December 2007 - Nr. 12
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Resolve to become a better conserver
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Pick at least one area where you can improve, urges the Conservation Council of Ontario
(Toronto) As the five year countdown to the Kyoto Protocol deadline starts on January 1st, 2008, it is time we all make a personal commitment to become a better conserver.
This year, the Conservation Council of Ontario will help people keep their conservation resolutions. January 1st will mark the launch of a five year campaign called "We Conserve", an ambitious effort to build a united conservation movement across Ontario - all of us working together to reduce our environmental footprint.
"To start, we want everyone in Ontario to say 'I conserve' and make a personal resolution to become a better conserver, said the Council's Executive Director, Chris Winter. "You don't have to become perfect, just better."
The Conservation Council has identified ten techniques that will help promote a conserver society and reduce climate change. In each instance, people can rate where they are now (out of ten) and where they want to be. Add up the scores for each of the ten and you get your own personal conservation rating out of 100.
"It's simple, flexible, and can actually help people identify where they want to make improvements over the next year," said Winter.
Winter also noted that there are organizations, businesses and government programs that can help individuals achieve conservation targets.
"Over the next three years, we will do our best to build a strong social and economic support systems to help each and every person in Ontario become a better conserver", promised Winter. "But we can't do it without the commitment of people across Ontario to invest their time and money in supporting conservation."
Winter rates his own family as an 86 on the Council's scorecard, with a target score of 91 that they expect to achieve by investing in new energy-efficient windows and by buying more local and organic food. "For us, conservation is as much about quality of life as it is about saving the planet," Winter notes. "It's about making intelligent choices about how we want to live our lives."
And that is what New Year's Resolutions are all about.
Note from the editor:
To download the text or a high resolution pdf. file of the Family
Conservation Plan Chart , please go to
