CLIMATE ACTION?

Climate change rallies were held across Canada Friday in the middle of a federal election campaign, so naturally candidates from several parties made themselves visible among the participants.

But as important as their symbolic presence may have been, Canadians should demand much more. They should demand that politicians walk the walk in their personal lives.

To be sure, many parties have set carbon-reduction targets nationally and laid out policies generally that they would pursue if elected. But the effort must be individual too. It’s time for you as a voter to ask wannabe MPs what they’ve done about their own habits to help the environment. That would be a sign of how willing they are to take useful action in office.

For instance (based on the recommendations many environmental experts have made), ask your local candidates about the following:

Have they altered the way they travel from point A to point B? Vehicles are significant contributors to greenhouse gases; in a single year, driving 10,000 kilometres in a mid-size, gasoline-fuelled car emits about 2.2 tonnes of greenhouse gases. Does the candidate own a vehicle? What kind? How many? Has the candidate given up or sold their car? Switched to an electric vehicle? Started carpooling? Do they cycle? How often do they take public transit?

How does the candidate heat their dwelling? Electricity and solar are better than natural gas. A home that has been made energy efficient helps. Programmable thermostats, not using the clothes dryer as much, unplugging appliances when not in use — do your friendly, climate-change-battling neighbourhood candidates do any of these things?

What are their eating habits? The beef industry produces a huge amount of greenhouse gases. According to the World Resources Institute, “If cattle were able to form their own nation, they would rank third behind China and the United States among the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters.” Cattle need land, water and fertilizers, and they emit a lot of methane. Your local candidates don’t need to be vegans, but ask if they’ve cut back animal-based proteins in pursuit of a better planet.

According to the former environmental commissioner of Ontario, a lot of our carbon emissions come simply from having too much stuff. While recycling helps, it doesn’t help a lot. The commissioner’s recommendation: Buy less stuff. How are your local candidates following this advice?

Don’t be afraid to ask federal candidates, not just the party leaders, any of these questions. Oh, and we should probably ask them of ourselves, too.