Her Campus at U Ottawa acknowledges that we are located on the stolen and unsurrendered land of theĀ Algonquin people.Ā
As a three-year resident of Ottawa, this marks my first year in the city that the canal is not ready for skating season yet. Though it seems like a minor issue this winter since there are other rinks and skating areas scattered around the city, there is actually a bigger underlying issue to it: climate change. Global warming and climate change are often discussed in classes and in personal conversations; however, as people who live in a western and developed country, many of us have had yet to see the harsher consequences of climate change. This past year, it has been more noticeable in everyday life.
Sriracha Shortage?
Going off of the previous point: food supply chains have been disrupted heavily. Walmart had just recently received a restock of sriracha sauce due to many chilli crops failing. Many food items, including certain types of flour and wheat products, have been experiencing shortages due to harvesting troubles caused by climate change.
In previous years, these slight disruptions went unnoticed because climate change and global warming did not affect developed countries nearly as much; in the past couple of years, the consequences are reaching the north and western hemispheres. Additionally, prices have risen due to these shortages caused by the scarcity of certain resources. This has sparked an increase in theft in grocery stores, as people no longer have access to affordable groceries and are being compelled to steal to sustain their daily lives.
Cancel The Skate Date
The reason our canal season has been postponed or cancelled as a whole is because of environmental disruptions. There has been unpredictable weather fluctuation causing the canal to not freeze properly. The Rideau Canal Skateway is a way of bringing the Ottawa community together, a novel mode of transportation, and a great way to get some exercise in. To preserve this, climate change needs to be halted.
The coldest day last year was January 11th, with the temperature reaching negative 20 degrees (negative 30 degrees with windchill). However, later that same week, it was back up to 0 degrees. There have been erratic and unpredictable temperature rises and drops throughout this winter season as well. This may seem like a minor inconvenienceā€”having to wait an extra five minutes to let the ice on the windshield of your car melt one day doesn’t seem like a big dealā€”but this makes it harder for people who are active in the process of growing our food supply or making new infrastructures to do so.
Global warming and climate change can’t easily be stopped, but the extreme outcomes of it can be delayed. As stakeholders in this problem, we need strategies to do this. As individuals in a huge global community, the best we can do is make our daily lives more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Additionally, voting for qualified people who represent this issue during legislative processes is important. Again, this issue may seem stressful, but we have to remember that it is mostly big-time companies that have caused these issues from their mass pollution, dumping, and inability to cooperate with environmental laws. Therefore, it’s crucial for us as voters and people with voices to whom these companies cater, to push green and sustainable products which will create demand and support the right people!