The result is climate change: altered long-term weather patterns. Global warming, a rise in the average global temperature, is one measure of climate change. And it has already begun - global average temperature has risen by 0.6 degrees Celsius since 1900, and the northern hemisphere is substantially warmer than at any point during the past 1000 years.

Burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas is largely responsible for climate change. Deforestation and modern intensive farming methods also contribute to the problem.

Climate change is happening. Its impact on ecosystems, economies and local weather has begun. In Canada we can expect climate change to bring an unprecedented warming of 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade. This may appear minor, but scientific analysis has shown that very profound changes will result from this steady rise in temperature.

Increased drought is one impact of climate change. Rising average temperatures do not simply mean balmier winters. Some regions will experience more extreme heat, while others may cool slightly. Flooding, drought, and intense summer heat could result. Violent storms and other extreme weather events could also result from the increased energy stored in our warming atmosphere.

The sooner we act to reduce greenhouse gases, the less severe future impacts will be. Now is the time to implement solutions.