News

  • What shapes our coastlines? Causes and types of erosion

    Friday, November 22, 2019 | By

    Have you ever wondered why some areas of a coastline have eroded more than others? Or thought to yourself, “wow, that cliff does not look very stable.” The answer is that coastlines are naturally designed to move—whether we like it or not. Any water-land interface has a series of natural processes that cause it to be dynamic; sometimes eroding away, sometimes gaining material (in a process called accretion).

    Coastlines can take many shapes and forms. It depends on what type of material the coastline is made of (e.g., rock, sand, clay), what type of vegetation (and how much) is present, how much humans have encroached into the coastal zone, and where the coastline is located. The 20 kilometres of coastline within the Town of Lincoln, for example, comprises a range of materials including dynamic beaches, sandy loam cliffs, and clay till. The type of material that makes up the coastline also directly influences how it will stand up to different types of coastline changes which can be of natural, climatic (e.g., storms) or human origin.

    There are many different factors that can lead to erosion within our coastal zones, with some being more obvious than others. The high energy of wave action, particularly during storm events, physically breaks away the shore. If there is any debris or rocks in the water, that can further accelerate the physical breakdown of the coastline or may reduce the impacts of large waves. What’s more is that air can also get trapped between an incoming wave and a cliff, increasing the air pressure in the cliff face as that air gets pushed into holes, cracks or joints in the cliff. This decreases the integrity of the material over time, making it more vulnerable to damage and erosion.

    Heavy rainfall events, as another example, can lead to overland runoff that eventually makes its way to the lake. This can cause erosion channels (like little creeks or run-off channels) that grow deeper and wider with more storms. What’s also important to consider is the impact of water flowing below the surface on erosion. Groundwater will choose the path of least resistance—moving faster in sandier soils and slower in clay soils—resulting in more seepage points in areas that have more sand and causing faster erosion.

    The natural processes of coastal erosion are also often disrupted by the presence of humans. The fact that coastlines are naturally dynamic may not sit well with waterfront property owners and, in response, they may attempt to protect their shoreline and minimize the amount of coastal movement. There may be short- and long-term consequences of the various types of human activities on the coast.

    So, how does a homeowner or a city decide if there is a need for shoreline protection and what type of measure to use? Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks as we discuss different types of shoreline protection and which is most effective for certain areas.

     

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • MEOPAR BLOG: Maladaptation: When Adaptation goes wrong.

    Thursday, November 21, 2019 | By

    Overland flooding caused by a lack of road maintenance.

    In previous articles in this series, we discussed adapting and being resilient to the impacts of climate change. We have explained that we cannot continue to take a business as usual approach—we need to act. But what does take action actually mean? And what if we get it wrong?

    This can and does happen. Making the decision to adapt to climate change is important, but there can sometimes be unforeseen consequences of those adaptation efforts, such as increasing the vulnerability of ecosystems or communities. When this happens, it is called maladaptation.

    Maladaptation can begin as a positive adaptive measure with the best of intentions. It can also occur when climate change was not kept in mind during the development of a strategy or policy, or when taking certain actions or enacting management strategies.

    If climate change is not considered during the construction of a new bridge, for example, that bridge may be damaged or destroyed during a flood. Restrictions in tree planting can cause maladaptation, leading to fewer shady areas, warmer temperatures, and less buffering capacity against strong winds. Another example is a lack of ditch maintenance that amplifies damage during storm events.

    Certain behaviours can also be also maladaptive, like idling at a drive-through or while stuck in traffic for hours on the Queen Elizabeth Way.

    The way residents and communities deal with shoreline erosion can also cause maladaptation. Since moving houses is not always a viable measure, many instead opt for shoreline protection. Along a body of water like Lake Ontario, this battle is largely being fought on an individual or family scale–you do what you must in order to protect your property. But when this effort takes the shape of a hardened wall structure, this can have damaging long-term effects on both yours and your neighbours’ properties.

    So how do we avoid adaptive efforts from becoming maladaptive? Having the right voices at the table and thinking as long-term and holistically as possible is the best place to start. If the voices of many different interest groups, sectors, and neighbourhoods are heard, local climate adaptation measures are more likely to be successful.

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Uncategorised

  • MEOPAR Blog: SOILS: A Dynamic and Diverse Ecosystem and its relationship to agriculture and climate change

    Wednesday, November 06, 2019 | By

    Photo caption: Soil degradation is becoming a growing concern for the agriculture industry globally, and Niagara is no exception.

    For those of us who weren’t born and raised in a rural community, soil is often regarded simply as mud or dirt. The rise of urbanization and the rural-urban divide has led to a disconnect between humans and nature, and, especially, between humans and agricultural settings. Such a disconnect makes it difficult for people to understand how important soil actually is.

    Soil is a complex and dynamic ecosystem that hosts 25 per cent of the world’s biodiversity. In fact, one gram of soil contains one million organisms! Arguably even more important is the fact that the food that we eat also depends on those soils.

    Soil degradation is becoming a growing concern for the agriculture industry globally, and Niagara is no exception. Land-use change patterns like deforestation, and agricultural intensification can cause waterlogging and erosion and lead to release of greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide). Soils play a crucial role in climate change mitigation by acting as one of the largest terrestrial reservoirs of carbon. Healthy soils participate in the carbon and nitrogen cycles, which keeps our ecosystems healthy and contributes to agricultural productivity. Continued loss of productive soils will further amplify food-price volatility and could greatly affect the farming community.

    Changes to soil health as far north as the Arctic are also driving climate change. In northern regions such as the arctic, soils are frozen (a phenomenon known as permafrost) and represent a vast reservoir of carbon. When that soil thaws, due to climate change, carbon dioxide and methane are released in the atmosphere, which then further contributes to climate change. A vicious cycle indeed.

    The good news is that these impacts to soil health are avoidable. Careful soil management would not only increase our food supply but would also provide a valuable lever for climate regulation and a pathway for safeguarding ecosystem services.

    The researchers involved with the MEOPAR project are working to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change and how communities can effectively adapt, and increase resilience, to these changes. Follow along with our articles every week (written by researchers Liette Vasseur, Meredith DeCock, Bradley May and Pulkit Garg) to learn more about the project and how you can get involved. You can also visit our website at brocku.ca/unesco-chair or email us at meopar-lincoln@brocku.ca.

     

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • MEOPAR Blog: Understanding Climate Change Resilience

    Thursday, October 17, 2019 | By

    Photo caption: Master’s Candidate, Meredith DeCock and Lincoln resident, Brian Jaworsky discussing bank stability of 16 Mile Creek despite significant climatic events and human influence (such as the building of the QEW).

    You may have noticed that a number of municipalities—such as Hamilton, St. Catharines, Toronto and Kingston—have recently declared climate emergencies. One of the reasons for doing so was to make changing environmental conditions a priority and plan the best way to build resilience at the local level. But what exactly is resilience, and how can it help us adapt to the risks posed by climate change?

    The easiest way to think of resilience is by comparing it to a rubber band: you can stretch the band to just before its breaking point, but when you let go, it returns to its previous shape fully intact. That’s resilience. Alternatively, if you pull too hard, the elastic breaks and can no longer be used for its original purpose. In that case, we have to consider transformation, meaning the system is no longer sustainable and must change to another one.

    Resilience is the ability to return to a normal state after some sort of disruption. For the sake of this article, we are referring to events or situations caused by climate change: floods, drought, heat waves, etc.

    Resilience strategies can involve enhancing the natural ecosystem, the social make-up of communities or modifying the physical environment. Being resilient means protecting your home against flooding, building parks and green spaces that maintain the natural buffering capacity of the land, developing emergency response plans, and re-designing roads and bridges to withstand increased freeze-thaw cycles and extreme wind. In some cases, resilience may also mean moving assets far away from hazards, such as coastline vulnerability. We also often talk about “remove, retreat or restore”: a few strategies that can help our communities become more resilient and sustainable.

    Our communities, businesses and homes can all be made more resilient to the hazards and risks of climate change. So, when you think of resilience, think of the rubber band: flexible and adaptable.

     

     

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • MEOPAR Blog: Risks and Hazards

    Sunday, October 13, 2019 | By

    Photo Caption: Living along the shore has its risks. This section of Lakeshore Road was patched and a stacked armour stone wall was installed after the 2017 floods.

    Risks and hazards are two similar, but often confused terms. A hazard is classified as anything that can cause adverse effects or harm to someone or a community. There are three different types of hazards: occupational or safety hazards (which most people are familiar with), including equipment malfunctions or slippery floors; health hazards, such as work stress, air pollution, or bacteria exposure; and natural hazards, such as earthquakes, heatwaves, hail or tornados.

    The chance that a hazard will cause harm is considered the risk—a low risk translating to a low possibility of being hurt. A hazard could also be low risk when the severity of the harm caused is minimal. Your level of risk is also dependent on your likelihood to be exposed to a specific hazard. For example, residents living on top of the Niagara Escarpment are at a lower risk of being flooded by Lake Ontario than those living along the shoreline.

    When we think about natural hazards, we used to be talking about events that occurred once in 100 years. But with climate change—this is no longer the case. Heat waves, freezing rain and heavy rainfall are occurring more frequently , often classified as disasters.

    Understanding hazards and their associated risks plays an important role in the development of climate change adaptation strategies. Some disasters, like hurricanes, cannot be avoided. It is at this point thatdisaster risk reduction becomes the only option. In the case of hurricanes, the best long-term risk reduction strategy may be to avoid building close to the coastline. In the case of existing structures that lay in the path of the storm, the best course of action is to hurricane-proof the dwelling and evacuate.

    Although it’s not always possible, we can reduce our chances of being harmed by natural hazards. Risk reduction strategies have saved lives, which is why it’s crucial that we gain a better understanding of the hazards that can affect us and properly assess their risks.

     

     

     

     

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • MEOPAR BLOG: A new way to look at us and our environment

    Wednesday, October 09, 2019 | By

    Stacked armour stone walls along Charles Daley Park are an example of a location that may benefit from using ecosystem-based adaptation techniques. 

    There are various types of climate change adaptation strategies: technological, structural or those that are determined by policies and governmental decisions.

    Technological or structural adaptations are those that are related to any type of manipulation or intervention — such as the construction of a protection wall, infrastructure improvement, or even structural relocation. While some of these strategies can be simple and inexpensive to enact, others may be complex and potentially cost-prohibitive. What’s more, when we focus only on structure, technology or policies, we can sometimes forget other important factors: overall well-being, enjoyment of nature and the benefits that the natural environment gives us, such as clean air, shade and heat reduction, and clean water.

    That’s where ecosystem-based adaptation comes in. Often referred to as ‘EbA,’ this form of adaptation can be defined as any strategy or action that employs the use of nature-based solutions to ensure humans and the natural environment can adapt to climate change. It considers that we, as humans, are also part of this ecosystem and uses the natural environment and the services/benefits it provides to adjust to climate changes. EbA has also been promoted by many international organizations, such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the United Nations and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

    There are many possible strategies in EbA, and many of which are less costly than technological or structural adaptations. Techniques utilizing soft protection of the shoreline (such as planting more vegetation) are less expensive and usually can last a lot longer than constructing a concrete retaining wall, for example. Adding more trees along the street can also help mitigate climate change, as well as providing shade and reducing heat waves and wind turbulence. Restoration of wetlands is another example of an EbA and can reduce the danger of flooding in a flood-prone neighbourhood.

    With a little imagination and lots of discussion with everyone at the table, we can discover many possible adaptations that will help our ecosystem while contributing to our overall quality of life in the process.

    These posts are written by the MEOPAR research team, comprised of Liette Vasseur, Meredith DeCock, Bradley May and Alex Marino. For more information about the project, contact us via email at meopar-lincoln@brocku.ca.

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • Reducing Our Water Footprint By Living Sustainably

    Thursday, September 19, 2019 | By

    Canada is blessed with many lakes, rivers, and streams and has an abundance of water for its small population size. However, 60 per cent of Canada’s water flows northward, making it unavailable to southern Canada, where the majority of the country’s population lives. The Niagara Region, for example, only has access to a very limited amount of water for personal, industrial and agricultural purposes. What’s worse is that climate change further limits freshwater availability due to droughts and other extreme weather events.

    Approximately 30 per cent of Canadian households rely on groundwater sources for water. Since most of these sources must be recharged from the surface, changes in river flows and land use can significantly impact the amount of water available to these households. As climate changes continues to make our water supply more limited, we need to be vigilant about how we use our water and for what purposes.

    Our water footprint is the amount of water we consume in our daily life. This includes the water used to grow the food we eat and to produce the energy and products in our daily life (our books, music, house, car, furniture, clothes, etc.). The global average water footprint was 1.4 million litres per person per year in 2017. However, water footprints vary greatly depending on where you live. The average water footprint for a Canadian is approximately 6400 litres of water per person per day. On the other hand, residents of countries like China and India consume only 3000 litres of water per day.

    Our water footprints vary significantly based on the types of food products we consume. For instance, a 250 millilitre cup of tea has a water footprint of 30 litres, whereas the same amount of coffee has a water footprint of 280 litres. The location where our food is produced also impacts its water footprint. Locally produced broccoli, for example, requires one tenth the amount of water that is required to produce avocados. A 100 gram bar of chocolate requires a whopping 2400 litres of water to produce! With that in mind, it is understandably more sustainable to consume locally produced food products if we want to minimize our water footprint on the planet.

    Virtual water is the amount of water needed for each commodity or service that you receive.

    The water required for producing goods that are imported into Canada is an example of virtual water, such as the more than 10,000 litres required to manufacture one pair of jeans. Understanding where water comes from and how it is used can help us better understand challenges both globally and locally in the era of climate change.

    The researchers involved with the MEOPAR project are working to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change and how communities can effectively adapt, and increase resilience, to these changes. Follow along with our articles every week (written by researchers Liette Vasseur, Meredith DeCock, Bradley May and Pulkit Garg) to learn more about the project and how you can get involved. You can also visit our website at brocku.ca/unesco-chair or email us at ​meopar-lincoln@brocku.ca​.

    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • MEOPAR BLOG: Call for Photographs

    Wednesday, September 18, 2019 | By

    CALL FOR PHOTOS EXTENDED

    We have discussed what climate change is and the importance of adapting to the environmental changes occurring and anticipated. But how can we be sure that some of these changes are truly a result of climate change? MEOPAR team member Meredith DeCock is hoping to demonstrate just that with her master’s thesis.

    Brock University Master of Sustainability Science and Society Candidate, Meredith DeCock is conducting an analysis of the Lincoln shoreline of Lake Ontario to see how it has changed since the 1930’s. As part of her research project, she is asking for help from the community. She is interested in acquiring electronic copies of historical photographs anyone may have of the shoreline to help visualize how it has changed over time. Photographs are important visuals in climate change research to help tell the story over time. It is a way of sharing your local knowledge and contributing to the research project.

    Don’t miss out on an opportunity to participate in a local research project!

    Photos are now being accepted until October 31, 2019. 

    Find out more information on the project and how to submit your photographs here.
    *Please remember to sign a waiver (found at the web address above) and submit it with your photograph(s)*

    Continue to monitor this page to read new blog posts every week. These posts are written by the MEOPAR Research Team, comprised of Liette Vasseur, Meredith DeCock, Bradley May and Alex Marino. For more information about the project, contact us using this form, or, via email at lvasseur@brocku.ca@brocku.ca

     

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    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • MEOPAR Blog: Mitigation will not be enough: we need to adapt

    Wednesday, September 18, 2019 | By

    Flood waters rise up to the Niagara Rowing School and Paddlesport Centre at the Jordan Harbour Conservation Area, June 2019.

    What is adaptation and why is it important?

    The top scientists around the globe know our climate is changing at a faster rate than Earth has ever experienced—largely as a result of the actions taken by humans since the industrial revolution. This is resulting in changes to the Earth’s natural processes, including our climate, and action needs to be taken to slow down and deal with these changes.

    These actions can take on two different forms: mitigation or adaptation. Mitigation refers to actions taken to slow down climate changes, mainly targeted at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, for example. Adaptation, on the other hand, goes even further: acknowledging that even if we halted 100% of all emissions right now, we will still inevitably see some of the effects of climate change for decades. Adaptation means preparing for the inevitability of these changes by engaging in actions or strategies to better respond to the risks of climate change. Strategies may be either reactive (drying out your basement and preventing mould after you’re have been flooded) or proactive (relocating entirely because your house is getting too close to the shoreline).

    Adaptation actions may include:

    • flood prevention
    • relocation
    • land use changes
    • health programs
    • restoration of shorelines and forests
    • smart building design

    To successfully tackle the complex challenge of climate change, a combination of mitigation and adaptation efforts need to be prioritized by everyone: from federal to municipal governments, as well as local agencies, businesses and community members. Using the Town of Lincoln as a case study, the MEOPAR-Lincoln research project focuses on how communities can adapt to changing environmental conditions, and what will ultimately motivate citizens to get involved and start moving into action.

    A wide range of community voices will be needed to complete this study, as there will be a wide range of impacts to be addressed and strategies to be examined.

    Continue to monitor this page to read new blog posts every week. These posts are written by the MEOPAR Research Team, comprised of Liette Vasseur, Meredith DeCock, Bradley May and Alex Marino. For more information about the project, contact us using this form, or, via email at lvasseur@brocku.ca@brocku.ca

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    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

  • MEOPAR Blog: Mitigation, A fancy way to say “Reduce the use of fossil fuels!”

    Wednesday, September 18, 2019 | By

    Flooding under the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) leads to partial closures of Charles Daley Park, Spring 2019.

    How much do you like driving your car or turning up the heat in your home on a frigid winter day? How often are you awake long after the sun has gone down, relying on the flick of a light switch in order to go about your evening routine? While many of these things are considered a common part of life, have you ever wondered where the energy comes from to do everything that we often take for granted?

    Many of the modern conveniences we rely on every day require the use of natural gas or gasoline—both of which emit a lot of greenhouse gases. The more of these gases that get pumped into the air, the greater the impact to our climate and our overall health and well-being. As convenient as it is to jump in our cars and zip from Point A to Point B, the ozone emitted by those cars creates smog that causes major health issues, like asthma and cancer, prompts our government to issue air quality advisories and cautions us from spending too much time outdoors.

    So, what can we do?

    We can start by committing to making a few, little lifestyle changes today. If we want future generations to enjoy life the way that we have, spending time outdoors engaging in Canadian summer pastimes like hiking and boating, we can’t afford to wait.

    A good place to start is by having open, honest and intergenerational discussions about our consumption patterns and over-use of resources. Think about whether your next potential purchase is a want or a need, for example. Do you really need a new car or a new cell phone, or do you just want to keep up with the latest update and features and your current device still does the trick? Do you need a new house of several thousand square feet for only two people, or, would a more modest dwelling suffice? If your initial response is that yes, you need it, then ask yourself why? While it’s nice to have the newest technology or an extra bedroom or two in our home, these material possessions and status symbols won’t be worth much when our forests and waterways are gone and there’s no clean air to breathe.

    It doesn’t have to happen all at once and no one is expecting you to relinquish all your possessions and decide to stop driving your car overnight. However, we all need to commit to doing our small part to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions now before it’s too late. It won’t be easy, and we’ll all need to put in the work because it’s not only up to governments to do something—we are all responsible for making changes. Even if we can only commit to small, incremental changes at first.

    It’s time to rethink the future we want and the steps we can take to mitigate the impacts of climate change. We have to do this only for us, but also for our children, our grandchildren, and all other future generations on this planet we share.

    Continue to monitor this page to read new blog posts every week. These posts are written by the MEOPAR Research Team, comprised of Liette Vasseur, Meredith DeCock, Bradley May and Alex Marino. For more information about the project, contact us using this form, or, via email at lvasseur@brocku.ca

     

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    Categories: MEOPAR-Lincoln Blog, Updates of the Chair

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