Have you ever noticed how dependent our society has become on electricity and gas to run our lives? Have you ever questioned what would happen if we suddenly didn’t have access to that electricity to power our furnaces in the event of an ice storm? Have you noticed that the weather patterns are changing and becoming more unpredictable? In Canada and the northern United States, it’s hard to imagine a winter emergency situation worse than an ice storm.
Unfortunately ice storms have become a very real threat to Canada over the past few years. The 1998 ice storm in Quebec and Ontario was one of the most expensive natural disasters in Canadian history. But more recently, Toronto has experienced ice storms every year from 2013 to 2017, leaving thousands without power each time. Not only has this damaged property, but people have lost their lives to carbon monoxide poisoning by trying to heat their homes with gas burning devices.
In the Maritime provinces, ice storms are also becoming more common, leaving thousands without power in 2017. Thankfully, these areas don’t get quite as cold as the prairie provinces or Canada’s territories. Given the radical temperature swings that have been occurring in these once frigid areas, the consequences of an ice storm in these locations have much greater implications to the health and safety of residents there.
An ice storm is more likely because of climate change
You may have never considered this before, but the dependency we have on energy is built into the system, especially in a cold climate. Not only is this contributing to climate change, but now it’s threatening to our comfort and safety because of the threat of ice storms.
As we move forward as a society, doesn’t it make sense to future proof™ our homes, buildings and infrastructure? Doing so can ensure that unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change are not such a threat. When building new and renovating, you have the opportunity to minimize the potential effects of what could be a very scary and later expensive situation to resolve. In doing so you are not only protecting yourself under these circumstances, but you are also saving money on your utility bills year-round.
In this 2 minute video from 2013, I talk about the systems that we depend on for our comfort and safety and discuss how we would be affected in the event of an emergency. Watch it now to learn more.
Would it help your friends, family or customers to understand this information when building, renovating or buying a new home?
If so then LIKE and SHARE this with them. Let’s Future Proof™ our homes for ourselves and begin building a better world for our children.
To learn more about how to protect your family in such a situation while making your home more energy efficient for yourself and for the future of our planet buy a copy of “How to Future Proof Your Home: A Guide to Building with Energy Intelligence in Cold Climates.”
There is much more to learn about Future Proofing your home. If you enjoyed this video and message, why not learn more about it in person by having Shane Wolffe speak to your group or organization? Click here to set it up.
What do you think of this information? Leave a comment and let’s discuss.