Enewsletter

Climate change is one of the most urgent issues facing the world today.

The main human activity that contributes to global warming is burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, to generate energy for industry, households and transportation. Every time we use electricity, drive our cars or buy manufactured products, we contribute to the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is one of the main greenhouse gases that cause climate change.

Here are 5 activities for you to do with your child or grandchild to take action against climate change:

1. Tune In, Turn Off!
Did you know that many electrical devices consume power even when switched off? Sometimes they even use as much power as when turned on!

Every time we leave a computer, television, lamp, or electrical appliance on, even on standby, we are wasting electricity – and contributing to climate change.

Climate Action: Count the number of electrical appliances in your home. How many are left on standby? Now count how many appliances – TVs, computers, radios – can be unplugged when not in use.

Your child may also want to draw small signs and stick them to some appliances as reminders to shut them off completely when no one is using them.

2. Share Your Wealth
We all have items in our closets or cupboards that we've outgrown or no longer use. If they've been gently used, donating them for re-use by someone else is a great alternative instead of tossing them in the trash.

By reusing and recycling items that are already manufactured, we prevent the need for new things to be made and shipped across the country (if not around the world!).

Climate Action: Go through a closet, cupboard or bookshelf in your home and identify any items that are no longer used by your family, but are still in good condition that someone else may appreciate.

Sort your items be category (clothes, toys, books) and find a local charity that will accept these items and plan a drop-off with them.

3. Bright Idea
Remember: Turn off the light whenever you leave a room!

There are many reasons to turn the lights on – imagine how many stubbed toes we'd have if we left the lights off at night! Fortunately, there are ways of lighting our homes while consuming less energy.

For example, compact fluorescent bulbs use about 75% less electricity than older incandescent bulbs. Low energy bulbs not only use less electricity to power them, but they also last longer, so you don't need to buy as many of them.

Light bulbs are marked in "watts" to show how bright they are. The higher the number of watts, the more electricity they use.

Climate Action: Look at the writing on the light bulbs in your house. If they are low energy they will say so and will typically be 25 watts or less. How many bulbs in your home use more than 25 watts, and how many use fewer than 25 watts?

Next, think about which bulbs are on for the longest and as a family decide which ones you can replace with low energy bulbs. If you already have low energy bulbs, great!

4. Seal the Deal
Heating our homes in a northern climate is one of our most energy-intensive activities. Even worse, a lot of the heat we produce can be lost to the outdoors due to drafts.

Rather than turning up the thermostat or adding space heaters that only draw more electricity, sealing drafts in your home will keep you warmer, and maybe even let you turn the temperature down a degree or two!

Climate Action: Check for drafts in your house by holding a damp hand up to an area and feeling for cooler air, or using a tissue and watching for movement in an air current. Common areas for drafts to occur are around windows and doors and at electrical outlets and switches.

Once you've identified any drafts, create an action plan to seal them up – caulking or weatherstripping can create a tight seal for your home. A temporary solution could be to stuff old socks with rags and place them at the base of any doors or windows to block the unwanted air flow.

5. Pass it On
Climate change affects all of us, including wildlife. The more people know about global warming, the better prepared they'll be to do something about it. And everyone can do something – family, friends, your school, local businesses, big industry and governments.

So spread the word. The knowledge you pass on may make all the difference.

Climate Action: Use the internet, newspapers and magazines to help your child or grandchild find 5 things he or she didn't know about global warming. This could be a new discovery by scientists, or new technologies that produce fewer greenhouse gases, or even tips from conservation groups about reducing your impact on the environment. Let them pick their favourite story or fact.

Once your child has found 5 things he didn't know before, tell 5 other people about them. These people could be teachers, relatives, friends or anyone they choose – even a newspaper!

Sources: Some activities adapted from Nature Canada's BirdLife International partner in the UK, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds