00:00Knowing that climate change is irreversible, we need to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions
00:04while simultaneously preparing for the extreme weather that's on the ground today and for
00:09sure the more extreme weather that's coming in the future.
00:12So not adapting is not an option.
00:14Canadian insurance companies are sounding the alarm because while mitigation of CO2
00:18outputs will remain a serious part of dealing with climate change, adaptation is now becoming
00:23critical.
00:24In the last three to five years, people are starting to see more often the flooding
00:30occurring en masse or wildfires occurring en masse.
00:33But they're still slow to accept that more of this is coming.
00:38But the other big limitation is that they really don't know what to do.
00:42So what cities need to do is to give guidance to homeowners on actions they can take around
00:49their home.
00:50Generally speaking, over a long weekend without special expertise for not a great deal of
00:54money, let's say you have a sub pump in the basement of your house.
00:58One action that Canadians should be taking with their homes is to check, does that pump
01:02actually work?
01:03Pour a bucket of water in the sump well, see does it turn on a pump water outside?
01:07If it does, that's good.
01:08Slightly larger actions pertaining to making sure that the degrading around a house is such
01:14that water is directed away from the foundation, disconnecting the downspout from the east
01:18drop system.
01:19If that goes down into the ground into the weeping tile system, cut that off, put an elbow
01:23on it, direct water two or three meters from the foundation.
01:26Flooding is the most expensive disaster for the insurance companies.
01:28It makes for a good example of the issues facing Canadians.
01:31Today, it's almost an expectation that basements in homes are finished and they're finished
01:35the same as the rest of the house.
01:37They're livable space and houses.
01:39So when a basement floods, it's now very costly.
01:41And by the way, the average cost of a flooded basement in Canada right now is $54,000.
01:45Well, this location goes into the highway.
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