An official panel said last week that climate change will cause damage to Canada equivalent to about 1% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2050 due to flooding, illness, and the death of forests. In addition, the damage could amount to as much as 2.5% of GDP by 2075. The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, set up in 1988 to provide advice on environmental issues, said that the northern regions of Canada are warming at a rate much faster than the rest of the earth, and that the Conservative government should do more to mitigate its effects--effects that may include rising health care costs, major flooding of the Vancouver area, and pests and fires damaging forests. The panel recommended better measures to protect against forest fires, pollution control to limit ozone formation, and new construction prohibited in areas at risk of flooding. The panel also dismissed the idea that climate change may help northern countries by reducing heating costs. "Our houses are well insulated," the panel said. "Prairie farmers are accustomed to variability in moisture levels from one growing season to the next, but recent research suggests the potential for more severe and frequent drought and unusually wet years, with implications for future yields." For the full story, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15119210. For the story on flood risks in Vancouver, see http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Vancouver+faces+greatest+flood+risk/5482186/story.html.