Take Action
We have the ability to reduce the severity of the climate crisis. There are many people engaged in projects and research in their communities, doing actions big and small. Join us, and feel good about doing your part to create a promising future for our kids and grandkids and inspire others to join us.
We don’t need everyone to be perfect, we just need everyone to do what they can.
Every Monday receive inspiration, action ideas and updates on what others around London and Canada are doing to take climate action.
Want to get started right away? Check out these 99 Climate Actions Big and Small. How many do you already do?
Want To Do More?
Become a Member of Climate Action London. We meet once a month to organize actions in the city. Join Here
David Suzuki Foundation’s Queen of Green
Are you looking to up your game? Fire up your commitment to the people and places you love with DIY recipes, how-tos and tips. They’ll help you act every day on the understanding that we are one with nature. Make non-toxic cosmetics and cleaners, “rewild” your yard, live zero-waste and build community.
University of Michigan Carbon Footprint Factsheet
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Food Choices
Food accounts for 10-30% of a household’s carbon footprint.
Agricultural practices in production accounts for 68% of food emissions, while transportation accounts for 5%.
Meat products have larger carbon footprints per calorie than grain or vegetable products
In an average U.S. household, eliminating the transport (ie buy local) of food for one year could save the GHG equivalent of driving 1,000 miles.
Shifting to a vegetarian meal one day a week could save the equivalent of driving 1,160 miles.
Switch to less carbon intensive meats. Beef’s GHG emissions per kilogram are 7.2 times greater than those of chicken.
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Transportation
While fuel economy of vehicles has improved, annual per capita miles driven increased 9% since 1995 to 9,919 miles in 2018.
84% of carbon emissions of ice vehicles are from use, 16% from manufacturing.
Automobile fuel economy can improve 7-14% by simply observing the speed limit. Every 5 mph increase in vehicle speed over 50 mph is equivalent to paying an extra $0.20-$0.40 per gallon.
Commercial aircraft GHG emissions vary according to aircraft type, trip length, occupancy rates, and passenger and cargo weight. Some airlines are starting to identify lower carbon flights.
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Ways to reduce your footprint
Walk, bike, carpool, use mass transit, or drive a best-in-class vehicle.
Ensure car tires are properly inflated. Fuel efficiency decreases by 0.2% for each 1 PSI decrease.21
Smaller homes use less energy. Average household energy use:
82.3 million BTU houses
53.5 million BTU apartments with 2-4 units
34.2 million BTU apartments with 5+ units
Unplug electronic devices when not in use or plug them into a power strip and turn the power strip off. Energy consumed by devices in standby mode accounts for 5-10% of residential energy use, adding up to $100 per year.
Choose energy-efficient LED lighting
Reduce what you send to a landfill by recycling, composting, and buying products with minimal packaging.
Covering 80% of roof area on commercial buildings in the U.S. with solar reflective material would conserve energy and offset 125 mmt CO2 over the structures’ lifetime, equivalent to turning off 32 coal power plants for one year.
Replacing the global fleet of shipping containers’ roof and wall panels with aluminum would save $28 billion in fuel.
“I didn’t need to read the studies on how minimalism improves quality of life. I could feel it. I could feel it in every part of myself and our lives and our family. I started to see everything more clearly.”
“The lessons that came from buying less, consuming less and needing less seeped into every are of our lives. … we spend more time smiling, more time outdoors and less time rushing. We consider how many billions of years some things live in the landfills and how we can contribute less to that.”
Decluttering Motherhood
OPINION: Mary Ann Ker, Belleville ON
from Globe and Mail, First Person, July 27, 2021