Blackburn News file photo.Blackburn News file photo.
Midwestern

Local climate change officer focusing on adapting to climate change

South Huron's new climate changer officer is in the process of working a climate change action plan for the municipality.

Stacey Jeffrey said the impacts of climate change will clearly be felt at the regional level, so the project is looking at what those impacts would be on the municipality.

“So what the project is looking at are the impacts on the municipality and then what are most vulnerable and at-risk from those impacts and then from there we can really create an action plan to address those impacts," she said.

The municipality can then ensure continuity of service and minimize, as much as possible, any disruption of service.

Jeffrey pointed out the Climate Change Adaptation Plan is focused on adaptation to unavoidable impact.

“Whereas mitigation would be reducing our greenhouse gas emissions or the source of climate change, so the plan is focus on adaptation, but there will be some mitigation pulled into that because they are related," she said.

Jeffrey said she's currently looking at baseline date for the region and it suggests there won't be much change in the amount of precipitation, but there will be some changes in the form it takes, specifically that we might see more rain and freezing rain in the winter, than snow. Much like last winter. She added we can generally expect more extremes -- more heavy rainfalls, higher winds and more days with temperatures over 30 C.

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