Sunrise members were also reminded in July the urban heat island effect is real and having a significant impact upon our planet! Chuck Beach of the Brant Tree Coalition told Club members something he feels is profound, that we really don't talk about, is the urban heat island, where cities are hotter than rural areas. Speaking about global warming and biodiversity, he said it's a matter of colour. Dark surfaces in the cities, such as roads, parking lots and roofing materials, absorb the sun's radiation and convert it to heat. Brantford is in the top 10 cities for the urban heat island effect, due to hardscaping, the way we have built in the past, the way we continue to build, and lack of trees. He showed areas of the City that are examples of heat islands. Beach said 24 of the 25 hottest years on record have occurred since 2002, the result of human activity and global warming. The current level of CO2 is 420 PPM, the highest level in 14 million years!
The World Wildlife Federation reported in 2024 a staggering 73% decline in global wildlife population since 1970, warning that urgent conservation is needed before we reach the tipping points for our ecosystems. The head of the United Nations said in 2025
that biodiversity loss demands urgent global action. Humanity is destroying biodiversity at a lightning pace. A Cornell University study has shown that North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970, a staggering 29%, driven by habitat loss, climate
change and human activity. Quoting a biblical passage from Genesis, Beach said humans have not been very good stewards of the planet.
On a positive note, he said there is hope, if communities and citizens take action. Beach spoke about the Seventh Generation Principle, where decisions being made now about our energy, water and natural resources should be sustainable for seven generations
into the future. The mission of the Brant Tree Coalition is natural restoration through native tree planting by the community. With the help of the community, the BTC has planted more than 138,000 native trees and shrubs in Brantford and Brant County since
the first tree-planting event in 2005.