WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Trade the 4 wheel drive for a hybrid car. You will cut your emissions output by 70%.


• Walking is good exercise and most of us need more of it.


• Take the most efficient method of transportation to work. If you commute, carpool. Not only will your gas expenses drop dramatically, but you'll get to know your neighbours and you can leave for work later, since there won't be as many cars on the road.


• Change the lightbulbs in your house to compact fluorescent. It's been estimated that emissions across the country would drop by 15% if we all had low wattage bulbs. It saves you money, not only on your bill, but also on a provincial level. The less energy we have to generate, the less expensive our collective long term costs are.


• Turn off the lights! Only have lights on in the rooms where people are.


• Stop using plastic bags. Bring a cloth bag to the grocery store, or use their leftover cardboard boxes. Plastic is made from oil and doesn't biodegrade easily.


• Don't drink bottled water. Tap water is usually better for you, and doesn't require the manufacturing of plastic and the expense of recycling it.


• Take public transit.


• Get involved in community projects. Everything from tree planting to cleanup days need lots of people to help out. It makes your neighbourhood cleaner, more pleasant to live in, and makes you feel like you're part of the bigger picture, which you are, whether you want to admit it or not.


• Demand of your local, municipal, and federal governments that they work to reduce emissions, and to work toward the end of the release of toxic chemicals into our food,, air, and water supply, which make us sick and far more susceptible to diseases. Their job is to protect our society and make it stronger. That's why you like universal health care.


• Don't eat at fast food restaurants. The food is very unhealthy and produced using methods that are emissions heavy.