Freaky Deaky
I am officially depressed. In the context of my employment, I have come across something that is very serious and very frightening. I hope all of my pals and readers will take note and actually DO something to change the world.
That something is Climate Change. If we don't change our behaviour right now, the future for our kids and grandkids is grim. Let me tell you what I learned yesterday:
1. The higher north you are, the more warming you'll experience. So obviously, the Arctic comes first, followed by Canada, Russia and Northern Europe. Northern Ontario has already seen a 1.2 degree increase over the last 100 years. That doesn't seem like a lot, but it is. Think of an ice cube melting in a glass - at room temperature it melts fairly quickly. Make it room temperature plus one, and it'll melt faster. And then room temperature plus one becomes norm, and so on and so forth.
2. Changes in the earth's temperature don't solely affect weather changes and melting icebergs. Animal habitats change, and Ontario will see a rise in the population of insects like the ticks that cause Lyme disease. Lyme disease isn't nice, and it's going to become an epidemic in Southern Ontario if we don't take action NOW.
3. Scientists are predicting a 1 to 5 degree change, depending on where you are in Ontario, over the next 100 years. Now, we all like warmer winters, but the effect of those warmer winters is disastrous. We need the cold. You want a warmer winter, move to Costa Rica, because you shouldn't have it in Ontario. The warmer winter this year made it so that winter roads in Northern Ontario were more dangerous and harder to build. Winter roads are a lifeline in the North, and I don't want people to die because winter wasn't cold enough for the road to be safe enough to deliver the necessities of life.
4. Everyone likes animals like polar bears. And we like them even better knowing they're roaming icebers waaaay up north, because we know that no matter how cute they are, they're dangerous and belong in the north where we can admire from afar. But if their habitat is destroyed, they will be too. And polar bears aren't the only ones.
So. What do we need to do? We need to become conservationists. All of us. Every single person on the planet. Forget Kyoto - if national governments want to mess around with buying and selling carbon credits to see who gets to pollute more, let 'em. You and I need to become actual environmentalists. It is individuals who will be leading the way on this. Here's a short list of things YOU can do:
1. Don't drive. Fossil fuels are bad. Plus, it angers me to see them earning insane amounts of money. If you must drive, conserve gas and buy it from a BP station. You'll have to search for one, but they are around.
2. Turn off the lights. Open the windows. Buy blinds to keep cool in the summer. If you use less electricity, it'll be better for everyone.
3. Buy stuff that's either made in Canada or the US - the environmental standards are higher, and tends to be better quality that'll last longer.
4. Recycle properly - they can't recycle stuff that isn't cleaned out and the labels aren't taken off of. And if you live in an apartment, make sure you take advantage of your blue box/grey box programs and the green bin when it comes.
5. We all need to buy stuff, but if you can possibly avoid stuff with insane amounts of packaging, you should.
It seems like society as a collective has this instant gratification mindset, that we can't think in the long-term or past the next elections. It shouldn't matter who is in government. We don't need any more reports. We need action - and the only way it's going to happen is if you and I do it together.
I'm taking the 5 steps starting today. I'll report back in a month on my progress.
That something is Climate Change. If we don't change our behaviour right now, the future for our kids and grandkids is grim. Let me tell you what I learned yesterday:
1. The higher north you are, the more warming you'll experience. So obviously, the Arctic comes first, followed by Canada, Russia and Northern Europe. Northern Ontario has already seen a 1.2 degree increase over the last 100 years. That doesn't seem like a lot, but it is. Think of an ice cube melting in a glass - at room temperature it melts fairly quickly. Make it room temperature plus one, and it'll melt faster. And then room temperature plus one becomes norm, and so on and so forth.
2. Changes in the earth's temperature don't solely affect weather changes and melting icebergs. Animal habitats change, and Ontario will see a rise in the population of insects like the ticks that cause Lyme disease. Lyme disease isn't nice, and it's going to become an epidemic in Southern Ontario if we don't take action NOW.
3. Scientists are predicting a 1 to 5 degree change, depending on where you are in Ontario, over the next 100 years. Now, we all like warmer winters, but the effect of those warmer winters is disastrous. We need the cold. You want a warmer winter, move to Costa Rica, because you shouldn't have it in Ontario. The warmer winter this year made it so that winter roads in Northern Ontario were more dangerous and harder to build. Winter roads are a lifeline in the North, and I don't want people to die because winter wasn't cold enough for the road to be safe enough to deliver the necessities of life.
4. Everyone likes animals like polar bears. And we like them even better knowing they're roaming icebers waaaay up north, because we know that no matter how cute they are, they're dangerous and belong in the north where we can admire from afar. But if their habitat is destroyed, they will be too. And polar bears aren't the only ones.
So. What do we need to do? We need to become conservationists. All of us. Every single person on the planet. Forget Kyoto - if national governments want to mess around with buying and selling carbon credits to see who gets to pollute more, let 'em. You and I need to become actual environmentalists. It is individuals who will be leading the way on this. Here's a short list of things YOU can do:
1. Don't drive. Fossil fuels are bad. Plus, it angers me to see them earning insane amounts of money. If you must drive, conserve gas and buy it from a BP station. You'll have to search for one, but they are around.
2. Turn off the lights. Open the windows. Buy blinds to keep cool in the summer. If you use less electricity, it'll be better for everyone.
3. Buy stuff that's either made in Canada or the US - the environmental standards are higher, and tends to be better quality that'll last longer.
4. Recycle properly - they can't recycle stuff that isn't cleaned out and the labels aren't taken off of. And if you live in an apartment, make sure you take advantage of your blue box/grey box programs and the green bin when it comes.
5. We all need to buy stuff, but if you can possibly avoid stuff with insane amounts of packaging, you should.
It seems like society as a collective has this instant gratification mindset, that we can't think in the long-term or past the next elections. It shouldn't matter who is in government. We don't need any more reports. We need action - and the only way it's going to happen is if you and I do it together.
I'm taking the 5 steps starting today. I'll report back in a month on my progress.
posted by WitMistress at 9:24 AM
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