Climate Change is a topic that is on almost everyone’s mind. Especially with the carbon tax and the recent report that Canada is heating up at twice the average Global rate. It is being constantly brought up and quite often in news, politics, and even on social media the effects and how best to combat it are being discussed in sometimes heated terms with many unsure of what the best course of action to take is. The cross-talk is so bad that a group of economists even felt the need to speak on the “myths” around the subject. It makes it hard to figure out what one person can do about it to save some coin and make a difference. Stop buying meat? Buy an electric car? Join a Protest or Plant trees? These are often big and occasionally expensive choices to make. But there are also small ways in which a person can make a difference that don’t always get mentioned.
So here are a few easy opportunities for you to help Canada fight climate change and also save some money around the house that don’t require a Facebook event to make happen.
1: Reduce Your Home Food Waste. When it comes to Canada the numbers say that nearly 97,000 tonnes of food go to waste every day, with experts saying a full 1/3rd of that which could be saved, and while most of this is on the production and retail side; quite a bit is on the consumer’s end. All that food waste when it ends up in a landfill or a compost creates heat and methane which is not great for the environment. By reducing food waste, not buying more than you need and eating what you buy, you not only will save your household on average $1,100.00 a year but also help the environment.
2: Be Mindful About Your Shopping. When you do go out to pick up your groceries there are still more ways to help out. Shopping local reduces the need for imported goods which can reduce on both shipping emissions and processing emissions. Being less picky about the appearance of your food will also reduce food waste; often food is left in the field if it is determined that it wouldn’t appeal visually, regardless of taste. Buy less meat; as a study by the University of Reading in the U.K. examined the entire food industry from farm to fork for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and found even a 25% change from beef to chicken would change emissions drastically, so too would changing from beef to vegetables.
3: Avoid Single Use Plastics. Getting reusable bags or containers, declining straws at the restaurant or drive through by bringing your own, using your own thermos at Tims, these are all ways to help reduce plastic waste. National Geographic paints a pretty grim picture of plastic waste in the world. But it is hard to argue when you realize the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a mostly plastic island in the pacific which is nearly twice the size of Ontario at 1.6 million square kilometers.
4: Take A Day Off From The Car. Every day in Ontario in 2017 more than 45,000 litres of gas were purchased by drivers. If we each just took one day off from taking the car out a week, imagine the savings you would find in your bank accounts and the positive impact on our environment it could have? Whether you use it as an excuse to get a work out by walking or biking where you need to go, leave the car at home and take public transportation, or just stay home all together; if once a week you don’t get in the car it can make a difference.
5: Actively Talk About It. Polite, informed, and compassionate conversation is one of the biggest ways one individual can make an impact. A major impediment to climate change is the host of misinformation being circulated stopping Canadians from understanding the full impact of Climate Change and what they should or even could be doing about it. It is important to bring properly researched and backed information into conversation but to also remember this isn’t about conflict. It is about working together to make a better world for everyone to enjoy.
If you don’t have the time or energy to go out and engage in the #Trashtag trend or the money to invest in solar panels for the house, here’s hoping these few tips will help you do your part while also saving a few bucks here and there.