Global Warming in Canada doing as much harm as good
Canadian parliament buildings could melt with global warming (joking).
Many experts have predicted that global warming is not necessarily a bad thing for Canada, as warmer temperatures will allow access to resources previously unavailable due to constant frozen winter conditions, and that trade opportunities abound due to better access to the Northwest Passage for example.
But there are reports that this is not really going to be the case, as global warming will seriously affect access to existing resources because of the impact on frozen ice bridges and tundras that make it possible to reach those resources.
While it’s true, the landscape will change significantly if global warming continues on its present pace, and Canada’s northern coastlines will shift with the change in the ice floes, predictions are that shorter Winters or reduced capacities for ice bridges to remain frozen, and other deeper, softer snows will make it nearly impossible to access other regions.
It’s easy to say that global warming brings change, and that more arable land or other moderations in temperature can be good for agriculture or mining, the truth is that these new available resources cannot alter the fact that other existing resources may be lost (forever?) due to excessive costs or impossible environmental conditions playing a part in eliminating access.
The reports are that winter roads that are built over frozen lakes will be lost or at least their access times will be reduced. This not only affects Canada, but also Finland, Denmark (Greenland), Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.
As Canada’s landmass (along with Russia’s) is the largest, the impact will be noticed even more, as conditions affected by global warming create noticeable changes in the environment, the landscapes, the seascapes, and everything in between.
Spin it as you will, the outlook for Canada due to global warming is not good, as these changes will significantly alter our abilities to reach existing timber and mining resources. How many resources could Canada gain from global warming when so much can be lost?
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