Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, has experienced record-breaking temperatures this summer. According to a report by CBC North, the city's temperature showed 26.1C, over five degrees higher than the previous record of 20.8C, set in 2001. Baker Lake, Nunavut's only inland community, also experienced record temperatures this summer; a high of 31.5C beat the previous record of 29.7C, set in 1991.
Recent weather has provoked concern from some corners of the scientific community that climate change is occurring much more rapidly than was previously expected. Dr. John Schellnhuber, who heads a leading group of British climate scientists, was quoted as saying: "What we are seeing is absolutely unusual, we know that global warming is proceeding apace, but most of us were thinking that in 20 to 30 years' time we would be seeing hot spells [like this]. But it's happening now. Clearly extreme weather events will increase."
Since 2000, most climate scientists have been in agreement that the global climate is getting warmer. The scientific debate in recent years has focused on the degree to which human activity is responsible for changes in the weather. Many scientists now say that it is impossible to explain climate change based on "natural causes"--such as sunspots or volcanoes--alone. Dr. Peter Stott of the British Government's Hadley Centre was quoted as saying, "Once we factor in the effects of human activity, we find we can explain the warming that is observed."
Dru Oja Jay
» CBC North: Arctic sizzles in summer heat
» The Age: Heatwave sparks greenhouse alarm
» Independent: Britain bakes, Europe burns. Is this proof of global warming?
The Dominion is a monthly paper published by an incipient network of independent journalists in Canada. It aims to provide accurate, critical coverage that is accountable to its readers and the subjects it tackles. Taking its name from Canada's official status as both a colony and a colonial force, the Dominion examines politics, culture and daily life with a view to understanding the exercise of power.