Climate Crisis, Libraries, and Evidence-Based Decision Making ...

• Main Author: Brown, Helen L.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association 2021
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0398425; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0398425

Introduction: In October 2018, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that 'transformative change' is needed to limit catastrophic impacts of global heating. In 2019, the UN's Emissions Gap Report described their findings as 'bleak' as emissions continued to rise, increasing risks to ecosystems, communities, and health. The level of change necessary is stark and involves steep reductions in emissions, especially in high emitting countries like Canada. One of the most significant contributors is air travel. Methods: This study applies climate science evidence to library professional activities by analyzing the emissions produced by air travel to past CHLA conferences. It uses conference attendance data from CHLA's three most recent conferences. Emissions calculations assume attendees used air travel for trips of more than 500km, or for the 2018 conference, travel from outside of Newfoundland. Results: As in similar studies, emissions resulting from air travel to CHLA conferences ...