Nature-based Solutions

I will act to conserve existing ecosystems and restore damaged ecosystems. Fact: Researchers estimate the “mitigation potential” of nature-based solutions at around 10-12bn tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year – enough to reduce peak warming by about 0.3C. Source: Can ‘nature-based solutions’ help address climate change?

• Acting to conserve natural systems is an essential part of any plan to draw down CO2.
• The protection of wildlife habitat is key to preserving biodiversity, and we know that the extinction of an increasing number of species is a serious concern.
• The human health benefits of nature are well documented. Getting out into nature is just what the doctor ordered for physical and mental health.

In Muskoka, rapid subdivision sprawl and extensive waterfront development are threatening our lakes, forests, and wetlands.

Our local councils have declared a “Climate Emergency” but have no plan to act.

Our local councils must look at every decision they make through a climate change lens. That means  greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation assessment which will measure the anticipated GHG emissions impact, and a climate change resilience assessment for climate change adaptation.

Concerned? Call your local municipal representatives. Find their contact information here.

Contact your MPP, Graydon Smith (Parry Sound—Muskoka) who is also Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Contact information here.

Learn more about local conservation efforts and how you can participate at Muskoka Conservancy.

Nature-based solutions are not a silver bullet. Among Indigenous communities and non-governmental organisations, they are often seen as a “dangerous distraction” from the need to cut emissions from fossil fuel use. We need both and more!

Resources:

• Nature-based solutions: How can they work for climate, biodiversity and people?
• Explainer: Can climate change and biodiversity loss be tackled together?
• Squeezed by housing crisis, Ontario farmland becomes dangerously rare

---

---

“Silent Spring“ –  2022

I will act to maintain and restore biodiversity.  Nearly 3 Billion Birds Gone. Study finds steep, long-term losses across virtually all groups of birds in the U.S. and Canada.  Source

In 1962, Racheal Carson’s book “Silent Spring” was a passionate plea for all humans to act responsibly as stewards of the living earth, advancing the global environmental movement.

At the time, one of the biggest threats to bird populations, besides habitat loss, was the widespread use of DDT to control insects. Fast forward 60 years, in 2022 the widespread use of neonicotinoids to control insects has become a serious threat to bird populations and to the insects that pollinate our food crops.

Carson identified human hubris and financial self-interest as the problem.  Her passionate concern for the future called on us to live as though we humans are an integral part of the earth’s systems.

Today, Global bird populations steadily decline:

A recent update to the study Nearly 3 Billion Birds Gone states: “The fate of bird populations is strongly dependent on stopping the loss and degradation of habitats.” Further, the study identifies climate change as an emerging driver of bird population decline.

In Ontario, we need to conserve habitat and reduce climate changing carbon emissions. We do not need more highways and urban sprawl.

What can you do in your own backyard?  Here’s a link to a previous carbon challenge – Carbon Drawdown – Rewilding – Climate Action Muskoka

And from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology – Seven Simple Actions to Help Birds

Resources:

Rachel Carson, Silent Spring  |  Rachel Carson – Wikipedia

Study links neonicotinoids to bird declines (farmprogress.com)

Nearly 3 Billion Birds Gone | Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Global bird populations steadily decline | Cornell Chronicle – May 5, 2022 update

---

Efficiency without sufficiency is lost

I will question what level of consumption is sufficient to live comfortably. Fact: Without “sufficiency,” gains from increasing efficiency in a growth-based economy are lost. Source: A Critique of Techno-Optimism (PDF)

In his book, “Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle,” Lloyd Alter explores the idea of what is enough, valuing simple solutions that use less of everything and cost less. For example:

• Now that we use LED light bulbs, is it ok to leave the lights on longer?
• Does buying a more efficient refrigerator mean I can now buy a bigger one?
• Can a more efficient clothes dryer ever be more efficient than a clothesline?  
• Do heat pumps and better insulation mean I can have a bigger home? Do we need a bigger homes? Or do we need more small, affordable housing options?

A switch to electric vehicles (EVs) is one of the changes we need to reduce carbon emissions. If I drive an EV is it ok to drive more? Will widespread adoption of EVs contribute to urban sprawl? Or are walking, cycling and public transport more viable options?

We must reduce our emissions and our demand for resources and at the same time provide a decent living standard for everyone. We all need to consider what is sufficient.

More Resources

• Efficiency Without Sufficiency Is Lost (treehugger.com)
• Jevons paradox – Wikipedia
• Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change (ipcc.ch)
• Laundry, Sufficiency and the Climate Pact – Energy Cities (energy-cities.eu)

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---