We asked people to tell us their "pet peeve" about the environment. Here is some of what they told us:
- People who do not compost at all
- People are not responding fast enough (e.g., to save the polar bear)
- People who litter
- Trucks idling needlessly
- Same as those mentioned!
- Lights left on in large buildings at night
- Styrofoam packaging
- Too much packaging
- Litter on the street
- Paper coffee cups on the road
- Snowbirds -- a waste of energy
- Junk mail
- Polluting the ocean
- Disposable mops
- Lack of regulations to enforce manufacturers to use environmental friendly packaging
People also shared with us what they are doing now -- and the good news is that they are doing quite a lot already; however, there's still more that can be done, especially in the area of well maintained, non-idling, fuel-efficient vehicles. On a CBC program recently, David Suzuki said that for people in rural areas, the best thing you can do is purchase a fuel-efficient vehicle, from a dealer as close as possible to your home.
Did you know that cuts of up to 70% are required to keep atmospheric CO2 at double pre-industrial levels? On a personal basis, you can achieve this by doing the things recommended by Tim Flannery in his book, The Weather Makers:
- Understand how you use electricity, and ask about a green power option. If your supplier doesn’t have a green power option, dump them and go to a competitor.
- In the developed world, about 1/3 of CO2 emissions result from domestic power, and 1/3 of that is for hot water. Install solar panels and let the sun do the heating.
- Choose energy-efficient appliances air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration. Turn off appliances when not being used.
- Generate your own electricity through solar panels.
- If you cannot buy a hybrid, buy the smallest, most fuel-efficient car possible.
- Ask your employer to have an energy audit done.
As Mr. Flannery says, "I have done my best to fashion a manual on the use of Earth’s thermostat. Now it’s over to you."
