Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
When it comes to protecting the ocean's ecosystems, a new study says that we're at a critical juncture point.
Up to 95 per cent of climates within the surface ocean that exist today may disappear within the next 80 years if we don't do more to curb greenhouse gas emissions, potentially having a devastating impact on ecosystems and widespread extinction, researchers say.
Researchers from Northeastern University in Massachusetts published the study last Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports. Using atmospheric carbon dioxide data, they modelled what would happen to the ocean's climates by the year 2100 under two potential climate scenarios.
"A disappearing climate is one that is common today, but will be uncommon or absent in the future, under different climate change scenarios," said lead author Katie Lotterhos, an associate professor in marine and environmental sciences, in a video interview with CTVNews.ca on Monday.
In the first scenario — called RCP 4.5 — global emissions would peak in 2050 before decline. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change calls this the intermediate scenario. Under RCP 4.5, the study says that 35.6 per cent of the surface ocean climates could experience "an extreme degree of global disappearance" by 2100.
But under RCP 8.5, otherwise known as the "worst case" or "business as usual" scenario, that estimate jumps to 95 per cent.
"If the projections of climate novelty and disappearance reported here are accurate, the cascading effects on marine ecosystems and communities could be substantial," the authors warn.
It's more than just warmer temperatures that are threatening ocean ecosystems.
Surface ocean refers to the upper layer of the ocean that's approximately 330 feet deep. It's the part that interacts with the air the most and can absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide.
But more CO2 in the atmosphere as a result of emissions leads to more CO2 in the oceans, which can increase the acidity of the water.
"(Increased CO2 levels) basically upsets the balance of ions," said Lotterhos. "The CO2 molecules interact with the water molecules, and that results in an increase in hydrogen ions. That's what makes the water more acidic."
For certain marine species, such as oysters, snails and corals, lower pH levels can disrupt their ability to extract calcium from the sea water. These species rely on sea water calcium to form their shells.
"Under ocean acidification, it becomes harder for them to get that calcium from the seawater to make their skeletons. And once the water becomes acidic enough, it can actually dissolve the shells or skeletons," Lotterhos said.
The most extreme climate shifts would take place in areas in the tropics as well as the temperate regions in the southern hemisphere, the authors say. These areas also happen to be critical hot spots for biodiversity and coral reefs.
Some ocean species may be able to adapt to the new climates. For example, the researchers point to phytoplankton, which are able to quickly evolve and adapt to the higher levels of carbon dioxide in the ocean, given their short generation times and large population. But researchers worry that the rate of ocean climate change may be too fast for most marine species to adapt.
However, Lotterhos says her findings show that there's still time to take action and save the ocean ecosystems.
“There's quite a big difference between these different mitigation scenarios," said Lotterhos. "So, it does suggest that mitigation can have a huge effect on the degree of climate change."
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.