February 27th, 2010

Cape Breton is an Island. No big news there. However, because we are an island, we are threatened by climate change in very specific and worrisome ways. Sea level is on the rise, a result of climate change and the resulting Arctic Ice melt. The ocean has been reshaping our shoreline for generation after generation, and for millennia before that, so why should we care? Well, nowadays, coastal erosion threatens our communities, our homes and our way of life. Can you remember when there was a sand bar between Glace Bay and Port Calendonia? Sea level rise changes the shape of, or reclaims entirely, our beaches, salt marshes and other coastal features. It increases erosion problems by chipping away at causeways, breakwaters and sea walls. It even has the potential of bringing saltwater inland, where it doesn’t belong, possibly contaminating water supplies. While this is not a severe problem in many regions today, there are significant examples of coastal erosion along our shores. Strong and rocky cliffs are sliding into the sea, taking with them homes and barns, encroaching on our communities, in a way which we probably should have predicted. Researchers have stated that the Atlantic Region is the longest coastline in Canada which is highly sensitive to sea level rise. Reduction in sea ice has increased coastal erosion and has made flooding more common. Climate change has resulted in more frequent and more severe weather events which further weaken our shores.

Ok, so what can we do about it? Well there are two significant activities currently underway, in two different parts of Cape Breton Island, which are addressing high levels of sensitivity to sea level rise, their vulnerabilities and threats of climate change. One is a five year study by University of Ottawa professor Dan Lane who is including Isle Madame in an international study called "C-Change: Managing Adaptation to Environmental Change”. This study includes three other sites in Canada plus sites in the Caribbean. The study intent is to consult with local people and to discuss what might happen as climate change impacts are felt more strongly, such as those resulting from recent storm surges. A second study is underway in the Glace Bay Area, instigated by the Canadian Institute of Planners, NRCan, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and supported by ACAP Cape Breton. These groups are hosting a Climate Change Workshop to be held at the Glace Bay High School Library next week – one session Tuesday evening, March 2nd at 7 p.m. and another session Wednesday morning from 9:30 a.m. till noon. Sea level rise and erosion are unavoidable problems in our coastal communities. Whether you look on Upper North St. in Tablehead, or swim at the beach in Port Morien, the effects of climate change are obvious and quickly progressing. These meetings will begin with brief presentations by Kyle MacKenzie from the NS Climate Change Directorate, local hydro-geologist Fred Baechler, and Britt Roscoe from CBRM Source Water Protection. Following these presentations there will be time for questions, discussion regarding next steps. Both of these efforts, in Isle Madame and in Glace Bay, are part of larger studies and both are designed to assist communities in preparing for climate change. Residents in both locations and in surrounding areas, are encouraged to provide input on the future of their communities.

Small Changes = Big Differences

Input / Engage / Participate

Help set Adaptation Priorities

Maintain Coastal Vegetation

Ensure Adequate Development Policies

Keep the Sea at Bay

January 16, 2010

Lily is a black bear that lives somewhere in Missouri. I met Lily this week via a live webcam which is placed in her den. She was certainly less impressed with me than I was with her. It was startling and cool to see this big black bear in hibernation. Now I am sure you are asking yourself how interesting could it be to watch a bear sleep the winter? Plus, I always thought that when bears went into their deep winter sleep that they were inactive and not much to look at, but I was wrong. Lily is a very interesting bear. There is audio on the webcam so you can hear her breathe, snort and sigh. As if all of that is not enough to mesmerize an audience of any age, Lily is almost ready to give birth, which will be the first live birth of a bear cub caught live on a webcam. This may seem intrusive to Lily but in fact she is part of a long-term study of black bear ecology and behavior being conducted by the Wildlife Research Institute. She is a three year old American black bear who has been a star since she was born, as her mother and brothers featured prominently in the BBC/Animal Planet documentary 'Bearwalker of the Northwoods'. The movie premiered in the UK in October 2009 and will air on Animal Planet late in 2010.

The non-profit North American Bear Center believes that there is a significant need for accurate information about bears worldwide and so part of their goal is achieved by streaming live over the internet, Lily’s hibernation and impending birth. The hope is that, while collecting valuable research, they will also advance the long-term survival of bears worldwide. They will do that by replacing misconceptions with scientific facts about bears, their role in ecosystems, and their relations with humans. 

Closer to home, and not one bit related to the study of bears, is a unique live eye view made available by the Sydney Tar Pond Agency. The Tar Ponds clean up site has not one, not two, but three webcams spanning the clean up site. These offer clear views, one titled the Tar Cam, another the Coke Cam, and finally, the North Pond Cam. Every day you can log on at your convenience, and check the work and progress on the site.

National Geographic has a program called the WildCam which is a conservation initiative that uses the Internet to connect people to Earth's last remaining wild places. Now I know not everyone uses the internet but for those who do, these rare insights into environments that we may not otherwise have the opportunity to see first hand. I have often used the Nova Scotia Highway web cameras before I travel from home to Halifax since seeing live views of highway conditions during such a long trip is a convenient safety tool. From Mt Thom to Monastery, from the reefs of Belize to the wilds of Botswana, or from the Tar Ponds of Cape Breton to a sleepy pregnant bear in Missouri, ain’t technology grand?