Greetings from Kevin Lindsay, NCAH Board Chair
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Over the last couple of days I walked the dogs around my neigbourhood, surveying the damage caused by Tuesday night’s ‘bomb cyclone’. What I saw? Mostly small tree limbs and debris strewn about, and a rather wrecked deck railing from a downed tree. There’s a good chance you lost power where you live. If you happened to be travelling on Highway 4, I'm sure you were white-knuckle-ing! Overall, Vancouver Island came through this one relatively unscathed considering what might have been. It doesn't take a meteorologist to know that the outcome would have been quite different if the bomb cyclone had made landfall.
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You don’t need me to tell you that extreme weather events, caused by climate change, are becoming more frequent and, well, more extreme. The climate emergency is not some hypothesis—a potential or theoretical phenomenon. It is real, and we’re experiencing it now. Around the globe, we get a taste of it every day. Here in B.C., we’re becoming very familiar with its cadence.
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This week, the recently elected B.C government swore in its new cabinet. What is this government going to do about climate change? What are its plans to mitigate the effects of climate change and how does it plan to help communities adapt and be resilient in this new climate reality? Many of you received an email this week from the NDP encouraging you to share what you think their priorities should be. I think we all agree that their climate track record isn’t great. Whether you want to challenge your MLA or Energy and Climate Minister Adrian Dix on fracking or infrastructure resilience, now is the time to ask your questions and demand the action you want to see.
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Speaking of resilience, it was wonderful to see so many of you at our recent Climate Solutions Café on Climate Resilience at Home! (Below: A packed house for Zack Simon's excellent presentation on permaculture-based solutions.)
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Read on to hear about our next event. I’m excited to see you there!
In gratitude,
-Kevin
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Do you want to be a 'Disinformation Detective'? Join us for a special Climate Solutions Café, December 7th!
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How often do you find yourself in a frustrating conversation with someone who has obtained and is spreading misinformation about climate change? We're talking unintentionally inaccurate—perhaps misinterpreted data or news. After all, the science can be confusing for us non-experts, right?
But it seems like recently we are seeing more disinformation when it comes to climate—the intentional dissemination of false information related to climate change and climate action. Some of what we see (particularly on social media) is so outlandish it's easy to identify as disinformation. But some of it is sneakier and harder to spot.
Join us at our special Holiday Celebration Climate Solutions Café: Disinformation Detectives! In this highly interactive workshop you will learn from climate disinformation expert Jennifer Nathan. Come prepared to get to work hard sleuthing (which includes some reading so don't forget your reading glasses)! By the end of the workshop you will be deputized as a Disinformation Detective.
Please register here to attend. NCAH will provide lunch (with gluten-free, veg, and vegan options), but please bring Holiday treats to share if you'd like! Please note the new venue and time (to accommodate more people and format) in the Eventbrite details.
We look forward to seeing you on Dec. 7th!
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Which is cheaper in a new build: a gas furnace or an electric heat pump?
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We often hear local elected officials say people building a new home must have the option of gas heating and cooling systems because heat pumps are more expensive.
It can be difficult to find examples that are fair comparisons of the 2 systems but thanks to Bruce Murdoch, owner/contractor of K Country Homes in the Kootenays, we have some real data.
In fact, his comparison isn’t perfect as the “all electric” house included a suite that needed a single zone heat pump in addition to the heat pump for the main house. (And a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) for both dwellings.) Still, the quote for “all electric” is close to $5,000.00 less than the quote that includes a gas furnace.
Heat pumps can be the most cost-effective system for builders and homeowners.
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Infuriatingly, Fortis is offering sizable incentives for dual fuel systems (e.g., some combination of fracked gas and electricity) in new builds, which will keep BC homes burning fracked gas for decades to come. Disturbingly, BC Hydro is not offering similar incentives for new builds that are "all electric".
But don't give up hope yet. We are hoping the newly elected provincial government will increase its efforts to incentivize heat pump uptake and we will be knocking on the new Minister's door to persuade him!
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Climate solutions in your neighbourhood?
By Shelley Serebrin, NCAH Organizer
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Do you know of climate solutions happening in your neighbourhood? Here is a great example of one I have had a chance to be part of.
Our community climate action team obtained a grant from the City of Nanaimo to run a project to bring together residents in the Old City and Rock City neighbourhoods respectively and engage them in the idea and process of home energy retrofits (windows, insulation, sealing, heat pumps etc).
Fun, friendly gatherings of six residents each were invited to hear the stories, and experience low carbon energy systems (LCES) at the home of a neighbour who had done retrofits. A thermal imaging camera was a fun piece of tech we used to show residents where home energy leaks may occur. Everyone hovered around the camera, curious about what the images meant and how they might use it to understand the energy losses in their homes, enabling them to focus on the problems. Robust discussions resulted from the “show and tell” sessions as we enjoyed light refreshments.
One of the discoveries was a problem in a closet where, for the first time in the 8 years we have lived in this house, mildew appeared in a back corner. The thermal imaging camera clearly showed a cold area where the insulation must have come away from the wall. We had hired a company to blow cellulose insulation into the attic, but before they did that, we asked them to secure the vertical insulation batting around the closet.
The two photos below illustrate the use of the thermal imaging camera and what was done to remedy the heat leak.
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The numbers are in: EV registrations continue to increase!
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There has been a great deal of misinformation suggesting a decline in electric vehicle sales. In fact, sales have been constantly on the rise. ICBC registration numbers for 2023 show the following increases in YoY:
- 36% increase in Mid-Island
- 42% increase in Nanaimo City
- 31% increase on Vancouver Island
- 41% increase in British Columbia
Below are the actual number of electric vehicles registered with the Insurance Corp. of BC:
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"I'm very excited to see these numbers," MIEVA president Larry Boldt said when we talked to him. "Climate concern and fuel prices are having a big impact on vehicle purchase and lease behaviours. We're glad to see Islanders help drive the change that's needed."
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Looking for an easy way to support Nanaimo Climate Action Hub?
We have an account with the Regional Recycling South Return-It Depot at 839 Victoria Road in Nanaimo. You can donate the money from returnable items by asking the clerk to credit the Nanaimo Climate Action Hub account. Thanks in advance for your support. It makes a huge difference!
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This newsletter is a publication of the Nanaimo Climate Action Hub. For more information, please click below:
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We respectfully acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Snuneymuxw, Stz'uminus and Snaw-Naw-As First Nations.
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