Mitigating climate change and the short and long term benefits of acting now - 20th Annual John K. Friesen Conference - Growing Old in a Changing Climate: Exploring the Interface Between Population Aging and Global Warming (2011)

This video clip comprises the four presentations of Panel Session 2, “Mitigation and Prevention Strategies: Lessons Learned on the Front Lines” held at the 20th Annual John K. Friesen Conference, "Growing Old in a Changing Climate: Exploring the Interface Between Population Aging and Global Warming," MAY 25-26, 2011, Vancouver, BC. Kathy Sykes "Mitigating climate change and the short and long term benefits of acting now" - Studies suggest that acting now to mitigate the consequences of climate change has not only immediate benefits but also long term benefits. For example, by reducing green house gas emissions today benefits persons of all ages, especially those most susceptible to ozone and particulate matter. Smart growth strategies, where and how we develop, address both environmental concerns such as the human health effects from air pollution and drinking water contaminants. For example, as we build we replace natural cover with impervious surfaces such as concrete or asphalt. Impervious surfaces affect ground water due to its volume and rate of surface water runoff. An EPA report found that urban runoff is responsible for the majority of environmentally impaired ocean shorelines, impaired estuary miles and impaired lake miles. Heat islands that contribute to extreme heat events in urban centers can be mitigated through landscaping, green roofs and preserving and protecting green space. We also gratefully acknowledge a grant from the SFU Library's Scholarly Digitization Fund for videography and post-production editing. See webpage for more information on the 20th Annual John K. Friesen Conference: http://www.sfu.ca/grc/friesen/friesen2011/