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By the end of the 21st century, fires will destroy
twice as much forest every year in Canada, 20 per cent of the icy Arctic
will be greened by tundra, and Great Lakes water levels will be
significantly lower. All this is according to the second report this year
from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), issued in
April.
The report summarizes the probable effects on people
and the environment arising from a 2 to 3 degrees Celsius increase in
average temperature by 2050, which was forecast in the panel’s first
climate science study released in February. The scientists conclude that
the resulting shift of plants and animals northward and to higher
altitudes "is likely to rearrange the map of North American
ecosystems."
They also caution that climate change will hit hardest
at specific population groups in Canada and the U.S., like the urban poor
and elderly, aboriginals and resource dependent communities, such as
lumber towns.
Water in North America is going to come under extreme
pressure due to climate change, affecting "water quality,
navigation, hydro-power generation, water diversions and bi-national
cooperation".
The IPCC reports are produced by a United Nations
network of 2000 scientists as authors and reviewers. Many environmental
activists consider their findings quite conservative.
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