Lake Simcoe Sessions Podcast
Episode 1: Climate Change in the Lake Simcoe Watershed
What is climate change? What’s causing it? and where are we headed in the future? Special Guest Fabio Tonto joins Katie Biddie to explore not only the impacts on ecosystems, but how climate models are used to predict what will happen in the future and what we can do both individually and collectively to not only mitigate climate change but adapt to it as well. Every action makes a difference even if that action amounts to eating only one chicken finger at a time.
Special Guest Bio
Fabio Tonto, MEPP, P.Eng. is a Climate Change Specialist with the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority. He works with both internal and external partners to reduce the Authority’s carbon footprint and to increase resilience to climate change in the Lake Simcoe watershed.
Fabio is a professional engineer and holds a BSc (Eng.) from the University of Guelph and a Masters in Engineering and Public Policy from McMaster University. Over the years, he held the role of Senior Project Manager with the Research and Climate Programs section of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the engineering manager for a stormwater treatment technology company and as the Water Program manager with Pollution Probe, a leading Canadian environmental non-profit organization.
Key takeaways from this episode:
- The releasing of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere is enhancing the natural greenhouse effect and causing climate change.
- Scientists use climate models to help us predict the weather conditions we can expect to see in the future. These predictions are called climate projections.
- Climate change will cause us to have warmer, and more extreme weather.
- We need to adapt to our changing climate conditions and mitigate climate change by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.
What can you do?
- Learn more about what is happening in your municipality when it comes to climate change.
- Join the climate conversation and talk to your family and friends about how we can adapt to and mitigate climate change.
- Lifestyle choices play an important role, how you eat, how you get around, and the decisions in your home over what you buy. Look for better choices (reduce your meat consumption, reduce your carbon footprint, carpool).
- Improve the heating/cooling of your home by increasing attic insulation, upgrading to energy efficient windows and doors.
Meet Our Host
Host Katie Biddie has spent nearly a decade working in environmental education, nature interpretation and community engagement, and is a proud Lake Simcoe watershed resident.
As a child she aspired to be the next “Dr. Jane Goodall”, investigating wildlife all around the world. Katie has visited 24 different countries, is a graduate from the University of Guelph (HBSc.) with a major in Zoology, a graduate of Lakehead University (BEd.) specializing in Outdoor and Environmental Education, and is currently a York University Masters candidate in Community Engagement and Leadership.
Podcasts
Thanks to RBC Foundation
This podcast is brought to you by the RBC Foundation under Tech for Nature. We are grateful for the support as we educate and inspire Lake Simcoe watershed residents.
Related Information
Learn more about climate change in the Lake Simcoe watershed
View local climate change trends and projections
Are you an educator? Download our free grade 7 and 8 climate change presentation