Citizen Panel Workshops
The Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources (OCCIAR) is hosting two citizen panel workshops under the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's Community Adaptation Initiative. The purpose of these citizen panels is to find out what the public thinks about the steps Ontario is taking to prepare for the effects of a changing climate. Although not widely used in Canada, citizen panels are recognized in several countries as a great way to include public knowledge, experience, and values in developing new policies and programs.
Ontario currently has two overarching strategies to help the province reduce the emission of climate warming gasses and adapt to the consequences of a changing climate:
- Climate Ready: Ontario's Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan, and
- Go Green: Ontario's Action Plan on Climate Change.
Now that these plans are underway, we would like to hear what the public has to say about the government's efforts. Each workshop will span over two weekends.
- Weekend 1
will be a two-way knowledge sharing session were panel members will get to listen to and question a number of experts on the science and impacts of climate change, adapting to changing weather patterns, reducing emissions, and the history of climate change policy in Ontario, Canada, and around the world. Members will be able to interact with experts and other panel members during discussion session where they will be able to pose questions, express values and interests, and suggest any other related topics they would like to hear more about.
- Weekend 2
will be an interactive workshop. OCCIAR will facilitate a structured "brainstorming" session where panel members will be asked to express their thoughts and concerns in the form of recommendations. These recommendations will be put into a final report which will be sent to each panel member for review, and then presented to the provincial, federal and municipal governments for consideration.
Workshop 1
- Getting ready for a Changing Climate: What should we do? ...a workshop about weathering the stormSudbury, Ontario
November 12-13, 2011
November 19-20, 2011
Workshop Presentations
During the Citizen Panel Workshop in Sudbury, panel members heard the following presentations:
- Weekend 1 - Day One:
- Climate Science
David Pearson - Getting Ready for Climate Change: What Should We Do?
Blair Feltmate, University of Waterloo - Effects of Climate Change on Aquatic Ecosystems
John Gun, Laurentian University - Climate Change and Ontario: From Impacts to Adaptation (A Terrestrial Perspective)
Paul Gray, Ministry of Natural Resources - Climate Change Impacts: A Local Public Health Perspective
Ido Vettoretti, Sudbury District Public Health Unit
- Weekend 1 - Day Two:
- Global Efforts to Respond to Climate Change
Al Douglas, OCCIAR - How are some countries adapting to Climate Change?
Annette Morand, OCCIAR - Canada: Adapting to Climate Change
David Pearson, Laurentian University - Adaptation: How can communities prepare for climate change?
Al Douglas, OCCIAR - Ontario's Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan 2011-2014
David Pearson, Laurentian University