Editor, The News:
The recent results of the federal election were disappointing.
Canadians voted with their pocket books and not enough with thoughts of protecting the environment for the future generations or their conscience.
We got three seats, it’s a start but we have a long way to go. The science is there, we hear or in this case refuse to hear it …heads in the sand.
That may be good for the ostrich to hide from its predators. We have no excuse. However, I am optimistic that today’s teenagers are coming of age to vote in the next election …watch out!
They will sweep the dead wood that is clinging to power to sweeten their retirements. In the meantime, we can do a lot ourselves. We don’t need the government to tell what we should be doing. We should take the lead from our cousins in Europe that are taking the challenge to an individual basis.
A recent interactive TV show in France put the following question to its audience and asked them to respond whether they would support the gestures or not. The support was overwhelming. Take a look and see if these are some of the steps you and your family can take. Our blue planet will thank you.
• Consume local products, buy in season. These use 10 to 20 times less fuel to bring goods to market. In other words, avoid buying strawberries from down under in the winter.
• Would you be prepared not to eat meat or fish one day a week? Raising beef is taxing on the environment. The fish are disappearing from our oceans, let’s keep some for our grandchildren.
• Each year, we consume billions of plastic bottles many of which that end up in the dump. Would you be prepared to use reusable bottles? Would you take your own basket to go to the market and not use plastic bags?
• Our insects are indispensable for pollinating many sources of our foods – would you be prepared to plant flowers to preserve our bees? Even flower pots on your deck will help.
• Would you volunteer with organisations that promote the environment and ways to deal with global warming?
• The textile industry is one of the most polluting industry, would you be prepared to buy fewer clothes or even buy second hand?
• Hoarding e-mails has an impact on the environment, would you be prepared to delete unnecessary ones?
• 40 per cent of our motor car/truck trips are short, would you be prepared to take alternative means like, walking, take a bike or public transportation for trips less than three kilometres?
• By taking the train rather than an aeroplane you would save 45 times the amount of CO2 for the same distance. Would you be prepared not to take a flight for one year?
• By lowering your thermostat by one degree you will benefit the environment. Would you be prepared to bring it down to 19 C?
Any of the above is doable, no? These are all small steps that are achievable for anyone that puts their mind to it.
I see daily mothers and their young in monstrous pick up trucks, I’m sure that the oil filters on them are changed regularly … how about changing the filters on that engine we call the environment? It’s for her kids sake.
The biggest challenge we face is the transition from a carbon economy to a life preserving green economy. The recent debates hardly mentioned the environment, that was very unfortunate, wait for the kids to vote … things will change.
Mother Nature will prevail even if we screw it up, it will wait for us to be gone, take a deep breath and get on with what it does best, survive.
Rod Gruzelier
Pitt Meadows