1. Educate others. Tell you friends, family and neighbours about what you have learned about the importance of reducing GHG emissions.
2. Drive less. Every litre of gasoline used in your car to drive to skiing or work puts 9 kg of CO2 into the air and emits 1 kg of CO2 for every kilometer driven. Walk, bike, carpool or even telecommute whenever you can. Never let your car idle.
3. Eat ‘local’. Eating locally or regionally grown and unprocessed foods eliminates heavy transportation burdens that increase GHG emissions.
4. Buy Green Power. Contact your energy retailer. Every percentage of green power that you buy will keep carbon dioxide out of the air.
5. Consider a fuel-efficient car. Next time you buy a car, make fuel economy a critical consideration. Hybrid vehicles and the new clean diesels are some good options. Always keep you car tuned up and the tires inflated properly.
6. Weatherize your home. Sealing up air leaks like window that don’t completely close, weatherizing doors and windows, adding insulation will save on heating energy, the largest emissions producer in most homes.
7. Choose appliances carefully. If you’re in the market for a new appliance, but an energy efficient model (look for the Energy Star label). The best new refrigerators use half as much energy as many of the older models.
8. Unplug, turn down, and turn off. If you have a second refrigerator that’s not storing much, unplug it. Turn down the temperature on you hot water heater to 120 degrees F. Wash clothes on cold water. Air dry clothes. Use energy saving features on appliances. Turn off computers and unplug chargers fro cell phones and other devices when not in use. Turn your heat down (or use a programmable thermostat) when you leave home for the day or when you go to bed.
   

CALCULATE YOUR CO2 EMISSIONS…

Go to: http://www.changementsclimatiques.gc.ca/calculator/

GHG FACTS & FIGURES…

A typical Canadian household with one mid-size car emits about 5,500 kg of CO 2 per year by driving about 20,000 kilometres.

Canadians are buying larger and larger vehicles, with trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles now outselling cars. Although the fuel efficiency of engines has increased, the larger engines in current models neutralize this effect.

People in a typical Canadian household of four fly about 12,500 kilometres per year (taken together) releasing about 3,100 kg of CO 2

The typical Canadian household emits about 7,700 kg of CO 2 per year from energy used for home heating. The actual amount depends on the type of energy used (electricity, oil or gas) and on the province in which you live (some provinces produce electricity by burning greenhouse gas-intensive fossil fuels while others use nuclear or hydro power).

For each square foot of housing we occupy, we contribute about 5.9 kg/year (depending on energy source and province) to the national greenhouse gas total.

The use of appliances (such as fridge, stove, washer-dryer unit and dishwasher) in the typical Canadian home produces about 2,300 kg of CO 2 a year. Lighting emits about 700 kg of CO 2 per year and central air conditioning accounts for another 2,000 kg. In some homes, emissions from electricity use may approach or surpass emissions from space heating or driving!

Heating water in the typical Canadian household emits about 2,500 kg of CO 2 per year, sixty per cent of it in taking showers and baths.

The food eaten by a typical Canadian with a meat-based diet accounts for about 860 kg of CO 2 per year.

Garbage typically accounts for about 1,500 kg CO 2 per year for a household of two adults and two children in Canada.

True green power has no CO 2 emissions. Therefore every kWh supplied from green power displaces 0.5 kg CO 2.

OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES…

The Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley:
www.biosphereinstitute.org

The Government of Canada’s Green Lane Website:
www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html

The Government of Canada’s Natural Resources Website:
www.nrcan.gc.ca/inter/index_e.html