Climate Change Solutions: What You Can Do
I write this as Florida and its environs begin to deal with the aftermath of two back-to-back fierce hurricanes, Helene and Milton.
The devastation will likely match Katrina by many measures; physical, financial, sociological. The unprecedented rainfall and wind speeds can be attributed to global heating. We are fortunate that in the temperate climate of the Salish Sea, we are spared Nature’s extreme fury.
But we are cognizant that the warming climate is stressing our ecosystem too.
Longer, hotter, drier summers are challenging our cedars, draining our ground water, and elevating the risk of forest fires. Winter deluges erode soil from slopes. Freak temperature surges mid-winter create confusion within the cellular regulatory networks of our trees and shrubs, which have not evolved to deal with 20 degree fluctuations over 24 hours. The warming of the seas and rivers triggers disease outbreaks (as in the die-off of sea-stars in the 2010’s) and kill migrating salmon.
After John Vaillant addressed our Mayne Island community in September about the challenges of fire weather, many asked themselves and others, what are the most effective actions we can take to mitigate the impacts of climate change?
To answer that question, one must recognize the cause of global heating: increased greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in our atmosphere. This is caused mainly by burning fossil fuels, burning of forests, animal agriculture, the release of refrigerants 1000 times more potent than CO2, and steel and cement production. The good news is that there are solutions across all sectors that can be implemented at all levels, from individual, to local, to international.
What can we do in the Mayne Island community that would have the biggest impact? May I suggest this list, by way of starting a conversation:
Minimize burning fossil fuels for transportation. Consider an e-bike (perhaps with a cargo trailer) for navigating around the island, instead of a gas-powered car or truck. Going to Victoria? Forget the car and enjoy a scenic bus ride for $2.50! Or take the Tuesday MIALS bus. Give up frivolous flying.
Adopt a plant-based diet or eat only local wild meat (deer and fish that have negligible GHG emissions).
Don’t waste any food – get religious about this. According to Project Drawdown, not wasting food globally could decrease GHGs by a whopping 100 gigatons over the next 30 years.
Consume less (share more). Consumption of “stuff” is a major reason why Canadians have a personal carbon footprint that is 3 times the global mean. Have a reno in the works? Use as much recycled material as you can, such as non-virgin wood (to save a forest). Donate and shop at the Mayne Island thrift stores.
These things, you might point out, will not put a dent in global emissions unless adopted by many millions of us. You are correct. That is why the next suggestions are vital.
Find a community of like-minded folks to talk to and work with. Salt Spring has its own “Transition Salt Spring”, a community that exists to “mobilize islanders and the organizations that serve them to lower emissions and help prepare for the increasing climate change risks faced by our community and our ecosystems.” Perhaps there is an appetite here on Mayne for partnering with Transition Salt Spring. Power is in group action.
At least 28% of Canada’s emissions are from oil and gas production. Educate yourself about the fossil fuel industry in BC and Canada, and what government is doing to prop up the oil and gas industry. Don’t let them get away with it. Talk or write to your MLA and MP. Work with organizations that are trying to move us faster in the transition to green energy. Even if you only have time to attend their educational webinars and sign their petitions, that is a step forward.
Share what you learn with friends, family, and neighbors. As Dr. Kathrine Hayhoe says, the most important thing you can do to fight climate change is to “talk about it.” Let’s dispense with the notion that it’s a social taboo. But it is vital that the language we use to talk about it is non-judgmental and compassionate. Otherwise, we’re asking for an unproductive fight. I have learned this the hard way. Anyone interested in a bi-monthly climate café to share knowledge and ideas for group action?
Lastly, a key element in committing to an action(s) is to find the sweet spot that intersects significance of impact with personal skill and joy. Yeah, joy. Because if you choose an action that you hate doing, you won’t last long there.
Rosemary Cornell is a retired SFU Biochemistry Prof and part-time Mayne Island resident since 2016, and a supporter of the Conservancy for 7 years. Since retirement, she has been studying climate science, policy, solutions, and communication strategies. She is co-editor of a newly released anthology profiling resisters against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, Standing on High Ground: Civil Disobedience on Burnaby Mountain. She can be reached at roseycornell@gmail.com
1 Comment
Jeanette Leitch · 11/01/2024 at 2:08 pm
Thank you Rosemary. I am certainly interested in being part of a group on Mayne with a focus on climate change – at all levels – personal, local, provincial, national and global – to learn about causes and solutions.
Are you familiar with the definition of learning as “the capacity to take effective action” ?