My new years resolution for the planet was to learn more! I decided this year to feed my inner student and gain a better understanding of the GREAT things that are happening around climate change. That’s right there are GREAT THINGS HAPPENING! There are people and companies doing fantastic things that make my green heart beat a little faster. Did you know that
- Greenhouse gas emissions in the US fell 2% in 2019
- Zero-carbon energy overtook fossil fuels in Britain for the first time since the Industrial Revolution.
- Solar and wind are not growing fast enough to meet Germany’s new demand
You can add more learning to your life in so many ways. Some people like listening to a 10 -20 minute podcast in their car or on the bus on their way to work! Some people like to receive a newsletter in their email once a week. Others like to curl up with a good book. There are also documentaries, if you like to eat popcorn while you are learning!
Here are some of the ways that I enjoy learning- maybe you will like them too!
Podcasts:
Interviews with people who are making a real difference in the climate change- researchers, protesters, innovators and inventors, business owners and journalists.
A British comedy about sustainability- if you need to laugh your way through this very serious issue.
Stay on top of news in general – be informed about the world! Wait There’s More (Global), Front Burner (CBC), Today Explained, Democracy Now and many others.
Newsletters:
Activities or projects that are decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, those that are keeping emissions neutral, and those that have caused emissions to increase.
The Clean Energy Canada Review
Electric cars, resources in Alberta, update on emissions, municipal climate action on pension funds, and more!
Books:
The best books I have read lately have been about hope and inspiration around a changing climate and sustainability. An older book that changed my life a little bit is called Why Your World is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller by Jeff Ruben. A newer book about changing the way we think and act about climate change is called Out of the Wreckage by George Monbiot. Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth is an exceptional read for those of us who don’t always understand global politics and economics- this explains things pretty simply. I have a reference book called Drawdown– I pick it up to learn more about a specific issue or resource. These are easier reads than some of the larger and more intense books such as This Changes Everything and No is Not Enough by Naomi Klein. Don’t forget you can get these from the library, and/or in audiobook format!
Friends!
There are several meet ups in the valley where you can learn about what’s going on locally. There is a climate action group that meets every Monday evenings (7-9pm) at the Wolfville Farmers Market. Come out to the Watershed Alliance events, and keep an eye out for interesting talks at Acadia’s brown bag lunch series.
Learning is a low cost or free way to better understand what’s going on, and can help put you on a path to making better decisions about the planet. Happy New Year!
The Jijuktu’kwejk Watershed Alliance 