When I talk about climate change
to friends, family, and people I’ve just met, I get a lot of different
reactions. A common theme is feeling overwhelmed. I get it. How, on an
individual level, are we supposed to counteract the effects of climate change?
As it turns out, there are actually lots of daily changes we can make at the
individual and community levels that can help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions
driving climate change.
Traffic backs up on South Access in Whitehorse. (Photo: Arnold Hedstrom/CBC News) |
One major source of greenhouse gas
emissions, both Canada-wide and in the Yukon, is transportation. Despite the
cold, snowy winters, Yukoners are finding ways to get out of their cars and
trucks. Brave souls face the conditions year round on their bikes, switching to
fat tires for the winter. Lots of people who live in Whitehorse’s downtown core
or Riverdale walk to their workplace for an extra refreshing start to the day.
I’ve even heard of people in the communities snow shoeing or cross-country
skiing to work! The City of Whitehorse has also ramped up availability of
public transportation to help people get around in a more sustainable and
convenient way. Similarly, the Government of Yukon, along with the City, launched
a ride sharing program earlier this year, designed to help commuters connect
and walk, bike, or carpool together! If you haven’t taken advantage of this fantastic program yet, go check it out!
Yukoners also find ways to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by changing energy consumption. During the long summer days
filled with sunshine and warmth, you’ll find few Yukoners turning up the heat
or leaving the lights on, but it’s once again the winters where it gets a bit
tough! But there are still ways to conserve energy. My dad has great fun
sealing our double pane windows with a plastic film every fall, and then
placing bets on how long it’ll take before the cat shreds the extra insulating
layer to bits. Yukoners are also taking advantage of various initiatives, such
as programs that provide rebates
for energy efficient appliances, and programs for micro-generation set-ups.
A commuter faces the
cold on a fat bike. (Photo: Ian Stewart/Yukon News)
|
The Government of Yukon is also helping
Yukoners adapt to changing conditions by, for example, testing road construction methods that preserve
permafrost beneath Yukon highways, and by developing publicly-accessible flood hazard maps to better understand
flood risks in Yukon communities.
BYTE youth showing
their climate change films at the Yukon Centres Canada Conference in 2015. (Photo:
BYTE)
|
I think one of the best ways to move forward is by
engaging youth and encouraging them to lead. Many of today’s youth have grown
up in the context of climate change, and for the most part missed the whole “is
climate change real” debate. When I talked to Shelby Maunder, the director of
BYTE, she described how the younger generation will be the one to tackle a lot
of the immense challenges that climate change poses. If we can combine the
enthusiasm and fresh ideas from youth with the knowledge and experience of
older generations, we’re well on our way to finding creative ways to mitigate
and adapt to the effects of climate change together!
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