l iving s ustainably paul van der werf. l iving sustainably let’s spend some time talking about...
TRANSCRIPT
LIVING SUSTAINABLYPaul van der Werf
LIVING SUSTAINABLYLet’s spend some time talking about
our impact on the environmentLet’s spend some time talking about
what we can do to reduce our impact on the environment
Informal – I am here to learn from you
Let’s leave today with a few practical ideas we can incorporate right away
LIVING SUSTAINABLYWe hear lots of words like:
Carbon foot printSustainableGreenEnvironmentally friendly
What does it all mean?How can we turn words into
actions that have a real impact
WHAT IS OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT?
Our impact comes down to one simple concept and that is consumption
“The act or process of consuming.”
What do we consume every day in our lives?
WHAT IS OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT?
EatingHeating
TransportationBuildingOthers?
WHAT IS OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT?
We can measure our consumption using a number of measures
WasteEnergy usageWater usage
WASTE Londoners throw away about 250 kilograms
of waste per person per year
Weight of 250
In London has decreased since 1990 In Canada continues to increase Business waste increasing even faster
ENERGY Londoners consume about 2,500 kwh per year One 100 watt light bulb on for 24 hours uses
about 2.5 kwh
One Compact Fluorescent Bulb uses about 0.5 kwh
Energy is required to make electricity. Carbon dioxide and pollution result.
WATER Londoners consume about 250 litres person
every day
Think about what that means throughout the year
Volume of 250 Filling up tank 4 timesper day
QUANTITY VS QUALITY
Need to think about consumption in terms of: QUANTITY QUALITY
What impact does the quality of our consumption have on the environment Pesticides versus no pesticides Green power versus conventional power
Quality is the impact of our consumption beyond the amount of resources used – manifest as pollution and other impacts
CONSUMPTION IS TIED TO MONEY
Everything we consume costs money Everything we don’t consume costs money We have largely been taught to ignore this There is a greater appreciation of this right
now
WHAT WE CAN DOUnderstand that our environmental
impact is very closely tied to our consumption
Find ways to consume more smartly
Find ways to reduce the wastefulness built into our consumption
Find ways to manage the wastes created by our consumption
“SMART CONSUMPTION”
1 . What is the environmental impact of making this product;
2. What is the environmental impact of using this product; and
3. What is the environmental impact after this product has lost its usefulness.
We need to engage in what I like to call smart consumption. This is a thought process where we think about the environmental impacts of our purchases in three distinct stages
WASTE City has lots of good programs to deal with
waste Maximize their use
Quantity
Quality
15-20% 10-15% 25-30%
1%
WASTE Backyard Composting – Video E-waste Recycling – Video
WWW.MYGREENWORKPLACE.CA
WATERReplace your water guzzling toilet
with an efficient 6 litre or dual flush toilet – rebates available
Water your lawn only when necessary, and according to summer water restrictions
Always run dishwashers with a full load. This will save water, energy, detergent and money
WATER
ENERGY Take London Transit, walk, and/or ride your
bike to your destination. The most energy efficient and least costly mode of transportation is muscle power.
Don't be a lead-foot - hard acceleration and speeding wastes fuel. For highway driving, every 10 km/h above the speed limit increased the amount of gas burned by 10%.
Home energy audits. Mayor’s Sustainable Energy Council. New
web page with some good information for residents (and business)
ENERGY HTTP://WWW.MSEC.LONDON.CA/
Residential
It's easy to be an EnergySaver
There is a clear connection between your energy consumption and your impact on the environment. Energy saving opportunities are everywhere, whether it’s in our homes or in our cars. We’ve included a number of links where you
can access useful information, and we will continue to update this information. Good luck becoming an EnergySaver! General Information Grants & Free Stuff Saving Electricity
Saving Natural Gas Saving Fuel
ENERGY
QUALITY OF CONSUMPTION
Previous tips focus on quantityQuality focuses where items are
purchasedWhat is the composition of
consumption
ORGANIC/NATURAL VS CONVENTIONAL
Organically produced food does not use pesticides
Why use a chemical if we don’t need to?
Cleaning supplies.There is a cost premium –
narrowing as demand increases
WWW.MYGREENWORKPLACE.CA
LOCAL VERSUS GLOBALWe live in a global world that we
have created.Why not support local businesses
that promote sustainability? The only way they will survive is
through your consumption.Benefits of local buying can
include significantly reduced energy consumption (e.g. for food) or better quality products
CONCLUSIONSConsume smartlyMake a commitment to reduce
consumption where possibleUnderstand that it some cases
doing the right thing costs a bit more
Understand that there rebates and grants available to do the right thing
Embrace change
SOURCES OF INFORMATION USED The Clear Network http://www.clear.london.ca http://msec.london.ca/
