Climate change , water pollution and air pollution all pose a serious threat to our collective environment, economy and health - a threat that requires cooperation and action by individuals, businesses and governments from the local to the global level. But humans are producing more greenhouse gases than the planet can cope with, and it is altering our climate. The main naturally occurring greenhouse gases are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
Scientific studies show that a variety of human activities release greenhouse gases.
These include the burning of fossil fuels for electrical energy, heat and transportation. Greenhouse gases contribute differently to global warming depending on their atmospheric lifetime and global warming potential, or capacity to absorb and reradiate heat energy over a fixed period of time. The provincial government believes it must practice what it preaches in order to be a credible advocate for sustainability. Action by individual British Columbians, businesses and all levels of government is critical if greenhouse gas emissions and other environmentally damaging activities are to be significantly decreased. The greening government strategy provides a model for sustainable decision making that can be adapted to settings outside of provincial government operations.