It is only a matter of months ago that gas was up to $1.57 a litre and everyone – even people who had never thought about going green, were suddenly thinking about their gas consumption. Now that gas prices have dropped back to  77 cents a litre, the sense of urgency has been lost.

Added to the indifference that plummeting gas prices has caused, most people are no longer thinking of buying that new energy efficient vehicle. In fact, the vast majority of people have decided the vehicle they have will do them another year or two. As a result, you can ask any car dealership and they will say that new car sales are at an all time low. In fact it isn’t only new cars that aren’t moving – even used cars are sitting on the lot unsold.

Now with the looming danger of GM and Ford going under, it seems unlikely that anyone will be thinking of buying a domestic car. If they do, what happens to warranty?  All of these questions are engulfing the minds of people and the up surge of interest in reducing gas consumption is now history – or so it seems.

So much uncertainty! It is hard to even imagine only two months after the Canadian federal election our government is purogued. – a fancy term for ‘taking time out”. The Governor General permitted the “time out” because the leaders of every political party in Canada behaved like a group of ill-behaved 8 year old boys on a school playground – caught in a fight that seemingly was only escalating.

So here we are. With the government not in session, and the economy being top priority when they do return on January 27, 2009, it isn’t likely anything relating to the environment will be discussed any time soon.  In fact, it is likely that due to the deepening economic recession and the messed up global economy, it is likely that environmental issues will be viewed as discretionary spending – discretionary compared to rescuing the BIG automobile manufacturers. Yes, it seems the companies who have contributed to manufacturing one of our biggest sources of pollution – the car – will outrank our environment.

We could beef about the government, the state of the economy and the state of our environment. We could assume the government has to FIX it.  However, this is where our thinking is flawed. WE the people, are the true will of the country. It isn’t who we vote for that matters most. What really matters is what we as individuals do on a day to day basis.

After all, government at best is reactionary. It is how the system works. We vote politicians into power and they, if they are doing their job, work to bring about the change their constituents have told them is important. However, before any initiative reaches the momentum necessary to grab the attention of policy makers the public has to have taken action themselves.

The onus is on the individuals. We can make a difference.  The price of gas is only a financial issue – the effects of burning gasoline remain consistent no matter what the price of gasoline is.

What are your personal goals for 2009? Will you make the environment your priority and how?

It may not be good news for job seekers. Employee effectiveness is more important in lean times than any other time. Trim unnecessary and marginal staff members. Employers fearing a recession may do a through employee review.

How can you remain employed during a recession? Employees who take an interest in the organization beyond just collecting their pay check there will contribute more in tight times. Those who just look at it as a pay check are never an asset to your company anyway. Recessions are often the time many employers clean house. When more people are unemployed it becomes easier to attract quality employees.
If you are a job seeker, you will be better able to find a job in Vancouver, or wherever you live, if you have multiple skills and show flexibility. Proactive business managers and employers will benefit from cross training employees as it gives you more scheduling flexibility.

At present the job market remains strong in Vancouver and across BC. Across Canada job markets remain strong and the point when I am writing this article, a few businesses in Vancouver, Surrey, and the Lower Mainland have already been effected by what is happening across the border in the US.

Cross training takes time and is often something that does not make sense when the business is very busy. In slower times, cross training can enable you to schedule less people during non-peak hours. Cross trained employees can also cover better for holidays and when other employees are off on sick leave.
If the financial crisis continues, or if we are hit with the predicted recession, employers will first trim the redundant or marginal employees, ask the remaining staff if there are people who wish to job share, or are willing to reduce their hours to 32 hours per week. Do not allow overtime, as it counteracts any attempts to trim costs.

If the downturn in the economy is further impacted by a slow time of year for your company, suggest that people take vacations, or any accumulated paid time off. The challenge is felt by employees. The job uncertainty can result in a reluctance to switch jobs and a willingness to tolerate working conditions that are less than ideal.

Get Fiscally Conscious
As the impact of the global financial crisis hits home, both businesses and individuals are realizing the importance of fiscal responsibility. Although business owners and individuals should be fiscally responsible even in good times, the fact is they are seldom as conscious of margins, costs, and profits as they will need to become if they intend to thrive during a recession. Business managers and owners need to ensure that your costing is accurate. Individuals need to tighten up discretionary spending.

Businesses check for losses due to expired inventory, or perishable goods. Be aware of the length of time it takes for an item in inventory to turn over. If your inventory is non-perishable, it should still be turning over at least once every three months. It your inventory is seasonal, the turnover period should be even shorter. Avoid carrying excess inventory. Businesses that manage their inventory well have less need to cut employees.

Businesses need to tighten up their ordering from suppliers more frequently can save you bank financing costs and free up operating capital. Check your cash flow. Can you increase the deposits you are taking on custom items? Tightening up your receivables is mandatory. When times get tighter, you can end up carrying receivables longer and you may end up with more uncollectible receivables. This could mean sure death, not even survival. Survival is not enough, you want to thrive. That means you need to operate a tight ship.

Individuals need to tighten up their spending and not buy on credit. Check your cash flow and do not buy items you cannot pay for in full immediately. This protects you against having a high credit balance, and high interest fees especially should your job come to an end. It may be a good time to reconsider whether you really need two vehicles.

Replace some of the higher-priced items with lower-priced items, with similar gross margins. People still want and need things, they may just be spending less. That may mean buying an entrée for $14.95 instead of $23.95 and a car for $25,900 instead of $37,900.

Businesses will be forced to become more responsive to the buying public. It may mean they need to be willing to sell products for or services for less. Customers will be looking for places to shop where they can save money. Consumers soon learn where to find companies who recognize we are all feeling the pinch of the financial uncertainty.

Consumers are also more likely to spend more time shopping for a large ticket item. During a recession, good business practices recognize this opportunity to attract new customers, who may have previously been loyal to another business. However, if a business is more responsive to customer needs and have excellent customer service, a recession can be converted into a time for growth.

Re-examine your expenses. Determine if you are spending money that is unnecessary. Find cost effective services. Check your phone bill. It is one of the areas where there is much more competition than there used to be. Not only, could you save by changing providers, you may need to look at the packages that your existing telephone service provides. The plan you have may not be the most cost effective for your needs.
Check out all services and suppliers. Often numerous suppliers can be carrying exactly the same product and charging 20% more. Any business who visits Gift Shows or other wholesale shows, knows all too well that the source of supply makes a difference to the bottom line.

The same goes for consumers. Shop around, and compare prices. Even as people have become more conscious of reading labels on foods to determine what they are really consuming, consumers now will be focussing also on price.

If a business or individual is really suffering, and your landlord is motivated to work to benefit both you and himself you may be able to renegotiate your lease or rent, or renegotiate prior to the end of your existing lease. If the vacancy rate raises, it is of no value for the landlord to keep the rent too high, if it is going to result in a business going under. Although it sounds improbable, it is possible for businesses to renegotiate many contracts if your industry is hit hard and you are in real danger of becoming unprofitable. Similarly it is possible for consumers to renegotiate with lenders to reduce their interest payments. Credit card companies recognize they are better to get something than nothing.

There are two sides to your finances: expenditures and revenues. During a recession a business must remember all the marketing and advertising you could possibly do will not help you if your expenses are out of control.

Businesses must get Customer Service Oriented
Yes, I know you always were, but there isn’t a business anywhere that can’t improve. If you are going to thrive, you must be better than ever before and better than any of your competitors. Create a personal connection with customers. Let them know you want their experience with your company to be the best it can possibly be.

Get to know what individual customers want, they soon become regulars if they feel at home and as if they are family. If necessary write down what they like and don’t like. This goes for small and big ticket items. It doesn’t matter if you are an automotive repair shop, a hair dresser, a restaurant, or a clothing store. People appreciate it if you make suggestions that are compatible with their tastes than if you make a suggestion that is not. Have you ever had a clerk in a clothing store, tell you an item would look wonderful on you as soon as your hand touched the rack. If it is something you really dislike, from that point on you either want the clerk to leave you alone and if they don’t you soon leave the store.

This is the time to provide our employees with customer service training. For that matter training matters more in lean times than any other time. Everyone else may cut training, which only makes your well-trained employees more outstanding in the minds of the customer. Make your company stand out. It will give you the edge you need to attract new customers even during a recesssion.

Think like a jungle animal. Jungle animals know the best time to outsmart their prey is when the prey is sleeping or tired from running. Your competitors may be asleep – doing things the way they always have done them, hoping to get the same results they had in good times. Your competitors may be tired – worn down by the stress of reactive management. This is the time you can outshine them easier than at any other time.

No one is a powerful as the one who maintains an attitude of abundance thinking. If we think lack and recession, we only perpetuate the situation. If your business can send a message of generosity, good times and enjoyment, people will want to share that. They shell out when they see you contributing to the community. Now, is the time to be a part in the solutions in the community.

Get Responsive
People want comfort, security, and familiarity in times of financial uncertainty. Add products they will view as comforting. Give them a sense of security and comfort, either by creating an ambiance that will make them want to patronize your business. Comfort may mean they want to stay home. Can you provide a service or product that is delivered?

Consumers can cut their expenses by doing more cooking at home and by renting a movie, rather than going to the theatre. As consumers become conscious of the need to think twice before they spend, businesses must adapt if they are going to survive during a recession…whether they are in the US, Canada, BC, Vancouver, or any other place in the world. This recession is being felt globally because we have developed a global economy and perhaps is one of the arguments for learning to purchase more local products. If we don’t support our local economy, in the end we suffer more.

Make both your décor and the interpersonal interaction in your business more inviting and welcoming. People love places where people are friendly. If your employees deal with customers on the phone. This may be a good time to do more telephone effectiveness training.

Provide services or products that encourage people to take time out to relax, reflect and rejuvenate. People never stop looking and craving a departure from the real world. Your business may need to be more creative in the way you package your goods and services. People love convenience, comfort and security. If you combine those you have a winning combination.

Get pro-active in your Advertising
Slipstream on events that bring more attention to your company. A couple of examples that relate to the food and beverage industry demonstrate my point. Run events that coincide with historical events, you can bring people to share in festivities. Perhaps a menu from the “Titanic” can bring fans to share in a memory of a historical event.

Seasonal events can bring line-ups. Try something different. A series of wine tasting events, can bring restaurant goers week after week. You can get suppliers to sponsor these events. Have a wine expert at the event. This can also keep the energy level up.

Generate more flexibility in your advertising budget by hosting events that feature more than one business. Join forces with businesses in the area. Participate in cooperative advertising. This is a very effective way of stretching advertising dollars.

Use no budget or low budget advertising that costs very little. For instance a woman who owned a balloon delivery service made a point to park a van at every major event, in a location that it would get on the evening news. Even when she could not get the van on the evening news it was parked in conspicuous places all over the city. Be seen. Brightly painted vehicles with company advertising becomes a mobile bill board.

Go for impact. Advertising should always do this. However now you have more need to make an impact than in good times.

Get Targeted
This is not the first time world events have affected the economy. The hardest hit sector following the events of September 11th, was a the tourism industry. These companies have responded by thinking local. People still will have holidays, some people are more likely to travel locally than take long distance flights. While the impact is not going to last forever, responding quickly is the skill that enables one company to stay lucrative while other businesses suffer.

During times of recession, travel industries recognize that long distance travel may tighten up and they must attract consumers who are travelling closer to home.

It does not matter if you are in the tourism industry or any other industry. The more succinctly you define your target market the less misdirected your efforts will be. Define a niche that is easy to reach. Seek a niche that is not sought out by every competitor. Often this takes some research, but it can pay you back in increased profits and reduced risks.

Get Smart
We do not know how long a recession could last, nor how it will effect us as individuals and as businesses. Take care not to make long-term decisions that are difficult to change. If we are in a recession it may not be the right time to change suppliers or product lines. Diversifying may be necessary, however, ending relationships with suppliers and customers in the short-term may come back to haunt you if the economy turns around – and it will.

Think evolution not revolution. Be responsive to the need to change, but that does not mean that you should over react. Remember that most of the things you need to do in a tight economy, to survive and thrive are really no different than the things you should be doing in good times. In fact, those who run their businesses effectively in good times, feel the difficult times less, because they are more likely to have reserves and a wider margin of profitability.

Having a contingency plan is not just good business sense for businesses. Individuals need to have a contingency plan also. Individuals need to reduce debt and discretionary spending and immediately garner control of all factors within their control. Being proactive always is better than having to be reactive.
The wider your margins of profitability the more you can absorb. If you have not had an contingency plan up to this point, perhaps this is the prime opportunity to develop one. Develop a contingency plan that takes in to account where you are now and where you want to be. Then identify the actions you will need to take to get there.

Does the world financial stress, result in job insecurity for local Vancouver employees? Is it the right time to choose a job that is closer to home - saving you commuting time and gas? When we listen to the news, it causes increased waves of concern? What will the next year hold? Will property prices in Vancouver plummet? With the local job market tighten up?

It seems we have lost track once again of things that really matter. Isn’t eating local even more important? We are too dependent on US for food sources. What will this mean if the US continues to sink into a recession or depression?

Even if the price of gas falls because of the trouble in the stock market, does that change the importance of focussing on shopping locally for our food and other purchases. With Christmas coming up, there is no better time for us to shop local than now. We can no longer afford to ignore the importance of supporting our own economy and microeconomies.

Every day thousands of cars cross the Port Mann bridge in both directions during rush hour. People from Vancouver continue to drive to jobs in Surrey, Langley and Abbotsford, while others drive to jobs in Vancouver from Surrey, Langley and Abbotsford. It seems intuitive that the reasons for choosing a job that is closer to home is preferable. If you commute one hour on both ends of your day, in a year that amounts to about 400 hours…or the equivalent of 10 extra work weeks! Not only is this unlikely to be the way you really want to spend your time, it is usually expensive.

There are no buses across the Port Mann and although the Skytrain runs from Vancouver to Surrey or vise versa, the further you are commuting to work the more likely it is that you are driving. If you are driving to work across any of the Lower Mainland bridges it is likely you are a major contributor to greenhouse gases. It doesn’t stop there. If you are saving $200 a month in rent or in your mortgage payment it is likely you are spending it in gas. Add to that depreciation on your vehicle. High mileage vehicles do not hold their value. If you purchase one less car in the first ten years of your worklife, and invest that money to a retirement savings plan, that alone can make hundreds of thousands of dollars….which the negative people out there reading this are saying, but look what is happening to the financial markets. Maybe there is no value in saving money if the bottom falls out of the markets.

The markets will come back, our environment won’t if we continue to ignore the amount of greenhouse gases we produce on our way to and from work. If you are looking for a local job in Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, Langley, North Vancouver, or other communities in the Lower Mainland, our Resource Directory.

We spend many hours at our jobs. It is worth pursuing your dream career.  Are you still waiting to figure out what it is you want to do when you grow up? Is it time for you to choose a career that merges your lifestyle with who you are? Are career or work related choices overwhelming you? Here are some strategies and ideas that may help you find the work of your dreams!  Do you live in Vancouver and find yourself commuting further than you want to commute?  Is it possible to find jobs closer to home? ThinkLocal.ca is launching a job search database where employers can list jobs and job seekers can find jobs that are closer to where they live. It is possible to search by distance from your postal code.

Explore your Past. Do you have an unfulfilled childhood dream? Have you always dreamed of working in the Vancouver movie industry? Maybe it doesn’t have to be a dream, if you have a plan. Maybe it is time to take it off the shelf, dust it off and put it into action. Childhood hobbies or interests often tell us something about who we really are at the core of our being. Did you dream of travelling? Did you move to Vancouver from another city or country with a dream of starting a life here?  What were your career fantasies when you were a child or teenager? What stopped you from achieving them? Anything is possible, when you begin to believe “I can do it” and there is no better time than now.

Dig Deep. Find an employer in Vancouver or the Lower Mainland that matches your personal values. Start your job search on this site. How important is it for you to feel like you have made a contribution to making this world a better place? What change do you want to see in this world—and can you be part of that change? Are you committed to the environment? Are you interested in promoting local products? What are the values you hold nearest and dearest to your heart?  What is so important and interesting to you that you would be willing to do it for free if all financial needs were removed?

Set Priorities. Most of us have complex priorities at this stage of life. What are the most important considerations? Where do you want to work? Vancouver? Richmond? Surrey? Abbotsford? Langley? North Vancouver? Downtown Vancouver? How important is it for your work to fit your lifestyle and how important is flexible time? Do you enjoy working alone or as part of a team? Do you want to be your own boss—and are you willing to make the commitment that self-directed career management requires? What types of jobs are available in the area you live? If you live in downtown Vancouver, it may be easier to find an office job. If you live in Richmond, perhaps the availability of service jobs, or working in a manufacturing plant maybe more accessible.  Will you move if you get a job in a different city? Or do you want to find a job closer to home?

Explore Possibilities. The career paths open today are diverse and complex. When most baby boomers graduated from high school, there were a limited number of possible career paths – especially for women. Most women became teachers, nurses, secretaries or homemakers. Now, not only have the careers available to women expanded dramatically – but career choices in general are very diverse.

Recent high school grads have a wide choice of career paths. Sometimes it can be confusing. In a city the size of Vancouver, there are many choices. Consulting a Career Coach can be beneficial if you feel you have no direction. Design a plan to help you with your job search. Search for local jobs in our Resource Directory.

Do your research, and check out careers on the internet, through networking with others, by jotting down ideas based on what you see, read or wonder about. Visit  www.jobfutures.ca.  It provides great statistical information regarding more than 265 careers, 155 educational programs and links to 100’s of work related sites.

Try It Out. Vancouver offers many opportunities for volunteering, job shadowing, internships and apprenticeships are all meaningful ways to learn more about a type of job. Most companies are willing to arrange job shadowing information. More and more, Vancouver area universities are learning the value of co-op programs. When students have the opportunity to work in a field prior to graduation, they not only gain work experience that allows them to be more successful in landing a job once they are entering the labour force…but it also allows them the opportunity to switch majors if they recognize they are not going to enjoy a career in the field they originally chose.

It is a good choice to spend time in the actual environment before taking time to learn a new career, and this is even truer if you are thinking you would love to own a business.  Thousands of people have started coffee shops or restaurants based on assumptions they developed as customers—only to find out there is a big difference between visiting a coffee shop or restaurant and running one. Cooking for family and friends does not qualify you to run a restaurant. Talk to people in the type of business or career that interests you.

Consult a Career. Many have worked with clients in career transition, at all life-stages. Ask if they can arrange career testing or career assessments for you. Assessment tools are scientifically valid and based on understanding job competencies and the personality traits people who are likely to enjoy the job would possess. There are a number of government funded programs for unemployed people living in Vancouver or adjoining cities. Often these tools include assessments which include personal values and priorities in addition to looking at your personality type and preferred management or work-style and work-conditions.

Differentiate between Learned and Natural Competencies.  Many of us have learned to fill roles through exposure or job requirements. Most of us can be taught to do almost anything—that doesn’t mean we will like what we are doing. Accountants must be predictable, consistent and accurate. Artists must be creative, usually spontaneous and most often prefer less structure. The artist within will always be feeling trapped and unfulfilled and the accounting role will be difficult and often frustrating, regardless of the management style of the employer.  There are good fits and bad fits when it comes to work environments. Take for instance the artist who learns to be an accountant. That being said, more often than not it is false or negative beliefs that we acquired throughout our careers that keep us from trying what we really want. Opportunity opens wide when we adopt a ‘Yes, I can do that!” attitude.

Two old adages are worth looking at: “Do what you love, and the money will follow” and “an overnight success takes ten years.”  It is possible to do what you love and the money will follow, however, you still need a workable business plan. You must learn to identify how to package what you love to do – any other approach is living in an illusion. If you love to bake cookies and package them in a 50 cent plastic container with a blue plastic lid, you are likely to starve following your dream. However, package them in an appealing package and complete the plan with a good marketing plan and you will need to open a factory. If you do not want to go big and open a factory – fine; however, you still need to have a plan and the right packaging. Colonel Saunders was down on his luck after being forced to close his restaurant due to a new interstate highway cutting off the traffic flow to his restaurant. In 1952, when he started peddling his chicken recipe, he was surviving on a $105 monthly social security check. By 1962 he had 600 franchises and sold his interests in the business for $2 million – and boomers well know the value of $2 million in 1962! The moral of the story is - all big things start small and it does take time and diligence, but perhaps not as long as you may think.

Believe, take action and make it happen! Clarify your vision, add some passion and go for it. You may not only surprise yourself—you are capable of surprising others!

Prime Minister Stephen Harper argues that Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion’s intention to introduce a Federal Carbon tax will harm our economy and push Canada into recession.

According to the Globe and Mail, (Sept 20, 2008) the “Experts such as the Pembina Institute caution that none of the major parties have sufficiently demonstrated how they would reach their promised targets for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions.

Climate scientists say Canada should be prepared to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions - caused by burning fossil fuels - by 25 to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020. This goes partway toward a 2050 goal of stabilizing greenhouse-gas emissions, which are believed to cause climate instability.”

It is interesting Dion’s carbon tax proposal addresses the use of fossil fuels, but excepts gasoline. He is proposing a levy that increases annually until it reaches $40 per tonne in four years.

Harper argues it will result in job losses and general economic recession. When Dion’s proposed tax reaches $40 per tonne, it will amount to $15.4 billion in tax and roughly $10.5 - billion would be funnelled to individuals in tax cuts of which 3.7 billion would be redistributed to low and middle income families.

It isn’t clear to me, how this is instrumental in reducing greenhouse gases. If the carbon tax is nothing more than a tax that redistributes wealth, it doesn’t seem to be about greenhouse gas at all. It seems more like a tax grab.

But on the otherhand, do either of the major parties have a plan that will impact carbon emissions or greenhouse gas challenges?

According to the Globe and Mail, Dr Jaccard favors the Liberal plan arguing it will out perform the Conservative plan when it comes to reducing carbon emissions and reducing greenhouse gases.

The Conservatives lead by Harper, are offering a plan intended to cut greenhouse gas emissions but only for large industrial emitters. Unfortunately it is based on intensity of emissions rather than total carbon emissions. This means huge industrial operations, such as the oil sands, could expand and offset any reduction in carbon emissions, because it is fails to make industry accountable for the total amount of carbon emissions.

The Liberal plan is a little harder to assess on the surface as it is more complex and has the possibilities of variables racking havoc on any results.

It doesn’t matter which way we slice it. It is doubtful the government will or can enact legislation that will actually make enough difference. Afterall, is more government regulation ever the answer? Is it ever better when the government dips deeper into our pockets? Doesn’t true change start at the individual level? Don’t we need to make consious decisions that make a difference? If we are only driven by money whether it is in our personal lifestyles, or CEO’s of companies, doesn’t it come down to the will of the people to make decisions that are kinder to our environment?

Why is Global warming damaging to our environment? As the greenhouse gases increase, the atmosphere traps more of the sun’s heat. Today we have 32 percent more carbon dioxide than we had before the industrial revolution. This threatens the survival of humans and other species over coming generations. It impacts biodiversity, food systems, economies, human and animal life and changes our living habits.
Greenland is shrinking by some four centimeters a year due to melting ice – a four fold increase in the past 4 years. Major ice fields in the Swiss Alps that were 100’s of metres thick less than fifty years ago are now nearly non-existent. The damage is so dramatic that some studies state it would take a 90 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to prevent serious climate changes.
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that in the first 6 years of this millennium have resulted in double the rate of carbon dioxide emissions as they did in the 1990’s.  Fifty years ago our forests and oceans, which naturally store carbon buffered against climate change, however their ability to counterbalance the actions of mankind seem to be weakening. 

We are the offenders
Canadians produce 700 million tones of carbon emissions every year – 24 tonnes per person.  6% of this comes from heating our homes.  We are the worlds eighth largest producer of greenhouse gases – not something to be proud of.
Contrary to what we may think China and third world countries produce only a fraction of the greenhouse gases we produce, yet they are most at risk. Unlike smog and acid rain, global warming happens on a world wide basis and is does not occur proportionally to the excessive carbon emissions produced in a particular region. Bangladesh produces only 2% of the greenhouse gases we produce and are in risk of being wiped out by raising ocean levels.  We produce more greenhouse gases than the 750 million inhabitants of Africa.
While projects to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere are being found, it requires huge investments to expand these technologies to any meaningful level.

The car co-op is almost like a shared car. It is like a crossover between a car rental and ‘a drive your own taxi’ that is pre-booked and reserved for you at the time you need. Most co-ops allow you to book by the hour or by the half day. The participants essentially own shares in the cars and book cars to match their personal needs. Most often you are able to use any of the vehicles owned by the organization. This means if you need a small truck to move a piece of furniture, you are able to book one. For some people this system is very effective. The cars are kept at vaious locations, usually in central high population areas of the city. It is almost necessary to live within a few blocks of where the vehicles are kept, otherwise the disadvantage of needing to take transit, or cycle to the location counterbalances any advantages of getting a car for a few hours or a half day.

Other advantages of car-share programs is the cost of insurance and car repairs are shared by many people rather than having a car you own independently. In other ways, it does not necessarily equate to reduced carbon emissions - other than perhaps encouraging the shareholders to think twice about how often and where they drive — something most car owners do not do.

The options for using transit in a major city is always challenged by the degree to which the public is willing to use it as a major means of transportation. There are many questions that arise. Obviously, the same size of bus drives the route during rush hour as during the non-peak mid-day hours. The question is — how is this as effective at reducing carbon emissions as they would like us to believe. Clearly, the stats indicate that per rider the average carbon emmisions when compared to car ownership is significantly better. However, the inconvenience of transit still results in most of the public opting to drive — even when parking prices and gas prices are through the roof.

While Bicycling is an option, it is often fraught with risk factors. Not everyone is willing to ride on streets - even streets designated as bicycle paths, are fraught with parked cars, light car traffic and the need to cross major streets. Widespread speeding, reckless driving and general disrespect for cyclists and pedestrians make the streets feel unsafe. If we are truly wanting to encourage people to use bikes, it is necessary to make it safer and easier. The other challenge is no matter what Canadian city you talk about the weather is often not conducive to cycling. In Vancouver and Victoria, the rain makes riding no fun. In other cities, long winter months make it unfeasible most of the year.

Safety is a huge issue for pedestrians also. At the coast where it rains a lot in the winter it is next to impossible to see pedestrians dressed in dark colors. Yet, the majority of pedestrians do not wear reflective clothing, or ligher colors that show more easily on dark rainy nights. Calgary has solved a lot of the problems of pedestrians in the downtown core by building a system called the “Plus 15″ — a series of ‘hallways’ across the streets across the streets. It is easy to get anywhere downtown without going outside. This is great when the weather is minus 20, in the dead of winter.

Definately, the advancements of vehicles that are more energy efficient,including but not limited to hybrid cars, are making strides in the right direction by comparison of the cars of the 80’s. Nevertheless, the question remains “is it enough, soon enough”. There are also many things we can do to reduce our carbon emissions. Learning to be consciencious about how often we drive, car pooling and combining errands. The answers are not simple, but everytime we make a choice to walk, car share or cycle, we are making a difference.

Carbon emissions do not relate to the price you pay for your fuel. It relates to how much you use. Changing energy providers to save yourself money is not the same as reducing consumption to save yourself money.  Carbon Offset organizations do not have a vested interest or relationship with energy providers. Carbon Offset organizations are independent organizations that manage funds contributed by consumers and used by other organizations to fund energy projects.

Do an Energy Audit on Your Home:
Doing an energy audit on your home and addressing energy inefficiencies can add to comfort at the same time as it reduces your heating bills and carbon emissions. Replace weather stripping, upgrade insulation, replace old windows and doors with energy efficient doors, maintain furnaces, replace air filters, and replace inefficient appliances. Get rid of that ‘used sometimes old fridge in your basement’ – the biggest possible energy waster. The average Canadian 1600 square foot home emits 7 tonnes of carbon a year.

Think about our Car Usage
The average car emits 5 tonnes a year. Even a hybrid car emits 3 tonnes. Combine errands and walk or cycle, as a means of transportation for closer errands. Carpool and reduce unnecessary trips. Do not idle your car while parked.  It is appalling to sit in a line up at a border crossing or at a train track where you can sit in one position for 10 minutes at a time and be surrounded by cars idling. Obviously we don’t want people shutting their cars off at red lights by otherwise any time your car is going to be idling more than one minute, turn it off. 

How you drive makes a huge difference on gas consumption.

Sudden acceleration and rapid stops are gas guzzling techniques.  That driver who is first off at a green light only to arrive at the next red light and sit there while the traffic it left behind, is paying royally for bad driving habits and contributing a lions share to carbon emissions.

Use a bicycle or walk to do errands that are closer to home. Convert some of your recreational bicycling time into useful transportation cycling.  As yourself why you will ride bike two hours for pleasure, yet you will drive your car somewhere that you could go in 10 minutes on your bike.

Offset your Vacations

Choose your family vacation with thought given to carbon emissions and buy Carbon Offsets once you have taken the first step in reducing the emissions you produce by carefully choosing your holiday destination. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go to Florida. It may mean that you should fly rather than driving if there are only two people in your car and it probably pokes holes in any plan to make the trip in a big motor home.  Even in the 1980’s large motor homes were known not to be cost effective. Once the investment is considered, the maintenance, the insurance and possibly off-season storage, and campground fees – it was cheaper to stay in great hotels. Add to that the raising price of fuel and the carbon emissions and social responsibility, the motor home is likely to become the next dinosaur.

Be proactive in maintaining your hot water heater.
It is imperative that you drain a bucketful of water from the drain valve at the bottom of the tank twice annually. By doing this you will be able to flush out any shale and sediment that has accumulated at the bottom of the tank. This ensures effective function of the heater and reduces wasted energy. If your hot water heater is more than 10 years old getting it replaced with a high efficiency hot water heater is worth the investment. Be aware of what you are getting when you purchase a new hot water heater. Often stores will put lower efficiency poorer quality hot water heaters on sale at unbelievable prices – if you buy one of these you will be disappointed.  Good quality high energy efficiency hot water heaters can save you 15 – 30% of your hot water heating costs or up to 1/3 of a metric tonne of carbon emissions.

Electricity Usage
Turn off the lights in rooms when you leave the room. Replace higher wattage bulbs with lower wattage bulbs or more preferably CFL (fluorescents) which take about 20% of the wattage of standard incandescent bulbs. Use a reading lamp when reading rather than increasing the lighting in the entire room to reading lighting levels.

Choosing green or renewal power is another way of reducing your carbon footprint. It is more costly than traditional electricity but has the same effect as contributing to Carbon Offsets. 

Stop using Plastic Bags

Do your part in stopping the billions of plastic bags that end in landfills. These do not degrade. Use recyclable shopping bags. Do not bag vegetables or fruit in plastic bags which you will promptly throw out when you get home.

Recycle household items when possible. Compost all food scraps. Reduce your contribution to landfills in every possible way.

Enter the concept of the sanitary landfill. Reaching full scale acceptance as the way to dispose of garbage the idea was to compact, then bury the accumulating refuse with soil, to keep down vermin, odours and well as to create room for the next day’s garbage. However this lead to groundwater contamination, as moisture leached through the garbage. Landfills also did nothing to capture leaking landfill gases, many of which are toxic.

The epidemic of landfills across North America continued unchecked until the 1980’s and 1990’s when it became evident that governments needed to regulate the process and enforce bottom liners, collection systems to collect leachate polluted moisture, and to require gas collection systems to control gas emissions. The expense of updating landfills and the push to get time out of our cities resulted in cities like Vancouver hauling their solid waste to the remote community of Cache Creek which opened in 1989.

Cache Creek landfill handles 500,000 to 750,000 tonnes of refuse and was scheduled to close in 2010. However, Belkorp Environmental Services has launched a plan to extend the landfills lifespan by up to 40 years. However Vancouver had been planning to export garbage to Washington State Landfill, after the closure of Cache Creek while it builds up to six waste-to-energy plants to incinerate its waste locally.

Part of Belkorp’s plan includes buying additional land at Ashcroft. However, that was initially derailed by provincial government concerns about potential first nations land claims and environmental assessment processes. Ashcroft and Cache Creek see landfills a viable and needed economic opportunity. The Environment Assessment Office intends to fast track the landfill application because the landfill already exists.

Even though money is the motivation of these economically suppressed communities, does it make sense to have energy guzzling, garbage leaking trucks congesting our roads and polluting our air?

What happens to all that garbage in the landfill?

Not much. If it is kept dry, it becomes more of a mummifier than a composter. While oxygen, moisture, and warmth are necessary for natural decomposition, compacting eliminates most of the oxygen and landfill methodology limits moisture. As a result sealed plastic bags compressed in landfills become the time capsules of generations of consumption. 

Are landfills safe?

If moisture and oxygen are exposed to decomposing food scraps, paper, grass clippings, and other fibres, they decompose creating methane - a powerful greenhouse gas, and leachate (polluted water). While some landfills collect methane gases, to prevent it from bursting into flames, they either burn off (flare) the gas or use it to generate electricity. But even at best only 70 - 80% of the gas is captured.

The toxic soup collecting at the bottom of landfills is laced with heavy metals, motor oil, acids, solvents, pesticides, flame retardants and other chemicals. The base of modern landfills consists of a layer of plastic, gravel and clay. Considering that archaeologists have found ancient dumping sites which are still leaching heavy metals 2000 years later, it is not a problem that will self-rectify.

Is there a better way to deal with household waste?

The Metro Vancouver waste committee are considering some kind of waste-to-energy plant, particularly one that utilizes a technology called plasma gasification. Calling the technology “too good to refuse” an article in the Vancouver Sun talked about the benefits of this technology, but is it too good to be true?

Apparently virtually any kind of waste can be “zapped” with plasma gas, produce a clean source of energy. Not only can the plant power itself using this energy, but the surplus can be sold for profit. This process also creates a “valuable by-product” of “glass like-slag” which can be used for building material, making roads or tiles.

Other solutions explored by engineers is “bioreactors,” in which leachate is collected and then, instead of being treated and discharged into nearby waterways, is repeatedly injected back into the dump. The re-injected moisture accelerates decomposition, and bacterial feeding off the waste product produces more gas more quickly. Eventually the dump contents are rinsed with freshwater. This water is then collected and treated before it is released. Decomposition happens faster when the refuse is kept wet, but it skinks more, and there is no proof it decreases risk factors.

A Call to Recycle:

Recycling reduces waste and is at least a big part of reducing the problem. Recycling saves enormous amounts of energy and cuts down on air and water pollution. Composting organic material such as food scraps, yard waste and wood avoid generation of methane and leachate. Some estimates show that 60% of the material reaching landfills could be composted instead.

Reduce Consumption:

The key to reducing waste is to reduce consumption. Refuse to purchase over-packaged goods. Reupholster furniture or sell it through Craigslist. Recycle paper, and use paper supplies more completely. Use the draft mode when using your printer. Presures on manufacturers to be more responsible in the way they design products can reduce toxic materials.