Environment committee  Thank you very much. In your explanation, you mentioned two things that I wanted to discuss. The first was the effectiveness of wetlands in adapting somewhat to climate change. You discussed that quite clearly in your explanation a little earlier and also mentioned

Environment committee   well done. I wanted to start by addressing the issue of climate change. We in the NDP believe that we must act quickly on climate change, establish specific measures, develop an overall vision and be very active on the issue. We believe the present government is not doing enough

Environment committee   disturbed. Sixty-eight percent of lowland wetlands have been lost in Ontario. We are seeing losses in the arctic and boreal wetlands in northern Canada. However, those are related to the impact of climate change, particularly the drying up of peat bogs, which I will discuss a little

Environment committee   slower to come. We're seeing those threats, climate change in particular, appear as specific threats mentioned in assessing species at risk a little more frequently as time goes on. Again, we have to specifically understand what we mean by the impacts of climate change. Is it storm

Environment committee   is for Dr. Otto. The 2010 report by the Expert Panel on Biodiversity Science states that “biodiversity is being lost...at a rate unprecedented in human history”. You talked about climate change, among other things. What are the consequences of global warming on the planet

Environment committee  Dr. Whitton, do you have any recommendations for the committee with regard to possible federal policies on fighting climate change?

Environment committee  That's a very good question. My colleague, Jeannette Whitton, listed the major reasons for placing species at risk currently. She didn't mention climate change because, so far, it has not been. Our climate is changing so rapidly and scientists have been able to track

Environment committee  Thank you very much. Earlier on we were speaking off the record, about the importance of preventing climate change and about the much greater role that the federal government should be playing. We're speaking about conservation, but we're also speaking about the impact

Environment committee  . The issue of climate change and how it will have a negative influence on habitat conservation has also been raised. Would you also recommend that this committee undertake a separate study on climate change?

Environment committee  Certainly. As a review of federal lands, how they contribute to assisting with, for example, carbon sequestration and things like that, I think it should be rolled into your work. It's a big topic, so I'm not sure—climate change as a whole—but maybe parcel it out and see what

Environment committee  I think that any science-based organization needs to be thinking about and cognizant of climate change impacts. At some point you are going to have to face the adaptation strategies that species are going to need to be sustained within a healthy and operating ecosystem. Part

Environment committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks very much to our witnesses for being here with us today. For some of you, it is a pleasure to see you again. My question will be more about the fight against climate change. You spoke about it briefly, of course, and I think that, with regard

Environment committee  The subject of climate change is not our area of expertise. Actually, we think about this the other way around. We think about having a habitat conservation program or plan and the benefits that result from that— carbon storage, carbon sequestration, water, etc. From our point

Environment committee  Thank you, Mr. Lounds. I will remind Mr. Choquette of the parameters of the study of our committee. We're discussing habitat conservation and not climate change.

Environment committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. In part F of our study, we ask how the federal government could step up efforts in the area of habitat conservation in Canada? In your view, is the fight against climate change an important part of what the federal government should do? We have a sector