The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve says combating climate change is a community effort.
Their most recent State of the Bay report released this summer, indicates that since The Canadian Ice Service has been collecting data since 1973, the report shows that there was a 71 per cent decrease in ice cover for all the Great Lakes over the past 40 years.
Abbey Dudas, spokesperson for the GBBR says that 40 years of data collection has demonstrated a clear warming trend.
“There is going to be fluctuation from year to year, which is why when we study climate change, we look at the trend over many years, not just from one year to the next. When you look at the ice cover data for the Great Lakes, there is a clear warming trend,” she said.
Dudas says there are a number of ways the community can get involved to help reduce your carbon footprint. Some of the easier things she suggests are walking instead of driving, consuming less meat, eating locally and choosing green energy.
“Climate change is not going to be solved by one person walking to work every day, but by everyone working together to build a sustainable future,” she added.
The GBBR says they are looking for community involvement. If residents that live near a body of water and have been collecting ice on and off dates to email Abbey at [email protected].
You can find additional information about ice cover in the state of the bay report found here.Â