WAYS YOU CAN HELP TO COOL GLOBAL WARMING
Ask youself "What can I do to reduce my own personal CO2 emissions and help slow down climate change?" And start doing it now!
1. Reduce personal and household consumption of energy, especially if the energy is derived from the burning of fossil fuels.
2. Oppose clearcut logging. Promote sustainable forest uses including the establishment of large wilderness reserves of boreal forest to buffer climate change. Protect the northern boreal forest as a carbon bank that sequesters and stores CO2 and reduces the build-up of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.
3. Be willing to pay the cost of reducing fossil fuel use and reducing consumption of forest products in order to cap the emission of greenhouse gasses even if it means a slight reduction in your material standard of living. This includes stopping mega-developments that will extract new deposits of fossil fuels like the Cardinal River coal fields and the vast Athabaskan tar sand deposits. Willingly pay to subsidize the development of renewable solar and wind energy. Renewable energy projects cost more in the short run, but they save money by slowing global climate change. Support a "carbon tax" to encourage efficiencies in the use of fossil fuels and to fund the transition to renewable energy sources.
4. Start using solar energy now. Order a portable family solar cooking oven for $50 from WCWC and give solar energy a try.
5. Believe in and promote the "precautionary principle". Even though there is not full scientific proof that global warming is caused by human source emissions of greenhouse gasses and that climate change induced by this global warming will have terrible consequences, act as though they are true because to not act will likely be much more costly.
CLIMATE CRISIS DEMANDS SWIFT ACTION...
Some are already rising to meet the challenge
By Tooker Gomberg and Angela Bischoff
ENOUGH TALK
Enough talk: a crisis demands action. With recent ice storms in Quebec and the forests burning in Indonesia it's time for everyone to join the bucket brigade. A changing climate seems to be upon us.
Although the corporate media paints everything bleak and costly, there's no need for hand-wringing and endless moaning. Truth is, climate change can be addressed in simple and effective ways that would be good for the economy, create lots of jobs, improve our quality of life and save us money!
Consider Cuba. When a massive energy crisis hit with the fall of the Soviet union in 1991 Cubans suddenly found themselves with less than half the oil than they had previously. So they invested massively in bicycle transportation, organic agriculture, and renewable energy. Cuba learned that they could survive using a lot less oil, and that getting around by bicycle meant a healthier population and quieter neighbourhoods.
Consider a recent report by British Petroleum, one of the world's largest oil companies. They concluded that photovoltaic electricity (electricity straight from the sun like you have in pocket calculators) would be as cheap to produce as coal or nuclear power once a large scale factory was set up.
Cuba invested massively in bicycle transportation, organic agriculture, and renewable energy. Cuba learned that they could survive using a lot less oil, and that getting around by bicycle meant a healthier population and quieter neighbourhoods.
Talking PV (photovoltaics), there is now a building being planned for Times Square in New York City that will have PV panels as its skin instead of aluminum or glass. The building would generate much of the electricity it consumes, and the panels are transparent so you can still see through them.
Renewable sources of clean energy like wind power are quickly expanding in many parts of the world. In southern Alberta there is a successful wind farm that is already generating electricity from dozens of modern windmills. The project could be greatly expanded and would provide much needed employment as the nearby oilfields run out of fuel. Funding for wind power could be redirected from funds being allocated to expand the polluting tar sands of northern Alberta.
While on Edmonton City Council, Tooker advocated improving the energy efficiency of city buildings. After considerable pushing and prodding the city administration finally agreed to establish a million dollar Energy Conservation Revolving Fund. The fund now provides money for departments wanting to invest in energy conservation projects: improving lighting, swimming pool covers, etc. In the first year they found that every dollar invested saved over 40 cents in costs each year. In other words: a terrific investment!
Utilities throughout the US are finding that it's cheaper to help people save electricity than to build more and bigger power plants. For example, the electric utility in Burlington Vermont visits businesses and industries to show them how they could reduce their energy consumption. Then they help finance the efficiency improvements.
DOING NOTHING WON'T WORK
All levels of government have talked about their concern about climate change. It's now time to put money on the table. Take away the billions in subsidies to the fossil fuel industry and there would be plenty of money to fund programs that save energy and create employment.
Why not have a program to Renovate Canada? Every old window could be replaced with an energy efficient window. Old fridges and air conditioners could be replaced with appliances that are much more efficient. Lower watt light bulbs could be used. Thousands of jobs for youth would be created while saving the environment and lessening our dependence on non-renewable energy.
Everyone who rode a bike to work instead of driving could be entitled to a $1,000 annual tax break. Public transportation could be prioritized over endless road construction.
Perhaps the next federal infrastructure program could focus on building environmentally sustainable infrastructure like bicycle paths and designing communities where people could work and shop within their own neighbourhoods. Energy Conservation Revolving Funds should be set up in every community.
There is an old saying: "If you want to get out of a hole, quit digging." And if we want to stop climate change, we should stop the wasteful burning of coal, oil and natural gas.
Smoke billows into the sky from a forest fire near Swan Hills-one of the 33 forest fires burning in Alberta on Tuesday, May 5, 1998. Photo by Brian Gavriloff. First published in The Edmonton Journal. Reprinted with permission.
START DOING SOMETHING NOW TO HELP
A February article in the Ottawa Citizen cited that 84 percent of Canadians surveyed believe doing nothing to reduce climate change emissions would hurt the economy in the future. And 45 per cent said driving a car is the most environmentally damaging thing they do. "We're calling the automobile the next blue box, the next area of focused public concern." said Mr. Miller, president of the polling firm Environics.
So if people are ready for more ecological alternatives, and the alternatives exist and are ready to go, then why does it seem as though things aren't moving?
We need a change in attitude to fight climate change. Government and corporations need to hear from us. By getting involved, citizens can change the culture. So it comes back to you: What would you like to do to help bring about a sustainable world? Your talents, interests and passions are gifts you can offer, and working with others can be more fun and exciting than working alone.
You can change your own lightbulbs, take the bus, and consume less. Contact one of Canada's many environmental groups and join their efforts.
"It helps to talk about all the bad things corporations used to do (child labor, 14 hour work days, using rivers as open sewers, for example) and how people got together and stopped those things. Probably the greatest barrier to progress in America today is peoples' sense of hopelessness. Hopelessness leads to paralysis. Telling true stories about real victories can help people gain hope. Hope makes collective action thinkable and therefore possible."
Perhaps you could write a letter to the editor, or you could call up a reporter and speak your mind. Don't worry if you're not an expert on the issue; if you're concerned, voice that concern. The more voices raised the harder it is to be ignored.
And with city and town elections coming up in Alberta in October, it would be a good time to make sure that these issues become election issues. Where do the candidates stand?
Will the needed change happen? Peter Montague, editor of Rachel's Health and Environment Weekly says: "It helps to talk about all the bad things corporations used to do (child labor, 14 hour work days, using rivers as open sewers, for example) and how people got together and stopped those things. Probably the greatest barrier to progress in America today is peoples' sense of hopelessness. Hopelessness leads to paralysis. Telling true stories about real victories can help people gain hope. Hope makes collective action thinkable and therefore possible."
Angela Bischoff and Tooker Gomberg are travelling around-the-world with their bicycles documenting inspiring ecological stories. You can follow the Greenspiration Odyssey at: http;//www.greenspiration.org.
