the climate nexus: water, food, energy & biodiversity · what is the climate nexus •the inter...
TRANSCRIPT
The Climate Nexus: Water, Food, Energy & Biodiversity
Tuesday, April 26th 2016 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. PST
POLIS Water Sustainability Project Creating a Blue Dialogue Webinar Series 2015/2016
Thank You to Our Partners & Supporters
POLIS Water Sustainability Project Creating a Blue Dialogue Webinar Series 2015/2016
Series Partners & Funders
A Few Things Before We Begin
1. Audio
2. Question Period
3. Introductions
POLIS Water Sustainability Project Creating a Blue Dialogue Webinar Series 2015/2016
Today’s Speakers
Robert Sandford Author; EPCOR Chair for Water and Climate Security
Jon O’Riordan Senior Policy and Research Advisor, SFU Adaptation to Climate Change Team
POLIS Water Sustainability Project Creating a Blue Dialogue Webinar Series 2015/2016
The Climate Nexus Crisis Water, Food, Energy, Biodiversity
Blue Dialogue Webinar Series
Tuesday April 26, 2016
Jon O’Riordan and Bob Sandford
Outline of Presentation
• Jon will introduce the concept of the nexus, why it faces a crisis with the advent of a changing hydro climatic regime and loss of biodiversity
• Bob will comment on world events associated with the Nexus and international responses
• Jon will conclude with a review of low carbon resilience measures to adapt the nexus to accommodate future risks
What is the Climate Nexus
• The inter relationships between water, food, energy and biodiversity
• The Nexus faces a ‘perfect storm’ of ever increasing demands coupled with loss of ‘free’ ecosystem services and irreversible changes to hydro- climate regimes across the globe.
• Water lies at the heart of the nexus yet faces the greatest challenge due to increasing droughts and flooding
• Functioning nexus lies at the heart of sustaining all communities yet it faces a crisis
The Anthropocene
WEF Global Risk Analysis
Munich re Analysis
Global Risks-- Syria
International response
International response
From Reaction to Transformation
• Reaction • Responding after events
• Recreating the same infrastructure that failed
• Rapidly increasing costs
• Adaptation • Planning in advance of events
• Retaining the same paradigms for risk management
• Transformation • Totally new approaches to managing the nexus
• Demand side and supply side evaluation
• Public awareness and education
Water Transformation
• Maintain healthy watersheds to adapt to changing hydro-climate regimes
• Importance of WSA regulations • Environmental flows and risk assessments
• Provincial objectives and beneficial use
• Area based regulations
• Water sustainability plans– water reserves
• Cumulative effects analysis • Aligning land and water objectives
Food transformation--Soil Matters
Energy transformations
• Centralized to distributed
• Re design the grids for variety of energy sources
• Changing business model • Net metering
• Battery storage
• Changing technology • Solar power
• Original Treaty in 1964 for flood control and power
• Opportunity to renegotiate Treaty by 2024
• Increased role for First Nations, ecosystem services and climate nexus of food, water and energy
• ACT has valued ecosystem services in fish, recreation, agriculture and carbon sequestration
• Hydro climatic change will increase future values of ecosystem services and strengthen Canada’s position
• Assessment of ecosystem science required
Columbia River Treaty
Integrate Top Down and Bottom Up Measures
• Big picture policies – Pricing carbon – Eliminate fossil fuel subsidies – Financial incentives for renewables – Trade agreements based on mutual emissions reduction and
adaptation strategies – regulations
• Operational Practices – New professional standards in redesigning food, water and
energy systems under a changing hydro-climate – Integrated land, water and food production systems – Low carbon resilience strategies – Improve business case eg insurance
Increasing Awareness Universal Education
• Food security – Eliminate waste – Buy locally – Reduce beef consumption
• Energy Security – Reduce energy use – Develop new business model for distributed energy systems – Transition to electric vehicles
• Water Security – Water conservation and metering – Water reuse in wastewater treatment design
• Nature – Ecosystem resiliency
Nexus Footprint
• Personal tracking system • Energy use
• Water use
• Food consumption
• Outcome measures • % Reduction in food waste
• % reductions in water use
• % reductions in energy use
• Sharing stories • Transforming guilt to pride
Low Carbon Resiliency
• Explores potential synergies between adaptation and mitigation
• Rationale: – Current political movements internationally and in Canada
– Canadian federal government investments in adaptation, mitigation, green infrastructure and low carbon economy
– Multiple benefits (whole systems thinking)
– Savings: Time, financial resources, infrastructure
Case Studies
Lucid Energy
Don Mouth Naturalization Plan
The Climate Nexus: Water, Food, Energy and Biodiversity in
a Changing World
Question Period
POLIS Water Sustainability Project Creating a Blue Dialogue Webinar Series 2015/2016
Thank You! Stay tuned for details on the next webinar in the series.
www.youtube.com/POLISWaterProject