Image Credit: Climateproject.org
Trying to find ways to live our lives while matching our actions with ideals can be tough. That's where books like An Incovenient Truth by Al Gore come in handy. Most of us know the movie and the awareness it created around global climate change. The book shares more than just facts proving that human impact is changing our climate, though; it also contains some great ways we can conserve more while consuming less. At the very back of the book, Gore shares some simple ways we can have an impac (Note that I've added my touch to what was in the book):
Consume less - Everything we buy consumes energy in every stage of its production. Ask yourself if you really need that item before you purchase it. Can you find it secondhand?
Buy things that last - Choose durable items over disposable ones and repair rather than discard. Donate or pass on items that you no longer need to keep usable stuff out of the landfill.
Reduce waste before you buy - Discarded packaging materials make up about one-third of landfill waste. Yikes! Give preference to products that use recycled packaging or pick items that are surrounded in less packaging. Bulk is the way to go and so are refillable glass bottles.
Bring reusable bags - With so many million barrels of oil used to make plastic grocery and shopping bags, and trees cut down to make paper bags, it is better to go with your own reusable bag than to add to this mass waste of resources and growing piles of trash.
Refill your own bottle - Just like bringing your own coffee mug to get your brew in the a.m., it makes sense to pony up and buy a reusable, stainless steel bottle to carry water in.
Eat less meat - This can be a tough one, but it is also probably one of the most significant ways we can reduce the amount of carbon emissions that is changing our climate. From deforestation to mass resource use, shifting to a less meat-intensive diet would mean saving precious resources including water and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. It's healthier, too!
Buy local - Transporting products from far away places means even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Buying locally means supporting the local economy and cutting down greenhouse gas emissions. Purchase food locally and in season (yay for farmer's markets!) to eat like a true champion.
Get involved - This is really important. Whether it is learning more about climate change, volunteering with forward-thinking environmental organizations or writing letters to politicians who can make significant climate change policies happen, there are many ways to spread the word about climate change and what we can do to be part of the solution.
In that spirit, here are some great sites to visit for more cool tips, organizations to support, or to learn more about climate change:
www.davidsuzukifoundation.org
www.climatecrisis.net
Check back for more about these issues, tips on how to live "greener" and what's happening on the Toronto "green" scene.
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