After calculating our carbon footprint last week... I was pretty satisfied with it. 12 tonnes of CO2 per year per person isn't bad! It's certainly better than folks in Alberta who rely on coal powered electricity power plants. Right? Right.
Global Neighbours
Yeah... except... China has an average carbon footprint of 5 tonnes... and they are a big country too... We are in trouble.
Climate change isn't going to cut us any slack. A recent study confirmed that by 2050, Canadians are going to have to cut their emissions an average of 95%. Eerk... that would mean... an average of 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per year... Ummm... where's my chart??
Basically... we could heat our home, handle garbage and recycling and drive a tiny bit in our gasoline powered car, and eat a vegan diet... Remember... in my previous blog, this carbon footprint didn't include diet at all!
Yep, it's official... we are in trouble.
2035 and 2050 Targets
Here's what it looks like... There we are at the top of the pack... and there's Brazil and India near the bottom. And we can see our targets as well. The 2035 target is 2.5 tonnes/person/year. But by 2050, we need to get that down to 0.7 tonnes/person/year.
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| Hot & Cool report on climate change - 1.5-Degree Lifestyles Report | Hot or Cool |
Seriously... it seems impossible to go from 12 tonnes/year to 2.5 tonnes/year! And then down to 0.7? HOW???
Reducing Carbon Footprints
Biggest Reduction - 0.5 to 1.5 Tonnes/year per option
- shift from gas-guzzlers to fuel-efficient vehicle
- shift from gasoline car to electric car
- car-free private travel (a vacay with no car??)
- reducing international flights
- shift from meat-based diet to vegan or vegetarian diet
- shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy
Medium Reduction - 0.25 to 0.5 Tonnes/year per option
- living closer to the workplace
- car-free commuting with electric bikes, ride sharing
- smaller living space
- hybrid car
- car-free commuting with public transportation
- closer weekend leisure
- efficiency improvement of home appliances
Small Reduction - less than 0.25 tonnes/year per option
- food production efficiency improvement
- alternative dairy products
- renting a guest room
- telework
- efficiency improvement of buildings, heat pump or air conditioner for temperature control
- reduction of sweets and alcohol
- reduction of domestic flights
- household food loss reduction
- saving hot water
- lowering temperature at home
- supply side food loss reduction,
The Bottom Line
My sense is that a lot of us are focused on the Small Reduction section. We are trying to save hot water by showering less. We are lowering the thermostat and wearing sweaters. We are composting and trying to reduce food waste. We are installing a heat pump. But while all of these things are good... they aren't making a big difference.
For the biggest difference... we are going to have to address things like our car-culture... gasoline cars in particular. And our preference for individual transport over communal transport.
We are going to have to address our fixation with fossil fuels... whether it's natural gas for heating homes or coal-powered electrical generating plants. Those don't work anymore.
We are going to have to look at our addiction to air travel. In France and Austria, they have banned short-haul domestic flights under 2 hours. You'll need to take a train instead. And that works for them because they have the rail system to support that. Here... our rail system is pathetic. And we like our warm-weather winter vacations too... and flitting off to Arizona for the entire winter. Those things might be a relic of the past in a few years.
Carbon Budget
I wonder what would happen if we had a carbon budget for the year. And no... you can't borrow or trade carbon like you would money. This is a budget that can't be altered. You only have so much carbon money to spend. Once it's gone... that's it.
Of course we'd buy our heating and electricity first... and then want?
Things like garbage and recycling... but then travel? Transport? Diet?
We made the switch to a primarily vegan/vegetarian diet three years ago. Beans... tofu... tempeh... and a bit of salmon here and there for the Omega-3s. It works. It's actually quite yummy. Do we miss milk? Nope. Do we miss cheese? Sometimes. We do dabble in yogurt and butter but minimally. But if we had a carbon budget... and had to cut something... yogurt and butter would be the first to go. But what about eating local? What if we ate some local bison? Makes no difference. Meat whether it is next door, or across the country still has a high carbon footprint.
I'd probably be cutting my daily drives to Starbucks. In favour of walking or biking to another coffee shop. I'd make sure that all of my errands are tied together like a daisy chain. They generally are... but sometimes we make that run to the grocery store for a packet of basil because we need it for the recipe we are cooking. Maybe that's a place to start... track our annual kilometres and make an effort to reduce our daily car use.
As for travel... when my mother immigrated to Canada in the mid-1950s... there were no international flights. Heck there weren't even domestic flights. She took a passenger ship from Bremen to Quebec City. She then boarded a train that travelled all the way across Canada. Took days and days. She remembers a time when there were no cheap and easy flights. They are a luxury. And one that we can ill afford the way it stands.
It's enough to make one's head ache. And yet... it's all pretty obvious.
- Buy local - farmer's markets
- Buy seasonal - don't buy raspberries in January
- Eat more vegetables - including dried legumes... best bang for your buck
- Eat less meat - beef is bad... fish is better
- Walk or Bike more - time for an e-bike?
- Drive less - plan your errands... vacation locally
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