Climate change, our problem and our solutions

 Written by Gabriel Ramos for Terrian Wallings’ blog post on January 23rd, 2023

Climate change, our problem and our solutions

January 23, 2023 Gabriel Ramos

“You’ve gotta chip in”

Whenever we talk about climate change, most of the time the first thing that comes up in our head are the big corporations such as Shell and Exxon; or even blame governments like the USA and China for their emissions; but in reality, us consumers are one of the biggest cogs in this machine, if not the biggest. As a province, Saskatchewan produced between 4.9 - 5.9 tonnes of CO2 per capita in 2018, though the number has been going down since. This number is large however it is per capita and therefore reflects on our population, which had been about 1.174 Million in 2018, according to StatCan, United Nations; this all totals to about 6,926,600 tons of CO2 at the most. Comparatively, Ontario produced about 3.9 - 4.9 tonnes of CO2 per capita but with a population of 14.32 Million in 2018 according to StatCan, United Nations; they produced about 70,168,000 tonnes of CO2. So overall, we as a province are doing a little better because of our smaller population, however we can definitely do much better than that.

Our methods and what needs to change

In Western Canada, especially Saskatoon, our main methods of transportation are usually through cars and buses; mostly powered by either gas or diesel and according to the Government of Canada’s official website, these vehicles contribute to about 11% of the entire nation’s carbon emissions. Now 11% may not sound like a lot, but when you factor in that this is 11% of millions of tons of Carbon emissions; you will begin to realize the scale of just how much reducing the use of vehicles dependent on gas and diesel can do. Another problem is energy use; according to the Saskpower website, we consumed about 3,910 MW of power; now reducing this number will lessen the strain on our power consumption and help reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

How you can help

One of the biggest ways to help reduce your carbon footprint is not by signing petitions or buying the new Tesla; instead the biggest way to help is to make small but impactful changes in how we live, firstly we can change our methods of transportation whenever the weather allows it, especially if your destination is nearby. For example, a few people that I know would take their car to go to a nearby store just a few blocks away, or to go to their neighbor’s home; but instead of taking a car, you can use a bike, or even walk to your destination, this will not only help reduce your carbon footprint but also improve your physical and mental health. You can also use public transportation as a substitute to cars; and although public transportation in Saskatoon still uses fossil fuels this is definitely a much better alternative to using cars as a bus can fit more people. Secondly, you can reduce your energy consumption by using natural light instead of using electricity. If a room is dark and has a window, just open the blinds and/or curtains. This again won’t just help the bigger picture but it will also help you save on energy bills. 

Works cited:

“Hon. Jim Reiter.” Government of Saskatchewan, https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/government-structure/ministries/energy-and-resources. 

Government Of Canada, Statistics Canada. “Map 1household Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Capita, by Province and Territory, 2018.” Household Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Capita, by Province and Territory, 2018, 26 Mar. 2021, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210326/mc-d001-eng.htm. 

Government Of Canada, Statistics Canada. “Map 1household Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Capita, by Province and Territory, 2018.” Household Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Capita, by Province and Territory, 2018, 26 Mar. 2021, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210326/mc-d001-eng.htm. 

Government Of Canada, Statistics Canada. “Map 1household Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Capita, by Province and Territory, 2018.” Household Greenhouse Gas Emissions per Capita, by Province and Territory, 2018, 26 Mar. 2021, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210326/mc-d001-eng.htm. 

Canada, Environment and Climate Change. “Canada Begins Consultations on Vehicle Emission Standards.” Canada.ca, Government of Canada, 23 Aug. 2018, https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2018/08/canada-begins-consultations-on-vehicle-emission-standards.html.