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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE

The age of environmental consciousness has ushered in, among other things, an entirely new vocabulary. Emissions. Greenhouse gases. Fossil fuels. Renewable energy. Sustainable. High efficiency. Carbon neutral. Retrofit. And on and on and on.

For the layman, the sheer volume of information can be a stumbling block to understanding global warming. Many people doubt their own power to affect change and oscillate between hopelessness and indictment of the larger players - governments and industry. Some people refuse to acknowledge that human-induced climate change is real or of any consequence.

But the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are at their highest in 650,000 years and temperatures are rising more rapidly than they have in 10,000 years, according to a paper prepared by Jamie Bastedo, a Yellowknife author and environmental consultant.

Moreover, "The effects of climate change are happening faster in the Arctic than elsewhere in the world," stated Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger in his introduction to the NWT's 2011 State of the Environment report. The largest predicted increase in temperature will occur in the Arctic, where winters will be more than 7.5°C warmer on average by 2100.

And although the Northwest Territories contributes only a fraction of one per cent of Canada's emissions, energy use per person in the NWT is higher than the Canadian average, according to the GNWT report.

The list of current and potential future biophysical and socioeconomic impacts is staggering.

For those wanting to mitigate the damage by reducing their own carbon footprint, energy management specialist Leanne Robinson of the Arctic Energy Alliance offers some advice. "Don't get overwhelmed by how big it can be," she says, of the seemingly endless number of ways this can be done.

Robinson encourages small changes. "Realize how much you can do with one simple measure ... Realize with the savings you make from the small things that you might want to go bigger. Start by recycling. You know? Just small things."

Though their ultimate goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Arctic Energy Alliance operates on a model of saving money by saving energy. Heating and electricity costs in the NWT are some of the highest in the country. A 2007 GNWT report on energy and the economy stated that "average annual household spending on home heating fuel, electricity, and water in the NWT climbed to $4,700 in 2005 from $3,600 in 2003. Spending on these items in 2005 was 93 per cent higher than the Canadian average."

Energy conservation

The first step, said Robinson, is to conserve as much energy as possible. In many cases, this can be done with no financial investment whatsoever. The Arctic Energy Alliance advises residents to turn off the lights, radio and TV when leaving a room, turn down the heat at night, only run the dishwasher and washing machine when full and wash clothes in cold water with cold water detergent. Avoid placing the dishwasher next to the fridge - the heat transfer will cause the fridge to use more energy. Air-dry your dishes, don't leave the fridge door open longer than necessary and don't keep the freezer in the refrigerator too cold. Avoid needlessly idling your vehicle and choose to walk, bike or take the bus when possible.

Then there are actions which require a small investment, such as putting plastic over windows for the winter. Timers on block heaters can reduce the cost of preheating your car engine by up to 70 per cent, according to the NWT Power Corporation. Vehicles need to be plugged in for a maximum of three hours, even on the coldest day. A programmable thermostat can also help conserve energy by lowering the temperature at night or when no one is home. "Every little thing helps and becoming more energy efficient is more of a mindset than the actual actions," said Robinson.

Energy efficiency

Switching to energy-efficient products is another way to reduce your carbon footprint and save money, though this requires an initial investment ranging from a few dollars for compact fluorescent light bulbs to tens of thousands for a hybrid car. The idea is that the consumer will see a return on investment in the form of lower utility bills and that the savings justify the initial investment. A 15-watt compact fluorescent, for example, puts out the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb but only uses a quarter of the energy. It also lasts about 10 times as long, with a life span of about 10,000 hours as opposed to 1,000 hours for incandescent.

Larger investments include Energy Star appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines, heating appliances, such as wood or wood pellet stoves and hot water heaters, home upgrades, such as insulation, windows and doors, and transportation products, such as outboard motors and cars.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources offers rebates on an array of energy-efficient products to all NWT residents, businesses and non-profit organizations through its Energy Efficiency Incentive Program. With certain stipulations, these rebates vary from $40 off Energy Star Climate Zone D windows to $900 off a 92-per-cent efficient oil furnace to $600 off CARB (California Air Resources Board) four-star (30 hp or higher) outboard motors.

Renewable energy

Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy, which has little or no greenhouse gas emissions, is the third step recommended by Robinson.

In many cases, people living in communities served by diesel in the NWT get larger rebates under the GNWT's Energy Efficiency Incentive Program. This is because of the increased benefit of reducing energy use in communities powered by fossil fuels as opposed to communities like Yellowknife and Hay River that are powered by hydro, which is renewable, said Robinson. For the same reason, Robinson considers it more beneficial to switch to a wood or wood pellet stove rather than even the highest efficiency oil, propane or gas furnace.

Carbon offsets

For those who are serious about becoming carbon neutral, purchasing gold standard carbon offsets helps the environment - though there is nothing to be gained financially. The cost of a carbon neutral return trip to Edmonton is $1,450 through Planetair.com. Carbon offsets help fund projects that reduce greenhouse gases and promote renewable energy and energy efficiency around the world. A guide to purchasing carbon offsets, including ratings for 20 offset vendors, is available online from the David Suzuki Foundation and Pembina Institute. The guide emphasizes the importance of researching vendors and their projects. "High-quality carbon offsets create real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions while minimizing other related environmental concerns, but some carbon offsets on the market likely have little or no climate benefit." Gold standard offsets are considered high quality.

Making a difference

So how much difference can one person make?

Quantitatively, Canada's per capita greenhouse gas emissions were about 22 tonnes versus about 40 tonnes for the NWT, according to the NWT's Greenhouse Gas Strategy document.

Though the residential sector's emissions made up the smallest percentage of greenhouse gas emissions in the most recent greenhouse gas inventory for the NWT, Robinson pointed out that by changing their expectations and demands, people, collectively, can shape the priorities and actions of governments and industry. "We do have quite a bit of influence," she said.

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