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To drive action to reduce carbon emissions in Muskoka, we all have a role to play. This month’s Climate Corner Newsletter is celebrating and promoting a local tool made by Climate Action Muskoka (CAM) called the Community Carbon Challenge (CCC). This tool was created to help individuals, families, and businesses get started on reducing their carbon footprint. The focus of this challenge is to drive individual action in Muskoka. Participating in this challenge is a great first step in lowering Muskoka’s community carbon emissions and meeting our community GHG reduction targets of 50% by 2030 and net-zero by 2050.
The Carbon Challenge includes lists of things you can do under the headings: How You Power Your Home, How You Travel, What You Eat and The Other 20%. The challenge lists remain on the CAM website and can be referred to anytime. The District of Muskoka invites residents to check out the Community Carbon Challenge and work towards reducing your individual GHG emissions.
Some examples from the list of challenges:
I will avoid unnecessary idling, especially while waiting at schools.
Fact: “Under certain conditions, particularly in the winter… cars can generate very high air pollution concentrations right where students are being dropped off.” Source
I will check my tire pressure at least once a month.
Fact: Driving your vehicle with just one tire underinflated by 56 kPa (8 psi) will increase your fuel consumption by 4%, costing you money and releasing extra emissions into the atmosphere. Source
Shop Local – I will whenever possible buy the goods and services I need from a local business.
Fact: We all like to buy stuff online, but amazon alone generated 465 million pounds of fossil based plastic packaging waste in 2019. Enough to circle the Earth 500 times (in the form of plastic air pillows). Source
I will turn down my thermostat 1-2⁰C.
Fact: 1⁰C can reduce your energy consumption by 8%. For an average household gas bill of 12,500kWh save 184 kg CO2 each year. Source
Check out these challenges and many others, plus see who has already accepted the Community Carbon Challenge and add your name to the growing list. New challenges are periodically featured in the CAM weekly newsletter and then added to the website. If you are interested in tracking your carbon footprint, try out the Carbon Calculator. Thank you to the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve for creating this important resource.
Join Muskoka’s Movement towards a low carbon future with the Community Carbon Challenge!
Resources:
Community Carbon Challenge – Climate Action Muskoka
New Challenges – Climate Action Muskoka
Weekly Newsletter – Climate Action Muskoka
Carbon Calculator | Georgian Bay Biosphere
This newsletter has been updated to correct an error in the original information. The original newsletter referenced meeting our community GHG reduction targets of 50% by 2030 and net-zero by 2030. The correct reference is meeting our community GHG reduction targets of 50% by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
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