What practical things can we do to help the planet?

If you are reading this, there’s a good chance that you care deeply about the natural environment.

During this time of endless discussion regarding the climate crisis, along with terrible examples of it in action by way of terrible wildfires, heat dome, and flooding in B.C., historic drought in the Prairies, and dramatic negative changes in the far north, it can seem overwhelming at times.

However, as some wise people have responded to the question of whether individuals can make a difference, it is only through the actions of individuals on this planet that we can make a significant change in the direction this planet is moving environmentally.

For instance, sometimes, we blame large companies or industries for their practices that cause damage.

It has been demonstrated time and again that public demand can force, or lead to positive changes to organizations, even in the capitalist society we live in, if individuals take a stand and demand change, or stop buying a certain product or service and letting the given company know why they have changed.

Since social media can cause overnight sensations or create movements, including consumer and environmental, it is much easier than decades before to raise awareness and actions by millions of individuals about environmental topics, such as the use of plastic straws.

There are examples of progress being made, but as COP26 results indicate, not nearly enough is being done to prevent an even more serious climate situation in the future.

So, what are a few of the thousands of practical things we can do to help the environment?

The first thing we all can do is take a serious look at wants versus needs. In this consumerdriven world designed to entice us to buy, buy, buy, we often don’t actually need many things that we purchase. Do we need the biggest, the best, the energy guzzler, the extra-large model? The answer is often no.

One specific example is the decision-making process behind deciding what type of vehicle to purchase. Choosing a smaller, less energy-demanding vehicle is a big step forward.

Do you really need a gasguzzling truck; could you afford the electric vehicle to end your dependence on gas?

Can you switch to solar energy for heating your home or providing electricity? Can you cut down dramatically on the amount of packaging and plastic bags and wrappers in your weekly groceries?

How about turning the home heating thermostat down a few degrees or changing over to an efficiency wood stove and walking or biking when possible, instead of driving?

Can you cut back on using and buying the food items that come from huge distances away in far-flung countries that require enormous fossil fuel transport requirements? Can you continually try to support local businesses by purposefully trying to buy most of your goods locally from local businesses that live in your community and support local community initiatives?

When making decisions about things we plan to do, we can include the question, how can I do this using the least amount of fossil fuel energy? It’s all a matter of what we do most of the time that makes a big difference.

There will always be exceptional situations or good justifiable reasons for doing things that may not be the greenest possible.

However, if we don’t try to make a positive change, one could say we are part of the problem. And what does this reflect for future generations that will have to live with the consequences? We can all shrink our ecological footprint.

I like what my good friend Al said recently when he suggested that we live greener lives and celebrate “green” Christmases. One of his examples of living a greener life is to make a promise to oneself not to use drive-thru’s at fast-food restaurants, but if necessary, not to let one’s vehicle idle while waiting in line.

For celebrating a greener Christmas, it was suggested by another friend, Shannon, that instead of cramming into a store to frantically buy things for others that quite likely won’t be needed, and often not wanted, why not take on positive actions?

One could make a donation to the food bank, stop wasting resources, do an anonymous good deed for someone, and write each of these positive activities on a little piece of paper and put them in a little gift box to give to a friend or family member who will appreciate the uniqueness and the caring behind it. Perhaps it will start a new Christmas tradition…

Of course, another green aspect of Christmas is acquiring a real Balsam fir or pine Christmas tree for the holiday season versus an artificial one made of non-sustainable petrochemicals and metals that are transported thousands of kilometres from China and last only a few years.

Local people are busy preparing these natural and sustainable Christmas tree lots year-round for local families. By cutting the larger trees out of the lot each year, it creates more space for the next crop of special trees.