While the holidays are often seen as a time of giving, with those less fortunate even getting some attention through hamper-drives and whatnot, there is one poor soul who always gets snubbed. The dear little planet we live on—like it or not—is going to hell, and the mad dash to buy presents, well intentioned as it is, doesn’t often do a lot to help it. Which isn’t to say not to give something to your loved ones, but simply that once the holidays are done, perhaps also think about giving something to the environment.
Cheesy as such a thing sounds, making a New Year’s resolution to this effect is a sound idea. While the environmental movement of the 70s and 80s seems to have set the world back on course, the reality, unfortunately, is something quite different. Even moderate scientists admit that if not our generation, then certainly the one thereafter, is going to be experiencing a planet in crisis.
Global warming is increasing, and without a fifty per cent cut in emissions, temperatures could rise two to ten degrees, which will trigger the wholesale change of the ecosystem world-wide. Forestry and mining continue to quickly deplete what little is left of natural resources, urban sprawl gobbles up more and more habitat, and chemical use and industry pollute our water and land.
But enough awfulizing. Let’s talk New Year’s resolutions. A few years ago a lovely group of scientists put together a handy book called the Consumer’s Guide to
Effective Environmental Action (www.ucsusa.org).
It’s the first scientific study that looked at every area of consumer spending and found that only seven really impact the environment, and that many we fret over are actually quite unimportant. The good news for students is that most of the damage done comes after graduation. We’re fairly light on the world as it stands now. Though there are areas for improvement, including:
Consumption of Meat and Poultry: Most North Americans consume more of these products than elsewhere in the world, with their over consumption being the second most damaging personal environmental action. They take up land, use huge amounts of resources growing feed, and their effluent causes major water pollution. Cutting back on meat and poultry is one of the smartest moves that can be made.
Fruit, Veggies and Grain: Specifically, concern about how they are grown (with heavy reliance on pesticides) and how they get to you (often from around the world). Their suggestion is simple: buy organic, even if it is just a portion of the food you buy, and buy from local growers. Think twice before buying food from the other side of the continent or the world, especially when the fruit is out of season.
Home heating, lighting, and hot water: Number four on their list, this is again another easy matter to tackle—energy efficient lights and faucets, turning off lights when not around, keeping your heat at a reasonable level, and not wasting hot water.
Other areas for concern have to do with matters to plan for a few years down the road. These include household construction (the smaller and the closer to your work the better), car ownership (do you really need it? And if you do, how fuel efficient is it?), household appliances (they use most of your homess energy, so when you one day buy a fridge, get an efficient one) and home water use (how bad does your yard need it?).
The authors of the book freely admit that consumer action will not save the environment—wider pressure of government and industry is required—but they also point out that it will also be very hard to make positive changes unless people generally change their lifestyle.
What is helpful about their recommendations is that they have a sound scientific basis and they are not so numerous as to be overwhelming.
So after you are done with the holidays and the family, think about giving something back to the planet. Although obvious, you can’t live without it, and we do tread on it so heavily that it would be good to do something nice for a change.
