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The Government response to, and actions taken against, climate change. -…

- - - - Government
        
        The Trudeau government has implemented a federal carbon tax. Under this program, the government put a price on pollution. The UN has praised the Trudeau government for their bold plan of action.
        
        The Carbon Tax
        
        The Ford government is investing in a new nuclear power plant on the shores of Lake Ontario. Nuclear energy is the only form of firm green energy and is the best choice for reducing emissions in the energy sector.
        
        A graph of pollution by energy source (nuclear is at the bottom of the list)
      - Private Sector
        
        CarbonCapture Inc. is working actively to reduce the amount of carbon in our atmosphere with massive fans to sequester carbon below ground. Centre for Climate: Carbon sequestering can achieve 14% of the carbon emissions reduction needed before 2050.
  - - - Private Sector
        
        Insurance companies are preventing losses in hurricanes by not being there. In 2023, nine insurance companies filed for bankruptcy and many more left the state of Florida.
        
        Florida has the highest premiums in the US
      - Government
        
        In 2018, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program. A cost estimate from the agency found that every dollar spent in disaster prevention led to four dollars in savings after a disaster occurred. The primary focus has been flood damage control. Many houses in the Southern US are now built above their garages or on stilts to prevent flood damage to the actual house.
        
        My grandfather's garage has holes in the door and the back wall to allow floodwaters to move through without damaging the actual structure
    - - Private Sector
        
        The Marsh McLennan company, founded after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, has been hard at work devising solutions following the horrific LA fires. CEO John Doyle believes that wildfire insurance is still viable in the area but recommends significant changes. Chief among them, helping their clients install fire-resistant materials in their homes. Doyle also thinks more fire boundaries are necessary such as large green spaces that lack the kindling to enable fires to continue to spread. Government partnerships will also be necessary in future to keep companies solvent.
        
        A picture of the Palisades Fire in 2025
      - Government
        
        In 2023, over 1,000,000 hectares of Canadian forest burned as a part of 109 wildfires. To prevent future fires, the Government of Canada frequently removes potential wildfire fuel from the ground. The government also undertakes massive public awareness campaigns designed to prevent man-made fires. The government also implements fire bans on dry regions during summer.
        
        A map of fire bans in Ontario last year
    - - Private Sector
        
        In the coming years, the food and beverage industry is forecasting a $200 billion effect from water scarcity. These companies will need to adapt their water usage to stymie losses or die trying.
      - Government
        
        The Government of Canada runs the Canadian Drought Monitor program that tracks climate forecasts to determine when and where droughts will occur. In 1970, parliament passed the Canada Water Act which created a joint program between the federal government and the provinces to create water management infrastructure in areas prone to droughts. The act also supports long term conservation programs in the Prairies to conserve what limited water is available there.
        
        The Canadian Drought Monitor as of Dec 31, 2024
  - - - Private Sector
        
        The Arctic Ice Project is looking into the efficacy of dropping hollow glass microspheres onto the glacial ice in the arctic. These HGMs will supposedly reduce the rate at which the glaciers are melting by reflecting sunlight away. The project hopes to stop the positive feedback loop of ice melting. This operation has not yet commenced and is still in the planning phase.
        
        Hollow Glass Microspheres
      - Government
        
        The Government of Canada has designated a large swath of ice in the far north of Nunavut as free from human development. For at least the next five years, no structures will be built and no exploitation of the area's oil and natural gas will occur. These restrictions will prevent the ice north of the 85th parallel from weakening any further. This initiative was spearheaded by the local Inuit population.
        
        A map of the conservation area
- - - - Private Sector
        
        Private companies such as Coulson Aviation in Canada provide support to firefighters during wildfire season. Coulson has a fleet of 16 UH-60 helicopters and 6 Boeing 737s that they use to put out fires from the skies. Most recently, the Coulson fleet was deployed to Los Angeles where they have been battling the Palisades Fire.
        
        A Coulson Boeing 737
      - Government
        
        One part of the aforementioned Operation LENTUS is their role in fighting fires. In 2018, the Canadian Armed Forces deployed almost 500 soldiers to BC to fight wildfires there. They spent over 22,000 hours fighting fires and put out 1000 hectares of fire. Initiatives like this one stop fires from spreading out of control for long.
        
        an infographic on firefighting from LENTUS
    - - Government
        
        Operation LENTUS is a Canadian Armed Forces program that helps people prepare for and recover from natural disasters. While their most prominent job is putting out wildfires, they also fill and ship sandbags to affected areas before a hurricane to reduce the risk of property damage. In 2018, LENTUS personnel filled 50,000 sandbags and put up 750 metres of aquafencing.
        
        an infographic on flood prevention from LENTUS
      - Private Sector
        
        Aquafence is working to prepare areas often hit by flooding and hurricanes by offering reusable watertight barriers. The system can be rapidly delpoyed and supports itself using the weight of the water it is holding back. The fence is offered in a range of heights between 4 and 9 feet.
        
        Aquafence protected Tampa General Hospital duing Hurricane Helene last fall
    - - Private Sector
        
        Argentina-based company Bioceres has created a new, genetically-modified, drought resistant strain of wheat called HB4. The new strain uses genes from sunflowers to better withstand drought conditions. Farmers in Argentina are already growing this with US approval arriving in August 2024.
        
        A planter full of HB4 at Bioceres
      - Government
        
        The government prepares for droughts by issuing drought notices as well as enforcing strict water conservation restrictions. Many of these include limits on shower duration, individual consumption, and a moratorium on lawn watering. The Disaster Mitigation Fund has also pledged $2.5 billion into new infrastructure such as water towers for drought-prone regions.
        
        A map of drought-prone regions in the prairies
  - - - Under President Biden, the US government embarked on a historic infrastructure renewal plan. Part of this was billions for dam and dyke replacement. These dams will flood proof areas at risk from rising water levels.
        
        A dam in the middle east
      - As local governments replace infrastructure, they are keeping rising sea levels in mind. A water waste treatment plant in Charleston was recently moved from its site in a floodplain to a more elevated location.