Exploring Lifestyle Carbon Footprints Locally (Part 2)

In the previous part in this series, the key findings and messages were summarized from a report released by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Aalto University, and D-mat ltd. called “1.5-Degree Lifestyles: Targets and options for reducing lifestyle carbon footprints”.

One of these messages was that lifestyle changes is an important component to facing climate change. So, what can individuals do in Sault Ste. Marie to minimize their impact on the environment? In homes, improving insulation, switching to LED lighting, and installing solar panels are one of the many improvements that can be readily implemented to reduce the lifestyle carbon footprint of a family. Efforts can be taken to reduce waste, such as using reusable water bottles and shopping bags, avoiding material that is not recyclable within the city’s jurisdiction, fixing clothing as opposed to throwing it out, and saving water. For transportation, buying an electric vehicle, using public transportation, and cycling are options to reduce one’s footprint. Other options include shifting investments away from fossil fuels, reducing or eliminating red or all meats from one’s diet, and embracing a lifestyle of less materiality.

Another message from the report is the need for system-wide changes that empower individuals to make choices to reduce their lifestyle carbon footprints. For instance, Sault Ste. Marie is a community heavily dependent on automobile transportation. With a substantial amount of municipal budget dedicated to developing road infrastructure, citizens are more inclined to depend on vehicles as the preferred method of transportation. This is described as infrastructure that “locks-in” citizens into automobile lifestyles, thus contributing greater to fossil fuel emissions than alternative methods of transportation such as cycling and public transit. The Crane Institute’s 2019 Sustainable Budget Submission suggests a more equitable distribution towards transportation. This would mean improving infrastructure to support cycling and public transit, which would empower individuals making choices to reduce their own consumption. To their credit, Sault Ste. Marie has developed a Cycling Master Plan, Transportation Master Plan, and Transit Route Optimization Study. However, bolder action and implementation is needed to address the urgency of climate change and meet lifestyle carbon footprint goals. Most recently, there was a motion at city council (8.3) to compile a report on implementing the recommendations of previous plans, which is a step in the right direction. Another example is the prevalent use of single-use plastics which generate heaps of waste that pose environmental, health, and greenhouse gas emission risks. If Sault Ste. Marie were to follow in the footsteps of many parts of the world that have banned or are banning single-use plastics, there would definitely be a reduction in individual consumption. Finally, to support consumer shifts to electric vehicle usage there is a need to embrace electric vehicle charging station infrastructure. This would entice customers to make the transition thereby greatly reducing fossil fuel emissions. Ultimately, these lifestyle shifts are still made up to individual, but changes in infrastructure will empower them to make sustainable choices.