EVER SINCE RACHEL CARSON CATAPULTED THE ENVIRONMENT INTO public consciousness, our awareness of ecological degradation has risen steadily. Fueled by accidents and discoveries like CFC destruction of ozone, Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, chemical fires and spills at Seveso, Bhopal, and Basel, the largest gathering of heads of state in history took place in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 at the Earth Summit. It was supposed to signal a turning point in history: henceforth, the environment could never be ignored in political and economic decisions and programs. Sustainable development was the rallying theme and Agenda 21 the blueprint of its implementation.
But the 1990s were also a period of explosive economic growth fueled by the dotcom bubble, the information superhighway, globalization, and biotech industries. In their preoccupation with profits, GDP, and economic expansion, business and political leaders alike came to view environmental assessments and regulations as a nuisance and a barrier to continued growth. Despite all the publicity at Rio, Agenda 21 was very quickly declared too expensive and ignored by the industrialized nations.
In my personal encounters with people across North America and Australia, however, I sensed a public concerned about the health threats to their children from air and water pollution and contaminated food. Over and over, I was asked, “What can I do to make a real difference?” It is my feeling that people are ready to take responsibility but don’t want to feel foolish by trying while others are indifferent, or by taking steps that are simply token gestures but don’t add to any significant change.
So the David Suzuki Foundation formed a partnership with the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) to seek the areas where individual citizens do significantly affect the environment. The two groups found that our lifestyles affect climate, through the greenhouse gases released on our behalf; air and water, through pollution; and habitat degradation, through urban sprawl. They also found that the most important activities influencing those four areas (greenhouse gases, air pollution, water pollution, and habitat degradation) are where we live, what we eat, and how we move about. We need housing, food, and transportation, and it is here that we can lighten our ecological footprint. The UCS and DSF developed a set of ten steps that can be taken by ordinary citizens and, if taken by tens of thousands of people, will add up to a significant reduction of impact.
We have called the ten steps “The Nature Challenge,” and we are asking people to make a commitment to carry out at least three of them in the coming year. Not only could such a commitment have a perceptible impact, but if enough people sign on to such a commitment, it could be the movement that would compel the political and business communities to join. That is how social change comes about.
You can find background information about the Nature Challenge and sign up at www.davidsuzuki.org. Here are the suggested ways you can lighten your impact on the planet and nature:
The Nature Challenge
• Find ways to reduce your home heat and electricity use by 10 percent.
• Replace household pesticides with nontoxic alternatives.
• Choose an energy-efficient home and appliances.
• Eat meat-free meals once a week.
• Prepare your meals with locally grown food for a total of one month a year.
• If you buy a car, make sure it’s low polluting and fuel efficient.
• Use transit, carpool, walk, or bike one day a week.
• If you move, choose a home within walking or biking distance from your daily destinations.
• Support alternatives to the car by urging improved public transit and walking and bike paths.
• Learn more about conserving nature and tell your family and friends and political and business leaders