By Jennifer Saltman
It’s up to Canadians to save the planet.
Ever since Parliament ratified the Kyoto Protocol in December, the federal government has been telling Canadians that they all have a role to play in helping Canada meet its national target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions to six per cent below 1990 levels.
Brought about as an international plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Kyoto has been ratified by 102 countries so far, including Canada.
According to Environment Canada, if Canadians reduce their personal CO2 emissions and overall energy consumption, it will help Canada keep its promise and benefit us locally by reducing smog.
To help us, the government has published a list of changes we can make to become more efficient and produce fewer emissions. The list suggests changes be made at home, on the road and in the community.
Some examples of reductions for home are to “keep your thermostat turned down in the winter: wear a sweater indoors” or not to use air conditioning during the summer. The government also suggests Canadians continue to recycle and opt for alternative methods of getting to work to reduce emissions from automobiles — both simple ways for the community to participate.
Paul Giroux, a spokesman for Environment Canada, says these simple changes are “absolutely reasonable” for most Canadians.
“It’s pretty much a challenge to Canadians because they are a big part of our plan,” he says.
Canadians currently produce an average of five tonnes of greenhouse gases per person each year, or about 150 megatonnes of emissions annually. Something obviously needs to be done. Another fact Canadians should consider is that roughly half of each Canadian’s emissions come from automobile use.
While it’s reasonable to ask Canadians to make an attempt to reduce their personal energy consumption, the government needs to put a plan in place to get us motivated.
For example, if the home recycling programs had not been set up, a lot less Canadians in large cities would recycle.
However, Daniel Berman, a spokesman for Canada’s Climate Action Network, says because there was an organized plan in place, recycling has been successful.
The Climate Action Network is part of a global network of non-governmental organizations created from Kyoto
Since Canada first signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, measures to reduce greenhouse gases have been largely voluntary, such as buying more energy efficient appliances or using ethanol-blended gasoline. As a result, Canada’s emissions have increased by about 20 per cent since 1997, which was hardly the goal.
Unfortunately, the changes that are being suggested for Canadians sound a lot like what the government has been asking us to do for the past five years.
Berman says the tips given to Canadians to help them be more environment-conscious are “all very nice to do but they won’t get us where we need to go.”
“That sort of thing [tips] is a five per cent solution. Obviously there is a certain benefit, but we have to go beyond that,” Berman says. “What is missing is a clear plan for programs and services for Canadians to carry this out.”
He says a different strategy is needed, whether it be informing the public more or finding more funding for green projects.
But Berman says being more environmentally conscious can require major lifestyle changes to help reduce energy consumption — such as re-insulating a house — and this can be a major expense for Canadians living on tight budgets.
“A lot of Canadians are in the position where they need a rebate or reductions as an incentive. An investment has to be made because a lot of households need support,” says Berman.
Giroux is hopeful there will be “something” in the upcoming budget that gives Canadians an incentive to make lifestyle changes. The budget will be released at the end of February or in early March.
But in the end, Canadians should not be relying on the government for motivation. Until a concrete plan is formulated, we should try to make the smaller changes that have the potential to save us money and possibly improve the environment.
A complete list of suggestions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions is available at www.ec.gc.ca/climate/action-e.html.