“What a beautiful town! Perched right on the shores of Lake Ontario and under the shadow of the Niagara Escarpment it’s got pretty much everything going for it.”
This is a common refrain when people are asked to describe our town. And they’re right. Where we live has many unique qualities and as we think about Earth Day on April 22 we’re considering how each of us can contribute to improving, protecting and sustaining the environment we share.
The 13 members of the Oakville Independent Schools association share a commitment to empowering their students to contribute to the sustainability of our planet. And, while it seems a huge task that might overwhelm one individual, as Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki observes, “Each person, group, or organization working toward a different world may seem powerless and insignificant but all of them can add up to a force that can become irresistible.”
So what can you do at home, at work, with your family and friends to be part of that irresistible force?
We’ve researched a broad variety of sites that provide great ideas for making a difference in our daily lives. You can find some of the links at the bottom of this post.
And, to help get you started, we’ve gleaned several activities that you might want to put into play and they’re all things your kids can help with too.
Around the house:
- Open up your blinds and use as much natural light as possible before switching on your light bulbs. Enjoy the sunshine!
- Grow your own herbs, even if it’s just a few pots around the house, it all helps!
- Turn off your lights when you leave a room.
- Buy a second-hand bicycle and start using it to commute for regular trips to the store.
- Don’t use plastic bags at checkout. Instead, take your own bags.
- Stop buying bottled water.
- Buy your produce from your local farmer’s markets when in season.
- Opt to receive digital letters and notices. You’ll be surprised by how much paper this saves and your blue box won’t overflow.
- Repurpose glass jars. They’re great for storing spare screws, nails and other useful stuff.
- Reduce your food waste by eating only what you need.
- Limit the amount of water you use to brush your teeth. Just turn the tap off while brushing.
- Save gift bags and boxes for future use.
- Look for sustainable packaging.
- Reduce food waste and compost at home.
- Use natural cleaning products.
- Repair instead of replace broken appliances.
The list really is endless and by taking small steps consistently we can all make a change for good.
Helpful resources:
https://davidsuzuki.org/take-action/act-at-home/
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/a32712051/sustainable-living-guide/
https://theminimalistvegan.com/live-a-more-sustainable-lifestyle/
https://youmatter.world/en/definition/definitions-sustainability-definition-examples-principles/
https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/Oca-bc.nsf/eng/ca03014.html
Visit https://oakvilleindependentschools.com/ to get the full story about each member school.
