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Climate Change
Use the new Tree Atlas to learn more about Ontario’s trees, and to find out what trees grow best where you live. Ontario’s Plant A Tree Challenge encourages people to plant trees to fight climate change.
What is Climate Change?
Over the last 50 – 100 years, increased industrialization and human activities have begun to affect the earth’s natural climate balance.
The burning of fossil fuels has increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which causes the earth to heat up.
This effect is known as global warming.
Once global warming affects our weather patterns and climate conditions, it is referred to as climate change.
Climate Change Projections for Ontario
The Ministry of Natural Resources has developed an educational tool to show how Ontario’s climate might be very different in the future if we do nothing, compared to how it might be if we all do our part.
This tool, the Climate Change Mapping Browser, projects temperature and precipitation patterns based on human activities and greenhouse gas emissions.
To see how your actions can make a difference, try the Climate Change Mapping Browser now.
Climate Change & Ontario
In Ontario, we can expect average temperatures to rise by as much as three to eight degrees Celsius over the next century. Climate change will affect many of the social and environmental values that Ontarians have come to appreciate.
To better understand the effects of climate change, what actions are being taken and what you can do, select one of the following links.
Learn More What’s Being Done Get Involved
Our strategic plan to address climate change outlines how the MNR is working to:
- Understand and project the impacts of climate change on Ontario’s natural resources and ecosystems.
- Develop tools and techniques that help lessen the impacts of climate change.
- Help Ontarians adapt to climate change.
This site is maintained by the Government of Ontario
Last Modified: April 20, 2009