Empower MeEmpower MeEmpower MeEmpower Me
  • What We Do
    • Home Upgrades Program
    • Energy Poverty
    • Equity in Efficiency Financing Programming
    • Energy Efficiency Education
    • Energy Saving Workshops
  • Why We Do It
    • Program Partners
    • Community Partners
  • Who We Are
    • Our Team
    • Careers
    • Accolades
    • Social Enterprise
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Resources
Next

What is Earth Day and why is it important?

By Kambo Admin | Alberta, British Columbia, Education, Sustainability | 0 comment | 10 April, 2018 | 1

The first Earth Day was held in the USA 47 years ago as a day to celebrate the planet and encourage people to be more environmentally friendly. Over the years it has become an annual event, and helped raise awareness about the planet’s health and our effect on it.

While many people work hard to live in an environmentally friendly way, the signs of climate change are clear. Rainforests are disappearing – about half of the world’s rainforests have now been cleared; animal species are going extinct – it is estimated that at least 10,000 species go extinct every year. In just the last 10 years the world has lost the Javan Tiger, the Japanese Sea Lion and the West African Black Rhinoceros. Oil spills continue to happen and our oceans are filling with plastic. Sea levels are rising faster than they have in the past. At the same time, special interest groups around the world are working to destroy environmental protection laws.

There is some good news, so don’t despair! The use of renewable energy sources is growing faster than anyone thought it would. And many of us have developed everyday habits that reduce our impact on our planet.

What can you do to reduce your environmental footprint?

There are a lot of little things you can do to reduce your personal environmental impact. They’re all good, but if you want to simplify your approach and make a big impact, focus on these three big things: Energy Use, Diet and Transportation.

Energy Use

Your personal use of energy is one of the largest parts of your environmental impact. It’s also one that’s pretty easy to control.

Three ways to reduce your energy use:

  1. Turn down your thermostat
    – Turn your heat down at night and when you are away from home
    – If you don’t already have one, install a programmable thermostat
  2. Choose energy efficient light bulbs
    – LED bulbs use 75% less electricity than incandescent bulbs (Energy Star) and last about 25 times longer.
  3. Use less hot water
    – Take shorter showers
    – Install an energy efficiency shower head
    – Wash your clothes in cold water

 

Diet

Diet is a very personal matter. For many of us, what we eat is determined by culture, habit, tradition and what’s available and affordable. However, if you are willing to look at changes to your diet, you can reduce your impact on the planet.

  • Eat less meat
  • Consider adopting a vegetarian diet, or have a vegetarian day once or twice a week.

 

Transportation

Many people need to drive on a daily basis – some for great distances. Going without a car may or may not be possible for you.  Either way, there are ways you can reduce your carbon footprint when it comes to transportation.

  • Take transit whenever possible
  • Reduce your driving
  • When purchasing a new vehicle, buy one with the best fuel economy you can find

This year Earth Day falls on Saturday, April 22 and our Mentors will be attending a variety of community events – check out our social media for more info!

 

Sources:
Ranforest deforestation: http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0801.htm
Extinct animals: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_extinct_animals

AB

BC

No tags.

Related Post

  • Empower Me on CBC: Energy Burden – The Hidden Technology Gap

    By Kambo Admin | 0 comment

    Dr. Maryam Rezaei, Empower Me Senior Analyst. Our superstar Senior Analyst, Maryam Rezaei, was recently featured on CBC radio for a story on the hidden issue of energy poverty. Energy poverty, or energy burden, refers toRead more

  • Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards: Vote for our Director, Areef Abraham

    By Kambo Admin | 0 comment

    Areef Abraham. We are delighted to announce that Empower Me’s Executive Director, Areef Abraham, is a finalist in the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards! Voting is open until May 17th for selecting the 25Read more

  • Top Tips: Eight Energy Saving Tips for the Summer

    By Kambo Admin | 0 comment

    Traditionally, Summer is a time when our energy bills naturally deplete. Between the longer days and warmer temperatures, we tend to use less energy in our homes. Regardless of this, we want to make sureRead more

  • How New Canadians Celebrate Ramadan

    By Kambo Admin | 0 comment

    May 27th marked the beginning of Ramadan – the most sacred Islamic month observed by the majority of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims. Empower Me invited one of our Energy Mentors, Faiza Yameen, to shareRead more

  • News Release: Energy Efficiency Alberta and ENMAX Corporation support Empower Me to help Albertans become more energy efficient

    By Kambo Admin | 0 comment

    Empower Me Alberta will provide energy savings education to multilingual and multicultural communities in the province   Calgary, AB – Empower Me, Alberta’s first energy efficiency program designed specifically for, and delivered by, diverse communities officiallyRead more

  • Community Launch Event – Calgary

    By Kambo Admin | 0 comment

    Last week we held our community launch event for the Empower Me program in Alberta! We were honoured to be welcomed with such enthusiastic support from Calgary. We had a blast sharing our new programRead more

  • CTV News Reports on Empower Me

    By Kambo Admin | 0 comment

    The Empower Me program made the evening news! On June 28th we held our community launch event to celebrate Empower Me coming to Calgary. CTV News – Calgary was there to document the day. CTVRead more

  • Energy Efficient Appliances – Saving the Environment and Your Wallet

    By Kambo Admin | 0 comment

    Home appliances are a major investment, so it’s important to do your homework before buying. If you’re like most people, you’re looking for certain features – a front loading machine, or a fridge door thatRead more

Leave a Comment

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Next
  • Home
  • What We Do
  • Why We Do It
  • Who We Are
  • Careers
  • Contact
Copyright © 2020 • A division of Kambo Energy Group Inc. • Empower Me® is a registered trademark and program of Kambo Energy Group Inc.
  • What We Do
    • Home Upgrades Program
    • Energy Poverty
    • Equity in Efficiency Financing Programming
    • Energy Efficiency Education
    • Energy Saving Workshops
  • Why We Do It
    • Program Partners
    • Community Partners
  • Who We Are
    • Our Team
    • Careers
    • Accolades
    • Social Enterprise
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Resources
Empower Me