the end of this century. “This would have been a catastrophe,” said UNEP. In his message on World Ozone Day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the Protocol was a success because, when science discovered the threat we all faced, governments and their partners acted. “The Montreal Protocol is a powerful example of multilateralism in action. With the many problems facing the world – from conflicts to growing poverty, deepening inequality and climate emergency – it is a reminder that we can succeed in working together for the common good,” said the UN chief. The Protocol has much more to give Mr. Guterres said that the Montreal Protocol has already contributed to tackling the climate crisis, and indeed, by protecting plants from ultraviolet radiation, allowing them to live and store carbon, it has avoided up to an extra 1 degree Celsius of global warming. “The Protocol’s work to phase out climate-heating gases and improve energy efficiency through its Kigali Amendment can further slow climate disruption. But, only by mirroring the cooperation and speedy action of the Montreal Protocol elsewhere can we stop the carbon pollution that is dangerously heating our world. We have a choice collective action or collective suicide,” he warned. UNEP said that the Montreal Protocol has much more to give. Under the Kigali Amendment nations have committed to phase down hydrofluorocarbons – a move that could avoid up to of global temperature rise by the end of the century. The Protocol and its Amendment are helping the world adopt climate friendly and energy-efficient cooling technology. What does this mean for humanity? UNEP said that as the international community continues to protect the ozone layer, the Protocol will continue to safeguard us and all life on Earth. “It also means a cooler planet as more countries ratify the Amendment. It means more people being able to access vital cooling technology without further warming the planet. It also means the Protocol continuing to send a clear and lasting message global cooperation to protect life on Earth is our best chance at a brighter future for everyone,” concluded UNEP. The Hole - A film on the Montreal Protocol, narrated by Sir David Attenborough ♦ Receive daily updates directly in your inbox - Subscribe here to a topic. ♦ Download the UN News app for your iOS or Android devices. Prior to 2018, the environment was an important issue to few With the COP-26 climate change summit now entering its tenth day, YouGov's issues tracker finds that 40% of Britons now say that the environment is one of the top three issues facing the country, a record high. This puts it within touching distance of second-placed 'the economy' 43% and within eight points of the top spot, currently occupied by health 48%. Although a record high, the environment has yet to break into the top two issues in the tracker's 11-year history. That said, the environment has clearly become a key issue for the public in recent years. Prior to 2018, the number of people listing it as one of the top issues facing the nation rarely topped 10%. However, levels of concern started to rise in 2018, and saw a significant increase in early 2019 following Extinction Rebellion protests in London. At this point the number of people listing the environment shot up to the mid-20s - itself then a record, comparable only to a spike caused by winter flooding in 2014 - and kept slowly rising until the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, when it plummeted to the low 20s. Concern has been rising consistently since that point, reaching the pre-COP-26 record of 37% in mid-August this year before falling back somewhat until the conference. See the results here 2010-2015 / 2016-2020 / 2020 onwards The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC recently released the first report of the sixth assessment cycle. Three others will follow in 2022. This volume of nearly 4,000 pages has observations on climate change from the past 150 years and projections for climate change up to the end of this century. It is being published 31 years after the first assessment cycle and eight years after the fifth assessment cycle. Overall, this latest report does not provide major new insights into climate change or the impact of human activity on it. It does, however, improve our understanding of the human role in climate change and reduce uncertainty about anticipated future impacts. By refining observation methods and improving the accuracy of climate models, the report makes it possible to better define the future impacts on the densely populated areas of southern Ontario and Québec. We are professors of construction engineering and members of the HC3 — Hydrology Climate Climate Change Laboratory at the École de technologie supérieure de Montréal. The laboratory specializes in the study of hydrology, climate and the impact of climate change on water resources. Warming twice as fast The average global temperature on Earth has increased C since the pre-industrial era. Climate projections predict a temperature increase between 2 C and C by the end of this century. This does not take into account the most pessimistic greenhouse gas emissions scenario, which is now considered improbable by most experts. Read more 5 things to watch for in the latest IPCC report on climate science This warming, however, is not geographically uniform. On the whole, southern Ontario and Québec are warming twice as rapidly as the rest of the world. Northern regions are warming three times as fast. The faster warming is mainly because of the ice–albedo feedback loop that is linked to the progressive loss of snow cover. This process means, among other things, that solar radiation, which is normally reflected by the snow, will be absorbed instead. We should therefore anticipate an average annual warming of 3 C to 6 C over southern Québec by the end of the century. Swimmers bob in the wave pool for the Super Aqua Club in Pointe-Calumet. The Montréal region had its warmest August on record. The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz However, the warming will not be evenly distributed across the seasons. Winters will warm significantly more than summer. This means future winters will be C warmer, with less snow cover and a decrease in spring flooding from melting. Changes in extreme events Rising temperatures have several other adverse effects, including changes in extreme events. The evidence that these are due to human activity has strengthened since the IPCC’s Fifth Report. It is now well established that human-induced greenhouse gas emissions have led to an overall increase in the frequency and/or intensity of some extreme weather and climate events since the pre-industrial era. Future projections on a global scale are consistent with this trend. At the regional scale, the magnitude of change varies according to local factors related to changes in land use, such as urbanization or an increase in the area used for agriculture, aerosol emissions into the atmosphere via industrial activity and feedback mechanisms, such as ice-albedo feedback. Read more Scientists moor ship in Arctic ice for a year to better understand climate change The report provides little detail about heat waves on a regional scale. That said, for North America, an increase in frequency and intensity is expected by the end of the century. All North American regions will also experience an increase in the intensity and frequency of warm extremes and a decrease in the frequency and intensity of cold extremes. Rainfall and flooding The projected increases in rainfall extremes will depend on a number of factors, including the duration of rainfall events and their rarity. Short-duration rainfall extremes that occur infrequently once every 10 years or more will become more intense. But a good portion of the existing water management infrastructure, which has a long life span, will adapt poorly to these increases. Floods from spring snow melt will likely decrease, due to the decrease in snow cover. But there may be a large increase in “flash floods,” caused by extreme summer and autumn rainfall. These are particularly likely to affect small rural catchments and urbanized areas. Firefighters make their way down a flooded street in Ste-Marthe-sur-la-Lac, in May 2019. With climate change, there will be a potentially large increase in flooding from extreme summer and fall rains. The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz The IPCC analyzed other indicators, including extreme heat, drought and winter conditions. Using these indicators, a number of conclusions can be drawn for southern Ontario and Québec. By the end of the century, the maximum daily temperature could regularly exceed 35 C during the summer months. Read more Extreme heat waves are putting lakes and rivers in hot water this summer Only the most pessimistic emissions scenario points to an increase in the severity of droughts. For the other scenarios, no clear signals emerge, which means further studies are clearly needed. The snow season is expected to shorten by the end of the century compared to 1995-2014. A shorter frost season is also expected. Adapting to climate change Ontario and Québec are warming and are not immune to the effects of anthropogenic climate change. While efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions must be pursued, it is essential to implement adequate adaptation measures to face an uncertain future climate. This first volume of the IPCC’s sixth report mentions the need to strengthen climate services, which is encouraging. These services are provided by a variety of organizations around the world. They are aimed at providing climate information to support decision-making, by linking science and data production with communication and application by citizens and decision makers. More details will be provided in the second volume of the report. Air quality advisories were in effect for 110 million people in the United States on Wednesday morning, ranging from New Hampshire to South Carolina and covering the Northeast, including Boston, New York City and the Northeast, the poor air quality is the result of wildfires raging in eastern Canada, sending smoke wafting into the In some areas, the smoke is so dense that people can smell it and the skies appear hazy. About 90 million people in the are impacted by the the Northeast, high concentrations of ground-level ozone — also known as smog — are driving unhealthy air quality levels in a number of urban areas across the live coverage on air quality conditions and Canada's wildfiresWhat causes poor air quality?Poor air quality can be caused by any airborne “irritant” — a particle or substance in the air that is harmful to a person to breathe in, according to Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist at the Allergy & Asthma Network, an advocacy group for people with asthma, allergies and related examples are air pollution, including from vehicles and carbon emissions, as well as rising ozone levels, she disasters, like wildfires, often cause short-term spikes in poor air quality as the smoke, which contains carbon monoxide and other dangerous chemicals, enters the atmosphere. Especially concerning is small particulate matter — tiny particles in the air that measure less than micrometers in diameter, or roughly 4% of the width of a strand of hair. These particles are small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs and can enter the are a few options for face masks if you need to be outside Disposable, KN95 and Environmental Protection Agency uses the air quality index to report air quality. It ranges from 0 to more than 300, with levels 50 and below considered the healthiest. When levels exceed 150, the general population may start to experience symptoms. Over 200 is considered "very unhealthy."Smoke from wildfires in Canada drifts into New York state can poor air quality hurt health?Many of the health issues people see from poor air quality, in general, can overlap with health issues people see from wildfire smoke, said Dr. Wynne Armand, a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate director of the MGH Center for the Environment and pollution from wildfire smoke can make breathing difficult for anyone, but especially for young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with asthma or other pre-existing respiratory conditions, she said. Dr. Aida Capo, a pulmonologist at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey, said on Wednesday that she's already seen an influx of patients because of the poor air quality, including patients with worsening symptoms of asthma or emphysema. "It's an almost immediate effect," Capo said. "If you're outside for any length of time, your symptoms can start and can worsen quickly."In the short term, wildfire smoke can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs, as well as an increased risk of respiratory infection. Studies have also found that short-term exposure to small particulate matter increases the risk of a range of cardiovascular and respiratory term, exposure to air pollution is associated with several chronic health conditions, including Severe asthmaPreterm birthHeart diseaseStrokeLung cancer DementiaLower IQ in children Smoke can be especially dangerous for pregnant women because they usually have diminished lung capacities due to their growing bellies, Parikh said. Exposure to air pollution during the first and second trimesters may also be associated with gestational diabetes, according to a study published in air pollution can harm a developing fetus and increase the risk of low birth weight, miscarriage and stillbirth. A global analysis found that air pollution likely contributed to nearly 6 million premature births in 2019. Does wildfire smoke make allergies worse? While smoke itself is not an allergen, it can irritate the nasal passages and airways.“If you have allergies on top of that, you’ve got two different things causing symptoms at the same time,” said Dr. Stokes Peebles, an allergy and pulmonary specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in may also worsen depending on what’s burning. If a person is sensitive to an environmental allergen, such as trees or grass, breathing in the smoke that results from burning that allergen may cause a more, heat can cause pollen to rise and be airborne for longer periods of time, spreading those particles even hundreds of miles away, Peebles said. “They can travel farther than they would ordinarily because they go higher into the atmosphere.”An N95 mask can help block those particles for people especially prone to environmental allergens, Peebles can I protect myself when the air quality is bad?Experts advise checking air quality alerts regularly. the EPA's website, allows people to track air quality by entering their ZIP codes. Many smartphones have apps that also track air Scott, a fellow at the American Association for Respiratory Care, a professional organization for respiratory therapists, recommended that people stay indoors as much as they can, with doors and windows closed. That includes for activities like exercise, which can cause stress on the with respiratory-related health conditions, including asthma, should monitor their symptoms closely, he added. They should also make sure their medications, like inhalers, are available or not expired.“People know their bodies really well. If they see some changes they believe are related to bad air, perhaps they need to contact a physician or advanced practice provider,” Scott of Hackensack Meridian Health, recommended that people with asthma use their rescue inhaler 15 minutes before they go outside. People look out at Montreal covered in smoke from the chalet on top of Mont-Royal on Ivanov / AFP - Getty ImagesParikh advised people to keep their homes well ventilated. People who need to go outside can wear a mask, such as an N95, she said.“Believe it or not, masking just like we did with Covid can be helpful in acting as a barrier between you and reduce the amount of particulate matter that you breathe in,” she said. Armand advised against dusting or mowing your lawn on days when the air quality is poor. Burning candles or using a gas stove can also contribute to poorer air quality on these days. People should seek medical attention if they experience a cough, trouble breathing, chest pain or wheezing or hear a whistling sound in the chest, Parikh air filters help with wildfire smoke?Indoor air filters can help reduce or remove pollutants, including small particulate matter from wildfire smoke. Indoor air filtration, including HVAC systems heating, ventilation and air conditioning and portable air purifiers can also help scrub pollutants that may have traveled inside homes and other can purchase portable air cleaners with replaceable HEPA filters that strain out small particulate matter, or HEPA filters are also available for homes outfitted with central heating and cooling systems. California’s Environmental Protection Agency recommends using an indoor air cleaner anytime the air quality index hits “unhealthy” levels, or if people see or smell smoke in the air. But people can also make their own indoor air cleaners by attaching an air filter to a box fan with tape, brackets or a bungee cord. If window air conditioning units, HVAC systems or portable air cleaners are not available, the Environmental Protection Agency said “DIY air cleaners” can serve as “a temporary alternative to commercial air cleaners.” The agency cautioned that DIY air cleaners should not be used routinely, and that concerns have been raised about the potential fire or burn risk involved if box fans EPA added that there is limited research on the effectiveness of DIY air cleaners, but a study published in July 2021 in the journal Aerosol and Air Quality Research found that low-cost filtration methods, including attaching a filter to a box fan, “can have significant benefit for filtering submicron smoke particles and may reduce exposure to during wildfire smoke events.”Is poor air quality bad for pets?Absolutely, according to Parikh. “Other mammals, they suffer from many of the same lung conditions that humans do,” she said. Scott said people should keep their pets — such as cats and dogs — indoors as much as possible. “If pets are outside, they’re running around outside or if they’re spending most of their time outside, it seems like it would probably create some irritation in their breathing and their airways and lungs as well,” he said. Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter & Facebook.

concern for the environment is now at the