Heat pumps are versatile home appliances that can both heat and cool a residence using electricity rather than fossil fuels, replacing traditional heating systems and even acting as an air conditioner. Heat pumps are highly efficient and can reduce monthly energy costs of the average home by up to 65%. Importantly, heat pumps result in significant environmental benefits as they reduce reliance on fossil fuels and subsequently reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Heat pumps operate by transferring...

Meatless Monday is a global movement that encourages people to reduce their meat consumption, specifically by not eating meat on Mondays, in order to reduce your carbon footprint and help protect our environment from climate change.

Research at the John Hopkins Center shows that “Livestock production in particular contributes an estimated 14.5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions from human activities… These gases include methane from animals, nitrous oxide from fertilizers and animal manure,...

Food production and transportation are a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada. One way you can reduce your carbon footprint related to your food consumption is by shopping for the season and shopping locally. This means eating fruits and vegetables that are in-season in your local environment and purchasing as many of your foods from local vendors as possible.

In August, fruits that are in-season in Ontario include apples, blueberries, peaches, grapes, raspberries,...

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are the harmful gases emitted into our atmosphere from activities such as burning fossil fuels (like gas or diesel) in a vehicle, and these gases are causing climate change. In Muskoka, based on the 2018 GHG inventory, 74% of all GHG emissions in Muskoka are caused by tailpipe emissions of burning fossil fuels in vehicles. In order to reduce Muskoka’s GHG emissions to reduce the impacts of climate change, we need to use more sustainable forms of transportation.

In...

Electric vehicles or EVs are a hot topic these days. With new technology, there are inevitably many questions and areas of confusion. This Climate Corner newsletter is here to help increase the understanding of EVs and their environmental benefits, and clear up some common misconceptions!

Myth #1: Electric vehicles cannot travel long distances.

Electric vehicle technology is advancing rapidly, with most fully electric models now having a range of 200-300kms, with some having ranges up to 450kms....

No Mow May

The idea behind No Mow May is to leave your lawn alone in May – just don’t mow your lawn, sounds simple right? This allows flowers on your lawn to bloom and feed hungry insects and other pollinators that are emerging from hibernation when other flowers are scarce in the early spring season.

This initiative is about as easy as can be – just don’t mow your lawn for 1 month! Not only does this help the pollinators, but if you have a gas-powered lawn mower, this initiative reduces your...

Planning Your Garden

Spring has Sprung! If you are a gardener or hoping to get into gardening, this time of year means it is time to start planning your garden space! This year, the District is challenging residents of Muskoka to plant only native plants and focus on plants that attract and support pollinators. For a complete list of zone appropriate native plants suitable for the Muskoka area, check out the Watersheds Canada – Plant Database for Zone 5b.  

Pollinators are in trouble! Thousands of...

March: Preparing for Flooding

Flooding is the most prevalent and costly natural disaster in Muskoka. Climate change is will likely cause an increase in extreme precipitation events and cause changes to the spring melt resulting in increased flooding events in Muskoka.

Floodplain mapping is now complete for a large portion of the inhabited land in Muskoka. To find out if your home/property is in a known floodplain, go to the District of Muskoka Flood Plain Mapping.

Many areas of Muskoka are prone to...

It's Time to Go on a Low (Road) Salt Diet!

In this month's edition of Climate Corner we wanted to share ways that you can reduce your winter salt use at home and in your community!

We've linked a PDF below to an infographic from the Muskoka Watershed Council.

Click the image below to view or download the full pdf.

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