Brief on solutions; long on results

The following is the outline of a 20 minute talk I am about to give on the 27th to an informal "green drinks" group. (These are 'green' minded folk who get together monthly and have a drink while talking about issues of sustainability.) This one meets monthly in Nanaimo.

Problems

· Peak oil

· Increasing demand for fossil fuels

· Green House Gas emissions from fossil fuels (Co2) and from meat production (methane gas)

· Loss of agricultural land

· Running out of chemical fertilisers (especially non-toxic ones)

· Running out of potable water for farms and cities

· Continuing dependence on single-occupancy vehicles

· Waste of energy in buildings

Solutions

· Move away from fossil fuels and toward solar (direct and indirect) and tidal energies

· Move away from meat consumption (to greatly reduce methane gas production)

· Accelerate integrated transportation network

· Build cycle paths everywhere

· Protect agricultural land and encourage back-yard gardens and community gardens

· Encourage local buying (of food and everything!)

· Utilise the sewer waste stream and compost food left-overs to fertilise farm-land and gardens

· Capture rainwater, re-use waste water for toilets

· Institute mandatory waste-heat recovery systems in all buildings; use lending ability of utilities such as BC Hydro to encourage energy upgrades in buildings, give tax credits to greater energy efficiency while taxing carbon

Discussion

The technologies are already available and relatively inexpensive (especially compared to the cost of not acting). If car manufacturers and banks can be bailed out, why can we not invest in the future of our planet home?

I estimate that about half of the votes in the last B.C. (Canada) provincial election were cast in favour of the environment. That means that both the mainstream political parties that have a presence in Victoria should be held to account for their environmental policies.

Here are ways to encourage this to happen:

1. Write letters to government and opposition parties encouraging a better carbon tax and an end to oil/gas subsidies and a moratorium on off-shore drilling and shipping of fossil fuels

2. Offer your vision to elected officials, your friends, family, co-workers, kids, and wherever you have an audience!

3. Lead by example. Make the needed changes not only because it will have a personal pay-back but also because doing so will benefit future generations and the planet as a whole. Don’t ask about the “payback period” for you. Ask about the “payback period” for the planet.

4. Discover the freedom associated with going green. Become liberated! (Garden, cycling, walking, slower pace of life, better food, more ‘grounded’, more interesting, fewer debts –freedom!)

5. Work with others to make the needed changes. Form a “carbon-busters” group here? Form an energy cooperative?

Comments anyone?