What do these two men have in common? Well, they both put "end climate change" on their to-do lists..I was fortunate enough to go see Al Gore and David Suzuki speak in Montreal last week. The conference, organized entirely by students (http://www.youthactionmontreal.com/), brought in 1000s of people from around the community - business leaders, politicians, adults and students alike. It was an exciting testament to what young people can do. After two hours of presentations and slides it was clear that global warming isn't as distant and irrelevant a problem as we treat it. The warm March rain that followed the conference made it even more real (this is Montreal!). According to science, that is bad.Think of it this way - this problem is our generation's Vietnam: caused by parents, solved by kids. Don't be afraid to throw "Stop Global Warming" on to your list, it can be as easy as not taking more napkins than you need (most people need 1) or not taking a bag when you can hold what you bought with you hands. It starts there.
Keep an eye on the clouds folks, this one is on us to fix.
If you are eager to know more now, check this out..
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In the recent months, weeks, and days it has been become evident that a global trend towards environmental sustainability has flourished. Some of the most influential figures such as the former chief economist for the World Bank Sir Nicholas Stern, have just recently released reports with astonishing and dire warnings to the world; “invest in alternative energy today, or face a tab twenty times greater in the future” a price tag heftier than that of the first and second world wars combined. It is no wonder then that in a poll conducted by CanWest Media and released by the Montreal Gazette on November 6, 2006, the number one concern for Canadians, surpassing both health care and terrorism, was the environment.
So what does this mean? What does this mean for the environmental movement and against pollution, over consumption, greenhouse gas production, and towards sustainability? What does it mean to be sustainable? The obvious and simple answer to this question is to live one’ s life with little if any impact on one’ s surroundings, using less energy and resources in one’ s everyday life than the global ecosystem is capable of enduring of rejuvenating. Although the answer to this question may be simple, the solution is far from being so. To make every aspect of ones life sustainable and eco friendly seems a daunting and an impossible task, for the simple reasons that our society, both economically as well as socially, is not geared towards such a lifestyle. Our infrastructure in Canada, the United States, and most of Western society is modeled around an automobile dependant society. Our social behaviour, from things as simple as having a cup of coffee to go, are the basis for why we as Canadians are the largest per capita producers of waste in the world. Of 192 countries in the on this planet we rank number one, and that says something.
As youth, and not just as Canadian but as global citizens, we stand to inherit this reality. With governments seemingly too slow to act, or in most cases enacting policies that do little if nothing to curb our destructive direction, we must take it upon ourselves and make the changes necessary in our everyday lives to ensure that those that follow us in generations to come will not have to contend with the ills our predecessors have left for us.
So how is this accomplished? What can we do as youth to limit the depth of our footprint on the Earth during this period of our lives? Before answering this question it is important to realize firstly that any model or formula aimed at achieving sustainability, this perfect balance of consumption and rejuvenation, must be catered to a target audience. Every demographic has its specific needs and thus students, and youth in general, require a plan that is geared to work specifically for them and their general lifestyle.
Secondly, it must be understood that any program aimed at combating the incessant onslaught of destruction our lifestyle has had on the environment will come at a cost, both financial and social.