Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thanks as well to all the witnesses for being with us.
Mr. Sanford, in your opening remarks, I think you painted the most comprehensive picture of the impact of climate change on human life as a whole. In particular, you discussed agriculture, health and climate refugees. You pretty much covered the waterfront.
I recently read an article that was published on the subject in March. Western Canadian farmers, for example, have been experiencing drought for many years now, particularly in Alberta. Alberta farmers, and even the province's oil companies, are preparing for a water shortage. I found it quite interesting to read the article because, as we know, oil sands operations are the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, and even those companies, which want to increase production, are now facing a water shortage. Ultimately, I consider it quite risky that the oil companies aren't improving their processes to address climate change.
We know that floods and droughts are natural phenomena that are amplified by climate upheavals. I think government authorities should rely on science to guide their decision-making. Would you please expand on what's happening internationally in this area, apart from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which you told us about? Why is Canada lagging so far behind, since it seems to me that's what you said in your opening remarks. How can we compensate for that?