But What Can I Do? - theHumm February 2023

By Chandler Swain

In a recent conversational with fellow Climate Network Lanark (CNL) Communications Working Group member Tom Shoebridge, I was struck by an idea of his for a CNL column in this illustrious publication.

After reading my January article here in theHumm on “thinking globally but acting locally”, his thought was that if we describe little do-able actions everyone can take to help the planet, more people might not throw up their hands at the enormity of the problem and just go about business as usual. Forming new habits related to our everyday energy and resource use is so possible. Perhaps we could parse that idea and make some suggestions that are as worthwhile as they are do-able.

Both in Canada and around the world, many people are keen to do their bit to help the planet at this critical time. Particularly younger folks have much to gain by all of us facing facts and acting on climate issues.

Here is an optimistic quote related to the youth demographic from an article by Chris Hatch, a climate reporter for the excellent and important online independent news site, Canada’s National Observer national-observer.com , following the recent midterm elections in the US:

“U.S. President Joe Biden gave special thanks ‘to the young people of this country who voted to continue to address the climate crisis.’ Climate-forward candidates did well at the national level.” This site provides in-depth climate reporting, as opposed to what can be found in commercially-supported mainstream media, plus there is a whole section dedicated to Climate Solutions Reporting — highly recommended!

It’s obvious that we have a responsibility to our kids and grandkids to get serious about this climate crisis we are facing. We can all get going with small daily steps in our own homes and neighbourhoods.

Below is a bit of my conversation with Tom Shoebridge.

Chandler: Tom, this approach sounds really effective. Can you describe some ways people can try to up their climate crisis action in everyday life?

Tom Shoebridge: I give a lot of thought to these matters, but just common sense shows that we, as individuals, can make a difference by being more aware of the natural world around us.

In our busy lives, we often don’t take the time to appreciate the positive natural things around us — very close to our home. Without making this into a lecture, here are a few ideas:

We can slow down our lives by periodically stopping to appreciate something simple like the trees that surround us. These beautiful creations are a wondrous work of nature. They can transform sunlight and water into food. We can delight in their shade, the music in their leaves and their testament to a healthy planet.

We can resolve to leave a tree as a long-lasting contribution to the planet. Gather people you love around you and plant a tree. Watching it grow gives personal satisfaction, retains warm memories, and captures greenhouse gases. Eventually you may need to get some binoculars and see what birds and bees are also enjoying the tree. Maybe you will make some applesauce some day or get few bottles of maple syrup!

We can expand our appreciation of green things to include planting seeds or cuttings. Start with a pot of flowers or herbs. Reduce the size of your lawn by planting a band of shrubs and flowers. Every green leaf improves the atmosphere. Every flower nurtures insects, which in turn feed the birds.

Chandler: This particular suggestion grabs me. I just read a headline today in The Globe and Mail about a study from The Harvard School of Public Health showing that the effects of losing so many pollinators because of widespread herbicide use and habitat destruction is being felt around the world. The study has found that: “Strategies to protect wild pollinators are not just an environmental issue, but a health and economic one as well”.

Your suggestion about lawns versus flower gardens is a wonderful way to create a better environment for pollinators. It seems every summer I’m seeing more and more gorgeous flower gardens! Helping the pollinators has so many rewards.

The CNL Youth Climate Action Working Group can help get folks started on a garden to attract pollinators. Check out their list of projects, including a list of resources to plant your own pollinator garden, at climatenetworklanark.ca .

Tom: Yes, who doesn’t love to see an Ottawa Valley flower garden. It’s one of the great optimistic ventures of our short summer! But we can also help our children or grandchildren to appreciate wider, wild spaces. When children fall in love with the great outdoors, it is proven that they carry on those habits over a lifetime. That will ensure that the next generation will take better care of the planet than this one has.

We can also travel slower. Walking and cycling puts us in touch with the earth and the atmosphere, the sky, the clouds, our surroundings. It is free and can be done all year long. Someone (most likely a Canadian) said that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. An improvement of our health, along with that of the planet, will be the result.

We can care about the purchases we make. Stop and think: do we need something that was designed to be obsolete very quickly? Is there something local to replace an item that was manufactured or grown thousands of kilometres away? Every purchase can contribute to pollution, or not.

I hope these suggestions might be helpful.

Chandler: Thanks Tom. This is a great start, and I’d love to get more ideas about daily life in the Green Lane from readers. So dear reader — what new things are you planning to do this year to add to the inspiring job of living more thoughtfully and sustainably on our precious blue planet? Let us know! We will print a list of all the suggestions we get, and we won’t even send you a tote bag or t-shirt! Please email your suggestions to info@climatenetworklanark.ca .

Catherine Blake —An Artist’s Inspiration - theHumm February 2023

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

Creating art inspires her and she inspires artists — it’s a win-win for this irrepressible Almonte artist and art instructor. Nothing stops her — not polio or being a single woman working for CUSO in Zanzibar or concussion or cancer. Life hasn’t worn her down; it has both distilled and emboldened her and her lifetime passion for art. Cathy Blake’s response to my incredulity at the challenges she has faced and the opportunities she has embraced is an understatement: “I ......

But What Can I Do? - theHumm February 2023