LINDSAY HUMBER, 03 JUN 2010

I often get into conversations with friends about whether one can actually make a difference as an individual. Why should we hamper our lifestyles for the 'greater good' when our neighbour is busy gassing up their hummer and personal jet? Can one person's actions actually influence our collective future? The short answer is "probably not". Remove that person from their community and place them in an isolated bubble, that one reduced carbon footprint, or one über-engaged citizen, really doesn't have a significant impact on the whole. But when that one person organizes five people, and those five people each organize another five people (and so on), it becomes possible to envision a future in which we are all striving towards a common purpose. In aiming to increase environmental citizenship, reaching that critical mass is what we, at Alberta Acts on Climate Change, are all about. We do this because we believe that right now, here in Alberta, we have the chance to take the lead in addressing one of the most important challenges of our time.

Lindsay Humber is an Environmental Outreach Coordinator with Alberta Acts In the Alberta Acts office yesterday, we were talking about the power individual citizens wield when we write our political representatives. One letter from one person may not make a difference, but one letter from 50 people, or 100 people, can create an enormous ripple effect. In the same way, a group of organized, engaged and vocal citizens wield exponentially more power than one person on their own. Individual action is effectively meaningless unless it acts as a gateway to collective action. So, find other people that share your vision for the future. Network. Make alliances. Act. Let your elected official(s) know how you feel. Tell them that addressing climate change and peak oil won't bankrupt our city/province/country. Explain that it actually provides an opportunity to build our economy while taking leadership in developing carbon-free energy.

In Alberta, some businesses are already doing limited work on a small scale on new energy and conservation technologies (such as the new wind farm up for approval by Stettler), but they are also waiting for, and looking to, all levels of government to set new standards and invest in the new approaches. We already have effective and tested solutions that can reduce our carbon load. What we are lacking is the political will and support to put them into widespread action and bring them up to an appropriate scale. And the only way to garner this support is to make it known that collectively we care about local, regional and provincial resiliency. We need legislation that requires provinces and cities to assess their vulnerability to more severe weather patterns, water shortages, wildfires, rising sea levels, and other events that could affect our environment and economy in the years to come. Only by strategically organizing around these issues, can we begin to work towards creating meaningful, tangible and pragmatic solutions.

The fact is that we can create a clean energy future fuelled by innovation, local job growth, and environmental stewardship. Changing the regulatory framework to allow, and encourage, solar and wind energy installation (i.e. more subsidies for renewables) would create more jobs in that industry. Providing tax credits to retrofit commercial buildings for energy efficiency would create jobs in construction. There would be training for plumbers, builders and electricians in energy efficient equipment and methods. Had last year's home renovation tax credit been tied to 'green' and low-carbon renovations (etc.), homeowners would have improved the value of their homes while reducing heating and electrical costs and environmental impact. With smarter decisions about municipal development, we could cut down on long-distance commutes, save fuel and cut the carbon emissions that surround the earth and trap in heat, leading to disruptions in the climate we rely upon. With enough pressure from Albertan community groups or organizations, we could create opportunities for carbon-free energy (such as solar and wind power) right here in our communities. With enough local interest, we could start more farmers' cooperatives and increase our access to healthy, local and organic foods while supporting local independent farmers and cutting down on fossil fuels used for transportation. With enough conversations around our kitchen tables and over backyard fences, we could create safer, caring and more resilient communities.

I feel like understanding these issues comes naturally to Canadians. We all care about improving our communities, cities, provinces and country. The catch is that actually creating these changes requires each of us getting up and asking difficult questions about how we live our lives, and how we want to make a difference. Talk to your family, neighbours, co-workers, friends and community groups about ways to reduce their carbon footprints and tackle climate change locally. Contact the media via letters to the editor or online forums. Let your political representatives know where you stand on climate change and fossil fuel dependence, and that these issues are important to you. Support a local organization's efforts to promote helpful government action; and if such an organization doesn't exist in your area, create one. If you are a parent, student or teacher have your school adopt a local forest and replant trees, which absorb heat-trapping carbon from the atmosphere. Investigate options to save energy at work and ask your employer to implement them. If you belong to a spiritual, wisdom, or faith tradition, organize a stewardship group or club to engage with the challenges and complexities of addressing climate change from a moral, ethical, and/ or justice perspective.

As Joelle said in a previous blog post, it is important to remember that "not every act of change is immediately groundbreaking or revolutionary. [But] as long as enough people are striving to achieve the social and environmental outcomes required for real sustainability, we will get there eventually."  

There is an increasing awareness of environmental stewardship in the global consciousness, and Canada risks being left in the dust on climate policy. We have two choices in front of us: we can either lead and take advantage of this shift, or choose to lag behind while other countries (such as Mexico) act more swiftly. Right now we have the chance to take the lead in addressing one of the most important challenges of our time. And that leadership can start in each of our homes. Or better yet, this up-coming Sunday (June 6^th) in Riley Park (on facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=119914768046283&ref=ts).