Smoke from Canadian Fires

While going for a bike ride through the woods of CT yesterday, the air was heavy with the smoke from forest fires in Canada. 

“ What? Canada?  Isn’t Canada cool, wet, and immune from forest fires of that magnitude ?” you ask.  

Apparently not, at least not any more.  [See this website from the Canadian government for details on current fire conditions in Canada.]

To complicate matters, as forests are destroyed, those trees are no longer available to pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, potentially speeding climate change.  [See this article reporting on Boston University research.]

What can the average Josephine do to help slow climate change?  This site lists several actions to help reduce our energy consumption, such as:

·          Whenever feasible, use mass transit, ride a bike, or drive an electric vehicle for transportation (though there is debate over whether electric vehicles offer the benefit hoped).

·          Switch to renewable energy sources (e.g., solar, wind) whenever possible.

·          Ensure that our homes are well-insulated.

·          When replacing appliances, select those with high energy efficiency ratings.

·          Support local businesses that use sustainable business practices.

I would add that citizens can speak out and ask their local governments to adopt sustainability initiatives.  In CT, an organization, called Sustainable CT, tracks each town’s voluntary efforts toward becoming a more sustainable community.  Other states and cities have similar organizations.

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