Category Climate Change

BBC News: Some firms give more time off to those who shun plane travel.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190918-some-firms-give-more-time-off-to-those-who-shun-plane-travel

This is an excellent idea! We need to break the habit of hopping on a plane for trips where a high-efficiency (run on renewables) train could do the trick. Might take a bit longer, but it’s worth it.

Now, what Canada needs is to switch from subsidizing fossil fuels to promoting electric trains (and public transit) so that everybody can afford them, and use them regularly. And, trips within Canada should cost less to do by train than on an airplane – the opposite of the current status (based on the times that I have checked).

FYI, here’s the link to the Green Party of Canada summary on transportation goals: https://www.greenparty.ca/en/platform/climate-emergency#green-climate-action-plan

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190909-why-flight-shame-is-making-people-swap-planes-for-trains

I admit that I have flown a lot, including a lot of trips across the Atlantic – at one stage in my life, I was averaging two return trips per year. In my circles, depending on what projects people are working on, that average can be much higher.

So, reducing/eliminating flights is tough, but being hard doesn’t make it any less essential. Regardless of the prevalence of super cheap airlines – or the nice ones, for those who have the money – the cost of flying is much higher than the actual ticket price.

In Canada, I have long been frustrated with the fact that train travel is not more affordable. In my opinion, our big systems should be making it easier to do the right thing, not harder. Therefore, if the lower emissions train trip was cheaper than an equivalent flight, I think that would help create a significant shift in behaviours, patterns and trends.

Until then, the right thing will not necessarily be the easiest or the cheapest, but it is still the right thing to do. 🙂

We are, without a doubt, at a point at which hope, without action, is meaningless to our children. We need action. That includes the kinds that are easy (like remembering to bring a grocery bag.) However, it also includes significant steps that will not be convenient or easy. It requires radical changes to our lives – not just once, but every year, for the foreseeable future. It requires changes to how we eat, how we live, how we get around and who we elect to government.

There are various numbers being put out – and I’m not going to focus on all of the specifics here, just the overview.

The Green Party believes Canada should commit to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% below 2005 levels by 2025. Our long-term target should be to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, with further cuts to greenhouse gas emissions of at least 80% to 90%, compared to 1990

https://www.greenparty.ca/en/backgrounder/2015-06-14/green-party%E2%80%99s-climate-change-plan (from 2015)

The plan targets 60 per cent GHG reductions against 2005 levels by 2030 and zero emissions by 2050. (Green Party, Canada, 2019)

https://www.greenparty.ca/en/media-release/2019-05-16/elizabeth-may-unveils-mission-possible-%E2%80%93-green-climate-action-plan (2019)

This is a call that we must take seriously. A reduction of over 50% in only a few years is what we are being asked to do. Thinking about that practically that means:

• radically overhauling transportation and other sectors
• electing governments with exceptionally strong climate action plans (Greens, in Canada – in my opinion)
• changing our own personal choices
  • If our house is 50% bigger than it needs to be, for example, downsizing is a way to reduce our emissions – a smaller, equally efficient house is less space to heat and cool.
  • Making a variety of changes to how we eat (plant-based, local, organic as much as possible.)
  • Transitioning away from gas-powered items as quickly as possible (vehicles, lawn mowers etc).
• Realizing that we don’t have the luxury to pick and choose anymore. We all have to do our best, in every sector, knowing that some changes will be easier, and others will be harder. Some we might be able to make a lot of progress on right away and others might take a bit more planning, but we can get there, and we need to try.

I believe that we can do this – if we genuinely work together to make the changes that are needed. Let’s do this together! 🙂

I have recently had two websites come my way (thanks to others who found them and passed them on to me!).

Based on first impressions, they both seem extremely well-researched and valuable. I am sharing them both with you here. Happy reading and researching! 🙂

The Gold Standard: Extensive research on the carbon footprint of various activities, concrete actions to take to reduce our footprint, and data for individuals/businesses etc. Includes data on carbon reductions, as well as offsets, for any reductions that we are not able to make.

Climate Neutral: Certification for businesses that are making concrete efforts to measure and significantly reduce/eliminate their carbon footprint.