Actions to change our footprint

Members compilation of recommendations on Climate Change

How can we protect and diminish the use of natural resources.

“Despite its immensity, the Earth’s resources are not infinite, and it’s clear we’ve exceeded its limits. But it’s also resilient. We can save our planet if we commit to it.”

-By Yvon Chouinard

Our earth’s resources are water, soil, animal life, plant life, insect life and others.
Our earth’s sources of energy are fossil fuel, sources of electricity (hydro, wind, solar, etc.) and others.

Sources of energy:
Fossil fuel:
-Reduce our reliance on fossil fuel
-Support, encourage investment and education in science and technology to develop more climate sustaining products.
-Encourage domestic tourism and discourage international tourism to diminish the use of cruise ships, planes and other forms of fossil fuel transportation.

Electricity:
Make public transport, including the REM, more efficient less expensive and user friendly to encourage and increase the frequency of use. 
-Improve the hydro grid by putting it underground thus less susceptible to power outages, as the climate becomes les predictable. This would encourage users to convert from gas fireplaces, stoves and generators to electricity.

Fusion reactors
-Hydrogen
-Others
Eco-friendly garden Club:

-Encourage clubs in your neighbourhood.
-Share seeds, plants and gardening tips among members.
-Carpool to attend meetings when public transport or walking is not an option.
-Encourage other forms of ways of “getting together”, example, ZOOM.
-Conserve energy by paying attention to lighting, reduce it if possible.
-Serve local and seasonal foods for lunch as much as possible. 
-Share flower arrangements with cut flowers or plants grown domestically for example, orchids grown in Quebec.
-Use less  lighting if possible in meeting rooms.

Planting
-Save and share seeds.
-Plant your own seeds in February, March indoors to plant outdoors after frost. 
-Avoid using seeds that are coated with neonicotinoids that are toxic to pollinators.
-Avoid adding harmful and long lasting chemicals to the soil. 
-Reduce pavement, brick and stone in landscape.
-Plant more trees, ornamental grasses, shrubs and flowers.
-Using electric lawn mowers vs gas.
-Planting trees and flowers and creating a less sterile environment.
-Making own compost and mulching.
-Ban leaf blowers.
-Compost
-Reuse kitchen water by watering your garden with it.
-Return plastic flowerpots.
-Reduce amount of lawn area in gardens and replace with some form of vegetation thus reducing maintenance and use of lawnmowers.
-Discontinue electric lawn mowers, snow blowers and replace battery-operated tools.

How can we promote wildlife-friendly practices in our neighbourhood?
-Establish a “NO MOW MAY RULE”. Do not mow lawns too soon to avoid destroying bird nests.
-Replace grass with ground cover.
-Don’t cut down garden in the fall.
-Turn off lights, less danger for the birds-Set up motion light system

Benefits of planting trees:
-The use of trees and vegetation in the urban environment brings benefits beyond mitigating urban heat islands including:
-Reduced energy use-Trees and vegetation that directly shade buildings decrease demand for air conditioning. 
-Improve air quality and lower greenhouse gas emissions-By reducing energy demand, trees and vegetation decrease the production of associated air pollution and Green house gas emissions. They also remove air pollutants and store sequester carbon dioxide. 
-Enhance storm water management and water quality: Vegetation reduces runoff and improves water quality water by absorbing and filtering water. 
-Reduced pavement maintenance: Tree shade can slow deterioration of street pavement, decreasing the amount of maintenance needed.
-Improved quality of life: Trees and vegetation provide aesthetic value, habitat for many species and can reduce noise. 

How can we encourage the use of renewable energy in our gardening and household projects:
-Turn off lights (use candles, how romantic).
-Turn off computers at night (health benefit in doing this regarding electro magnetic frequencies).
-Investigate heat pumps, (electric and uses the surrounding air for heat),
-Keep temps down to 68 degrees (20 C) and haul out those cozy sweaters and fleecy socks.
-Discontinue electric lawn mowers, snow blowers and replace battery operated tools.
-Use less air conditioning (it stiffens joints horribly).
-Get temperature protection thermal curtain liners, keeps hot air out, cool sir from coming in during the winter and darkness for better sleep. 
-Stuff stockings, socks, or towels along floor doorframes to prevent cold air from in.
-Insulate around windows.
-Use ECO battery powered garden tools. Available on line or at most major hardware stores. 
-Place awnings on your patio, reduces heat penetration in the house.
-Plant trees around the house to reduce the heat in the summer in your house by 2 degrees Celsius.
-Use energy efficient windows and insulation.
-Use heat pump when possible.
-Control heat or coolness by use shades.
-Lower temperature when possible, ex., when away or at night.
-Monitor electricity by not using at peak hours.
-Do not use dryer when possible, use outdoor clotheslines or indoor drying racks.
-Induction stove.
-Use local newspapers to share or learn about tips and pointers.
-Reduce amount of lawn area in gardens and replace with some form of vegetation thus reducing maintenance and use of lawnmowers.
-Discontinue gas powered lawn mowers, snow blowers and replace battery-operated tools.

Conserving WATER and it’s usage:
-Flush less, ex., “when it’s yellow, let it mellow. When it’s brown, flush it down”.
-Turn off water when brushing your teeth.
-Reuse cooking water by watering plants in the garden.
-Do not pre rinse dishes before placing them in dishwasher.
-Do laundry less in a week.
-Install a water meter to monitor your water consumption.
-Avoid leaving your sprinkler running all day.
-Reduce the quantity of water used in households and gardens whether acquired through a city main or through wells, rivers and lakes.

How can we reduce plastics usage in all our activities including gardening?
Reuse old bags, use cloth or recycled paper bags. 
-Choose non petroleum based products. 
-Use cloth bags for vegetables at the grocery stores (available at most large stores).
-Advocate to owners of stores that we will not support their business if they continue to use:

  1. a) Styrofoam
    to fill up your garden pots to half fill to use less soil as a base for garden pots in the house,to separate bowls in our storage drawers to prevent chipping
  1. b) plastic bags at check out
    -Keep glass jars and reuse for storage of food either to place in cupboards, fridge or freezer
    -Use desiccation packets often found in pharmaceuticals to ensure herbs are kept dry, place one in each jar. These packets are also great when saving seeds.

-Always carry bags with you in purse, front seat of car.

How can we support pollinators and enhance biodiversity in our gardens:
-Learn and then teach which flowers and vegetables attract pollinators in the garden (birds, bees, butterflies and others).
Visit Lyman Insectarium at MacDonald College.
-Avoid using herbicides to have the perfect lawn.
-Avoid using seeds coated with neonicotinoids that are toxic to pollinators.

Car usage, increase its efficiency:
-Think of the possibility of car sharing and house swapping for holidays doing it with a proper contract for all parties.
-Make a shopping list to reduce shopping trips (usage of cars).
-It is noted that electric cars are not entirely green because of what is required to make a car battery and how these are disposed. 

Benefits of car pooling:
– Use carpool lane for faster and smoother drive.
-Promotes friendship and well being through contact with others. 
-Drive within speed of 100km/hr. and be more gas efficient.
-Use cruise control for long stretches to be more gas efficient.
-E car sharing reduces carbon emissions.
-Keep your car longer before trade in.
– Join car sharing programs in urban areas, Car to Go.
– Share one car within a family.
– For urban commuting e-bikes and regular bikes  such as Bixi.
– Use BMW (bus, metro and walk). Great new concept for baby boomers! 

Homes and sustainable habits:
Reduce, reuse and recycle home waste by:
-Use reusable bags, keep a bag in purse, backpack.
-Use cloth bags.
-Decrease wrapping paper for gifts and purchases. 
-Mindful of supporting a “market approach” to buying produce.
-Avoid choosing fruit, and vegetables in plastic bags or wrap.
-Refuse packaging when buying an item. 
-Purchase quality items that last longer or that you can recycle by sharing with friend.
-Pass on clothes.
-Buy used clothes.
-Use reusable containers for lunches and storage rather than plastic bags.
-Turn off lights.
-Use LED lighting.
-Eliminate gas appliances and substitute with electric.
-Replace old windows with new ones.

Shopping and sustainable habits (in general):
-When going shopping, add a friend’s shopping list to yours.
-Make a list ahead of time to reduce number of car trips.
-Car pool

When shopping for:
For plants, shrubs and trees: plan your trip with friends, car pooling, ex. Call a friend when going to Jasmin. 
-take advantage of neighbourhood spring time give- away of plants, flowers and trees.
-Garden at home with native seeds or seedlings.

-For food: Support local farmers and local markets.
-Encourage community gardens, share the harvest. Buy local Quebec produce such as milk, ice cream, eggs, bread, etc..
-Purchase Quebec grown produce at weekend rural markets and community rural markets.
-Encourage grocery stores and “fruiteries” to buy locally grown produce.
-Stop at roadside stands to purchase in season produce such as fruits and vegetables (berries, corn, vegetables and eggs).
-Support community food depots and food banks through donations.
-Volunteer to address food insecurity with garden and farm produce.
-Buy meat from local farmers and cooperatives.
-Check labels, identify the source of food and not where it is packaged.
-Consume fruit and vegetables that are in season, available from farmers
-Eat grass fed beef, less energy is required for grass fed meat

Benefits:
-Support our farmers and encourages reliable organic produce.
-Reduces the need to “fly” food in thereby reduces fossil fuel usage with transport whether by truck or air.
-One can easily freeze, can, or dehydrate local produce (some items make great stocking stuffers). This reduces use of plastic packaging.

 For other products:
-Shop for the long haul, not just the season of fashion.
-Use your own reusable water bottle.
-When possible, bring your own glass containers to re use at your grocery stores, example, Bulk Barn.
-At your local stores such as grocery stores, ask for less plastic. 
-Do not buy over packaged items
-Petition the SAQ to recycle their bottles
-Bring items to community eco-centers
-Buy less and create less waste
-Buy second hand
-Reuse or repurpose old items
-Fix broken items

Reduce food waste by:
-Make list before grocery shopping.
-Stick to your list
-Plan meals for the week, menu
-Cook ´2 meals in 1 ‘ by cooking larger quantity
-Cook enough food so you have enough for two meals.
-Soup making from odds and ends vegetables in the fridge.

Composting:
-Use Countertop bins in the city and compost bins and open air compost in acreage properties.
-Use community compost in urban areas available in springtime, bring wagons, wheelbarrows, buckets, etc. Avoid using your cars. 

Home Composting kitchen waste:
-Avoid meat or dairy products 
-If you’re not a vegan, reduce meat consumption to once a week. Leguminosae have wonderful protein, easy to store and prepare.
-Discuss a composting system with your Municipality so that you may be able to bring your compost to a local municipal bin and take when you require it. ( One has three year revolving bins)
-Encourage restaurants to participate by donating leftover food to the needy and by bringing salads and veggies to the local composting bins. 

Can we promote standardizing size of glass bottles, jars and lids?

-Make reusing easier and more efficient to store therefore encouraging this practice

How can we support and encourage public transport?
-REM works for some. However, areas where there are stations, changes in bus schedules have decreased causing many major inconveniences, great annoyances, inefficiencies, increase in the price of public transport and offering less security if a passenger requires timely medical attention. In addition, the noise levels are above provincial standards causing dreadful living and working conditions and major sleep deprivation. More expenses to correct this as in the city of Mont Royal at the expense of the taxe payer. Better planning is required for these types of projects.
-More carpooling.
-Public transportation needs to pay attention to the needs of transit users.

Other interesting discussion points:
Responsible and sustainable agriculture:
It’s effects on nature  (insects, birds and animals, soil, water, trees and plant life)
Space research and tourism travel