Opening Message: Why is climate change an important issue at
home?
I initiated a discussion with a friend on the importance of
climate change at home. The SES poster for week three of “Setting the Agenda”
provides resources for tips on how to communicate climate change issues with
friends and family. There are tips from videos, articles, and organizations at
The first thing I had my friend do was calculate their
carbon footprint using the footprint calculator at http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/
to see how their daily actions impact the environment. Have you calculated your
carbon footprint? I encourage you do so to take the first step in reducing your
carbon footprint.
The point of this week is not to convince your friends or
family of anything, it is simply to share information on climate change with
them and express your concern for the issue. I was able to sit down with a friend
who did not know a lot of facts about climate change. I shared some resources
and a personal story about myself and why I encourage others to get educated on
this issue. As a biology student, I know that a lot of things that happen in
nature do not happen overnight. They happen over years and years. What our
generation does for the planet today, can affect how the planet will be for our
family in the future. I believe that if we tweak our daily routines just
slightly, we can reduce carbon emissions significantly. All it takes is sharing
the information with the people closest to us, suggest ways they can help, and
have them share the information they just learned with the people closest to
them!
Personally, one thing that I believe is important when discussing
climate change with others who do not share the same level of passion for it as
I do, is the fact that we need to think about it long term. I find that there
are a lot of people who do not believe that climate change is happening because
the effects are not always immediate. It is important to remember that climate
change IS happening. It has always been happening and increases in greenhouse
gas emissions adding to global warming, increasing climate change that then
affects all sorts of global processes.
I spent a lot of time outside as a child. Enjoying the
fresh, clean air was never something I thought twice about. I grew up in a
small town and attended a K-12 school where environmental awareness was never
something that was taught. I can remember a couple years where our school was
taught how to recycle, but that is about it. There are still adults today who
aren`t sure if some items can be recycled. The city of Saskatoon is a great
resource to look into when you aren`t sure if something can be recycled. Go to https://www.saskatoon.ca/services-residents/waste-recycling/recycling/what-recycle
for more information! The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council is another great
resource to look into for items that can`t be recycled, but need to be disposed
of in an environmentally friendly way so they do not end up in a landfill.
Visit http://www.saskwastereduction.ca/recycle/db?location=Saskatoon&materials=All+Materials&keywords
for more information
When I decided to do a biology degree at the University of
Saskatchewan, I just knew that I wanted to do environmental biology. I am not
really sure why. It was never something I had considered doing before. The more
schooling I did, the more my environmental awareness increased and I started to
think about what lights I was constantly leaving on or what appliances I was
leaving plugged in. I have started warming up my car for less time in the
winter than I usually do. I take the bus every day, or I catch a ride to school
if I can. I recycle everything I can and I encourage other members of my house
hold to do the same.
