The twentieth century was the warmest century of the last 1000 years, and the 1990s was the warmest decade of that century.

9000 years ago, average temperatures in southern British Columbia were 1° to 2° C warmer than today.

Vikings settled Greenland during a warm period, when climate was much like it is today-the so-called 'Medieval Warm Period' between 1000 AD and 1200 AD. Climate cooled in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, forcing Vikings to abandon their Greenland settlements.

Greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere because their molecules have life spans of decades or even centuries.

Venus, our planetary neighbour, has an atmosphere that is 98% CO₂. Due to the extreme greenhouse effect, temperatures reach 430°C. Similar conditions would exist on Earth if all the carbon stored in rock and vegetation were to be released as CO₂.

Motor vehicle exhaust is the source of nearly 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in the lower Fraser Valley.

In 1948, the Fraser River overflowed protective dykes in the Fraser Valley and flooded parts of Mission, Matsqui, and Chilliwack. Sixteen thousand people were forced out of their homes by the floodwaters, and total losses amounted to about $200 million (in 1999 dollars).

Mackerel, a warm-water fish species, has been found in recent years in the waters off Vancouver Island. There is concern that mackerel may eat young salmon, further depleting stocks.

Hydroelectric reservoirs supply 90% of British Columbia's electrical power needs.

On average, each person uses over 300 L of water at home every day. This is equal to about one full bathtub. The amount increases to about 600 L per day when we include our indirect use of water through businesses and services that support us. If we had to retrieve this amount of water, it would take some 75 trips with a 4 L jug in each hand.

The cost of fighting forest fires in British Columbia during the hot dry summer of 1998 was $120 million.

Warmer spring temperatures have already lengthened the Okanagan growing season. McIntosh apples at Summerland, British Columbia, usually bloom in May. However, of the eight times since 1937 when they have bloomed earlier, five have occurred since 1987.

A 50% to 60% reduction in present global emissions of carbon dioxide would be required to stabilize atmospheric CO₂ concentrations at current levels. Under the Kyoto Protocol, participating countries set an average emission reduction target of 5.2% below 1990 levels by approximately 2010. Canada's target is 6%.

Improving energy efficiency is the fastest, cheapest, and surest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The average car produces its own weight in CO₂ emissions each year.

Canada has about 0.5% of the world's population but produces 2% of global CO₂ emissions.

Greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere because their molecules have life spans of decades or even centuries.

Without the Earth's natural greenhouse effect the average temperature of the Earth would be -18°C.

Human activity is currently responsible for emitting 30 million tons of CO₂ each year, 12 million tons of which accumulate in the atmosphere.

200 years ago the climate was colder than today. During this period, called the 'Little Ice Age', northern waters were ice choked and European explorers could not navigate the Northwest Passage.

1000 years ago the North Atlantic climate was like today. During this period, called the 'Medieval Warm Period', Vikings sailed in Canada's northern waters.

Climate models predict the greatest warming to occur in Arctic regions.

Heavy rains and snowfalls are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity.

Canada contains the largest area of glaciers and ice caps outside Greenland and Antarctica.

If the Greenland Ice Sheet melts, it contains enough ice to raise the global sea level by 6-7m.

Increased coastal erosion may result in the loss of many Dorset and Thule archaeological sites.

Polynyas are areas of open water surrounded by sea ice. They often form in the same place each winter.

In the Arctic, ocean temperature varies only a few degrees (-2 to +3 ° C), so any increase in temperature could have major impacts on the marine ecosystem.

In the Sanikiluaq area, recent cooling trends have resulted in more ice cover and the eider duck population, which depends on open water for food and warmth, has been suffering.

The permafrost boundary is expected to move north by several hundred kilometers.

Permafrost forms an impermeable layer for mine tailings and landfill sites. A loss of this layer could increase the risk of contamination to soil and water.

Warmer temperatures will thaw traditional ice cellars making them useless for storing meat.

The Queen Maud Gulf lowlands are a major breeding and nesting ground for migratory birds. Climate warming may change this sensitive environment and adversely affect bird populations.

Every litre of gas you use in your vehicle produces almost 2.5 kg of CO₂, as well as many other pollutants.

Burning garbage is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

About 1/3 of Canada's CO₂ and NO_x emissions come from transportation.

As fuel prices rise, photovoltaic arrays are becoming more cost effective for the North than traditional energy sources.

While instrumental temperature records only date back about 150 years, scientists can establish temperatures back tens of thousands of years by analysing the gases found in ice cores from the Arctic and Antarctic.

The ice storm of January 1998 deposited about twice the amount of freezing rain than previous ice storms on record. Stretching from as far west as Kitchener, through eastern Ontario, western Quebec and the Eastern Townships to the Fundy Coasts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the storm caused:

Winter and summer temperature extremes are responsible for more deaths than are more violent weather events such as tornadoes, blizzards or floods.

One-third of the carbon dioxide emissions generated by human activities comes from transportation. Furthermore, in urban areas, vehicles produce up to three-quarters of the pollutants that combine to form ground level ozone, the main ingredient of smog.

The Great Lakes region is home to 25% of Canada's population, 45% of Canada's industries and provides the foundation for $150 billion in annual Canada/U.S. trade.

The Great Lakes system is the largest system of fresh, surface water on Earth. Only 1% of the Great Lakes volume is renewed on an annual basis. In other words, using more than 1% of the volume in a year will reduce the lake levels beyond natural renewal.

Canada's per capita water use is the second highest in the world. In 1996, the amount of water used in households in Ontario was 270 litres per person per day.

Adopting practices such as No-till farming, can reduce fuel and labour requirements, soil erosion from both wind and water, reduce investment in capital while at the same time increasing long term productivity.

Although most communities that depend entirely on the forest industry are in the north, thousands of jobs in southern Ontario also depend on forest products such as paper, lumber and firewood.

Every year in Ontario, there are about 1500 forest fires destroying over 290 000 hectares of forest.

The cold temperature of Lake Superior water creates favourable conditions for a number of arctic-alpine plant species, including the Common Butterwort, which would not otherwise grow so far south. Warmer water temperatures could jeopardize this and several dozen other arctic-alpine plant species and vegetation communities.

92% of the energy used in washing machines is used by the hot water heater to heat water, and only 8% of the energy is actually used to run the machine. Using cold water to wash and rinse our clothes save up to 225 kg of CO₂ per year.

Every litre of gasoline you use in your car produces almost 2.5 kilograms of CO₂, as well as other pollutants.

Improving energy efficiency is the fastest, cheapest, and surest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Replacing one frequently used regular light bulb with an energy efficient compact fluorescent bulb will save 225 kg of CO₂ per year.

In order to stabilize atmospheric concen-trations of greenhouse gases where they are today, global CO₂ emissions would have to be cut by 50-60%.

The twentieth century was the warmest century of the last 1000 years, and the 1990s was the warmest decade of that century.

There are more than 1300 glaciers in the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

About 10% of Regina, and 40% of the rural population of Saskatchewan relies on groundwater.

Most forest fires in Canada are caused by lightning strikes. Warmer and drier weather conditions accompanying climate change may promote more forest fires in the Prairie Provinces.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada was 45°C on 5 July 1937 at Midale and Yellow Grass in southeastern Saskatchewan. Global warming increases the possibility that extreme temperatures like this may occur more frequently.

Historically, the most expensive disasters have been droughts.

The Calgary hailstorm of 1991 lasted 30 minutes and caused more than $350 million in damage to vehicles and property.

Improving energy efficiency is the fastest, cheapest, and surest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Every litre of gasoline used in a car produces almost 2.5 kilograms of CO₂.

As the Earth warms, temperature changes are anticipated to be greater in the North, and greater in winter than in summer.

Nearly 60% of Albertans - almost 2 million people - live in either Calgary or Edmonton. The area around Calgary is the fastest growing region in the Prairies.

Near half the population of Saskatchewan lives in rural areas - there are 298 rural municipalities, 376 villages, 146 towns, and 12 cities in Saskatchewan.

Weather and climate are not the same thing. Climate = average weather over at least 20 to 30 years. When describing climate change, it is important to distinguish between long-term and short-term changes.

Basque whalers hunted in the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, using the oil they obtained as fuel, until the seventeenth century. By then, the climate had cooled considerably, leading to the 'Little Ice Age' (from about 1400 to 1850).

The twentieth century was the warmest century in 1200 years, with 1998 and 1999 the warmest years on record.

The fire-starting liquid used to light barbecues is an overlooked source of volatile chemicals that undermine air quality.

Flooding affects over 80% of waterfront municipalities and costs an average of $10 million to $15 million annually. Floods, which occur most frequently in the southern part of the province, are the most common type of natural catastrophe in Quebec.

Relatively modest changes in temperature and precipitation can have a marked effect on the volume and duration of spring runoff, as well as the intensity of flooding and drought.

The freshwater levels of the St. Lawrence River have been monitored and recorded since the mid-1800s. The river's lowest levels were recorded in 1930 and in 1960. Now the trend is once again at the bottom of the curve.

Climate change is only one aspect of global change. The introduction of exotic pests such as the Asian long-horned beetle and the pine shoot beetle is accelerating with increased trade. These introduced species pose a significant threat to our forests. The increased number of extreme climatic events makes ecosystems more vulnerable to a greater number of pests.

Northern regions are likely to be most affected by the warmer climate that is projected for the coming decades.

An increase in temperature would reduce the size of caribou herds through the destruction of winter habitats by summer forest fires.

Wildlife is sensitive to climate variations. The results of recent studies show that any change in summer climatic conditions would likely cause rapid advances or retreats of certain populations as their habitats shift or are disturbed.

Methane is a very powerful greenhouse gas because it can retain 21 times more heat than CO₂.

Even if emissions of greenhouse gases were to stop immediately, earlier emissions would continue to affect climate for centuries to come.

The Earth is heating more rapidly than it has at any other time during the past 10 000 years.

One third of greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec are the direct result of human activities.

In summer, the parts of Quebec most affected by violent weather phenomena are the regions of Montréal and Montérégie, where over 20 events - violent winds, torrential rains and flooding, and hail - are reported each year.

Quebec is now home to many nonindigenous species, including the zebra and quagga mussels, round gobie, and tench, that have significantly modified the province's ecosystems. In most cases, increased trade along waterways is responsible for the spread of such species. Changes in temperature, water levels, and flow rates can also help these and other species become established, at the expense of the biodiversity of native habitats.

The average car emits over three times its weight in CO₂ every year.