Get rolling and strolling to combat climate change

I am writing this on Jan. 31, the day the U.K. left the Euro zone, Northern Pulp was forced to close, and Sobeys stopped giving out plastic bags. A big day of changes internationally and locally. A good day, then, to respond to Lezlie Lowe's amazing Jan. 3 column about a total war on climate change.

People may be wondering, "What can I do, and who will lead the charge?" On Jan. 10, reader Fernando Moncayo of Dartmouth responded by suggesting everyone take transit on Fridays. He also challenged councillors to do this and to make it be known they are doing it. That's important, because we need leaders.

But as the columnist pointed out, it will really take everyone to look out for themselves — their friends and their families, so that collectively, we might all win.

In that regard, I must take issue with reader Ben Benjamin (Jan. 6 letter), who argued young people have no appetite for commitment that a total war on climate change would require. It is young people who are asking for the change! It is up to all generations to act.

We can start taking steps now. We don't need to wait for the leaders or for legislation. “When it comes to the climate emergency, there are no civilians. No non-combatants. We’re all in,” wrote Lezlie Lowe. Wow.

So there are a lot of practical things everyone can do. As a (semi-)retired planner who specialized in transportation, I feel qualified to talk about actions that relate mainly to how we travel. It is a good place to start, because transportation is responsible for about 28 per cent of total greenhouse gases, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (it might be a little less in Canada because, believe it or not, Canadians don’t drive as much as Americans do). Each travel mode has a different impact on GHG emissions, but the time for argument about the finer points of GHG impacts by mode is over: walking and cycling must be the defaults, followed by public transit. Total war must be waged against the worst offenders: car and air travel (and we can’t wait for electric vehicles to save us). Here are some things you can begin to do now:

Walk to your corner store for everyday items if such businesses still exist in your neighbourhood. If they don't, ask your councillor what can be done about it.

Walk your children to school (instead of driving them).

Bicycle or take a bus for longer local trips.

Downsize your wheels. Pickups and SUVs are more efficient, pound for pound, than they used to be, but they keep getting bigger and bigger and any gains in efficiency are lost. Get a smaller vehicle, and encourage others to do so, too.

Get rid of the second car. And the third car if you have one. Cars have a big GHG impact because there are so many of them. Use the one you have more wisely.

Set a target: say, to drive 10 per cent fewer kilometres than last year, and raise the target each following year.

Stop buying gas from Irving. Besides our personal responsibility, we also need to demand corporate responsibility for climate change. As The Chronicle Herald reported on Dec. 21, one of the largest employers in Atlantic Canada has abdicated its commitment to set progressive GHG-reduction targets for the Saint John oil refinery. Every time we fill up, we implicitly support that decision. And tell your friends in New Brunswick about this, too (because they probably don't know it).

Choose not to fly. Planes are the worst transportationrelated polluter, generally speaking, and their impact is growing because air travel is so cheap. We can stop this. Stay local when you vacation, or take a boat or a bus if you must. Politely suggest your friends do the same.

Ask your MP to push for electrified rail. Diesel-powered trains perform poorly in terms of GHG emissions. We have a lot of MPs sitting on the right side of Parliament just now. Why not ask yours to push for electric passenger rail in the Maritimes?

Nova Scotia has shown it can be a leader in making innovative societal changes that are the envy of, or that have inspired, others. Examples that come to mind include source separation of household wastes and organ-donor legislation. I believe we can do the same with climate change. I therefore challenge professionals in other disciplines to offer concrete suggestions about how people can take steps to help in other ways in this total war. Let’s get rolling (and strolling)!