Climate change is making life more expensive. Droughts and unpredictable temperatures affect farming and food security, while heat waves drive up utility bills and floods cause insurance to spike. Meanwhile, the gap between Canada’s highest- and lowest-income households hit a record high last year — making these costs harder for some to bear than others. 

The oil and gas industry is Canada’s largest emitter of the heat-trapping greenhouse gases that cause global warming and everything that comes with it. Here’s a look at which Canadian workers profit off activities that cause climate change — and who gets paid to cope with it.

Video source notes

Corresponding time stampSource
00:05The average Canadian makes $73,000 annually
00:11Cenovus CEO Jonathan McKenzie’s salary
00:38In Canada, the oil and gas industry is by far the biggest emitter of heat-trapping emissions like carbon dioxide and methane
00:51Last year, the gap between Canada’s highest- and lowest-income households reached a record high
01:11Junior invasive species management salary
01:16Phragmites, a wetland reed that chokes waterways and kills native plants
01:38Median forest firefighter salary
01:56The average cost of a house in Canada at the end of 2024
02:05Wind turbine technician salary
02:18Median disaster emergency response planner salary
02:22Respiratory therapist salary: national median and University Health Network posting
02:40Average oil and gas worker salary
02:47Average pipeline worker salary
02:532024/25 total compensation, President and CEO, BC Hydro
03:36Downpayment on Manitoba water bombers cost taxpayers approximately $80 million
03:55Past Narwhal stories on public money flowing into emissions reduction technology: 1, 23
04:03Total compensation for the heads of Cenovus, Suncor, Imperial Oil and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.
04:10N. Murray Edwards’ approximate net worth: Forbes and Maclean’s
04:20Total compensation for the head of ConocoPhillips
04:24USD to CAD conversion rate

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