SAVING THE PLANET, ONE COW AT A TIME
No, I’m not talking about doing away with cows!
But, it’s important to note that the Bovidae group of mammals, which includes cows, goats, and bison accounts for a large percentage of greenhouse gases, including methane.
What’s the big fuss about methane?
Methane is about 20 times worse for the environment than carbon monoxide, the main component of car emissions.
It is a colorless and flammable gas which displaces oxygen in the air, and by doing so, methane traps heat in the atmosphere, hence the term ‘greenhouse gases’.
So why blame cows? They can’t help it, right?
To zero in on the problem, methane output is directly tied to our dependence on meat-related products. If we lower the world’s demand for meat, methane production will decrease.
As a vegetarian, I abandoned meat from my diet some 30 years ago. I don’t miss it all. It was around the time Susan Hebblethwaite, my business partner and I created Family Games. We wanted our company to be environmentally-friendly. To this day, we still work hard to adhere to our original philosophy.
In the past few years, many meatless options are currently available at our local supermarket. And, have you seen the recent commercials for major fast food outlets proudly offering a ‘meatless burger’?
Going meatless is all the rage these days. That’s progress indeed.
THE GRETA EFFECT
Let’s talk about a sixteen-year-old fireplug from Sweden - Greta Thunberg. She’s an outspoken advocate for raising awareness of climate change.
Before Greta became a teenager, she was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. But this certainly hasn’t stopped her from taking on big corporations and top politicians on this issue.
In fact, she calls her condition her ‘super-power’.
A few weeks ago, Greta was awarded a key to the city of Montreal by our mayor, Valerie Plante. Later that day, more than 500,000 people participated in a march raising awareness of the impact of climate change on our environment.
“We’re at least 500,000 here today – you should be very proud of yourself,” Thunberg said to cheers. Here at FGA, I gave my staff the afternoon off to join the march.
IT’S WORSE THAN WE THINK
NASA believes that “...global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come, largely due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities.”
Here are just a few projections and facts:
- Over much of the planet, heavy precipitation and extreme summer heat will continue
- The intensity, frequency and duration of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes are on the increase
- Global sea levels are rising at unprecedented rates
- Forest fires and floods are becoming more prevalent
WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT?
Not nearly enough.
But, there are some signs of adaptation. For instance, coastal cities and towns - which account for 40% of the US population - are implementing steps to minimize land erosion.
These communities are also tightening building codes and thereby fortifying new and existing structures in this age of rising sea levels.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
David Suzuki, a Canadian activist and broadcaster, has an action plan we can - and must - implement immediately. You can read the entire article here, but here are a few points that struck me as important.
Demand climate solutions by using your right to vote. We must press politicians to take a stand on climate change and implement solutions.
Maybe you’ve been doing something at home or work to help the environment? On a personal level, here are a few things we can do right now:
- Use energy-efficient light bulbs
- Unplug computers and other electronic devices when not in use
- Wash clothes in cold or warm water rather than hot
- Hang-dry your clothes, rather than turning on a dryer
- Reduce the use of heat and air conditioning
- Seal windows at home where cold or hot air can enter
As consumers, we must learn to follow the three ‘R’s’: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
By following this simple rule, we will make a real difference for our environment and for our planet. It can be as simple as thinking twice about the products and items we use everyday; what can be reused, reduced, or recycled?
For the next generation, it’s important we teach children the three ‘R’s’. This will develop positive habits that will last a lifetime.
As leaders of corporations, I suggest you check out this informative article, highlighting many things companies can do now to become less energy-dependent.
Corporations can and should take the lead in improving the environment.
Here are just three of the ideas from the article:
- Provide fresh, filtered drinking water. This will reduce the number of plastic water bottles employees bring to work.
- Cut down on paper use. Why print documents you don’t need hard copies of? We’re in a cloud-based world where paper is being replaced by digital assets.
- Turn off computers and other devices nightly. This has two big benefits: reducing costs and overhead, and saving energy.
I invite everyone on Linkedin to join in on the conversation with ideas, comments, and suggestions on the topic.
Let’s take Greta’s efforts seriously and do our part to raise awareness about this important issue.