Fossil Fuels in the Hot Seat at COP27

Associate and Senior Transportation Engineer, Zane Sloan contributed to CBC’s podcast What On Earth with Laura Lynch, discussing highways and climate change, and the damage caused by the atmospheric river in British Columbia last November.  

The podcast, Fossil fuels in the hot seat at COP27, breaches two points of discussion. The first looks at one of the COP27 calls to action that urges corporations, banks, and governments to reduce fossil fuel exploration and use. The second explores the impact of the 2021 atmospheric river in southwestern BC that killed five people and 600,000 farm animals, how infrastructure is impacted by climate change and how we can better prepare our communities for future disasters.

Zane reflects on the damage of the climate disaster, specifically along the Coquihalla Highway, a main roadway connecting Vancouver and southwestern BC to the rest of Canada. The rain damaged more than 20 sites along 130 kilometres of the highway, including seven bridges where fragments completely collapsed or were severely damaged. Zane remarks on the climate resilience of the new sections of the highway, noting that the design is based on climate projections until the end of the century. When disasters occur, the way in which we rebuild is critical to improving the outcome of future disasters.

Discussion of the 2021 atmospheric river begins at 26:07.