OTTAWA - Canadians are the third largest greenhouse-gas emitters in the world, according to a new study.
A Statistics Canada report released today shows a 25 percent rise in emissions between 1990 and 2005.
The study found each Canadian is responsible for the equivalent of just over 23 tonnes of carbon dioxide, compared to the United States with 24.4 tonnes, and Australia with 27 tonnes.
Canadians may not be the worst offenders, but our figures are roughly twice as high as some other developed nations, such as Germany (12.1 tonnes), Britain (10.9), Japan (10.6) and France (9.2).
In 2005, human activities released 747 megatonnes of carbon dioxide into Canada's atmosphere - up from 596 in 1990.
One megatonne is equal to one million tones. To put this in perspective, driving a mid-size car about 5,000 kilometres results in about one tonne of emissions.
Canada is a disproportionately high emitter. With only 0.5 per cent of the world's population, we contribute about two per cent of the total greenhouse-gas emissions.
By 2005, energy production and use accounted for more than 80 per cent of Canada's emissions.
Transportation activities accounted for 27 per cent of all Canadian emissions in that same year.
The report also showed serious impacts of global warming in B.C., resulting in a 1.4 �C increase in annual temperatures in Canada between 1948 and 2007.
The increase is most prominent in the North British Columbia Mountain region, the Yukon, and parts of the Northwest Territories.
The study's authors say the spread of the mountain pine beetle in the central interior of the province increase coincides with warmer winter extremes.
By 2007, the area affected by the infestation covered almost 13 million hectares - and an estimated 530 million cubic metres of dead wood.
The report admitted the spike in emissions over the past 20 years would have been much greater without improvements in energy efficiency.
