Reader\'s Digest Canada - 10.2019

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But talking about individual consump-

tion also takes the focus away from a far

bigger problem, which is that a very

small number of oil and gas companies

are responsible for a huge amount of

global emissions—about 71 per cent.

These need to be addressed through

policy and regulation, so if our govern-

ments don’t act, measures taken by

individuals are a bit like pointing a

garden hose at a forest fire.

What kinds of actions would you like

to see our governments take?

The most efficient strategy is to put a

price on the behaviours you want to

discourage. Companies emitting over

a certain level can be taxed, and that

money can be used to fund adaptation

and mitigation strategies.

Also, from the private sector, we need

new technologies that cost less and

perform better so that all individuals

have a green option they will choose,

whether or not they are motivated to

fight climate change. One of my current

projects at the Centre for Urban Energy

at Ryerson is to work with industry part-

ners to develop new economic models

for energy storage—so that we are able

to access renewable sources, like wind

and solar, even when the wind is not

blowing or the sun is not shining.

Coming back to the power of individ-

uals, how can we push our govern-

ments to act?

We can become more politically

engaged, whether that’s writing to

your representative, taking part in a

protest or boycott action or contribut-

ing to an environmental non-profit or

charity. Collective action is powerful,

so joining forces with others is proba-

bly the best path.

Jessie Ma is an engineer and has a

master’s degree in public administra-

tion. She’s currently a research fellow at

Ryerson University.

FA S T FA C T S

Apocalyptic Angst

In a CBC poll of 4,500

Canadians, 38 per cent

of respondents agreed

that “our survival

depends on addressing”

climate change. 19 per

cent said it was the issue

they worry about most.

Money to Motivate

To encourage consumers

to make a greener choice

for a new set of wheels,

the federal budget put

out by the Liberal govern-

ment in March included

up to a $5,000 rebate for

the purchase of some

electric cars.

On the Move

The global aviation indus-

try produces approxi-

mately 2 per cent of

human-induced CO 2

emissions. Air travel is

responsible for 12 per

cent of emissions from all

transport sources, while

cars and trucks account

for 74 per cent.

reader’s digest

104 october 2019