Community Carbon Challenge — Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020

Community-Carbon-Challenge-Logo

MUSKOKA – Climate Action Muskoka (CAM) is launching its 50% by 2030 Community Carbon Challenge today (Saturday, October 10, 2020). Individuals, families, businesses, organizations and schools can take the pledge and develop an action plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 8% a year until the year 2030. The challenge can be taken up by seasonal and year-round residents alike.

“We must act where we can have direct influence, in our own community,” says CAM member Linda Mathers.  “COVID has taught us that collective behaviour matters, that we need to take the science seriously and that we need to act now.”

50% by 2030 is the goal CAM is asking the District of Muskoka to assume in a Climate Emergency resolution to be brought before the full District Council on Monday, October 19.

You can sign up on the climateactionmuskoka.org website.  There you will find a user-friendly carbon calculator which has been specifically designed for this area by Climate Change & Energy Specialist Ben John of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve (GBBR).

The calculator will assess your building, transportation and solid waste emissions and compare your totals with others in Ontario and Canada. Redoing the tracker annually will allow you to measure your success with reducing emissions.

An added bonus is that your anonymous data will be added to the community GHG inventory currently being conducted by the District of Muskoka, under the guidance of Kevin Boyle, the Climate Change Initiatives Co-ordinator.

If you prefer not to do the calculator right now, you can jump straight to the sections offering practical ideas for you to implement.

“We believe community engagement is vital to solving the climate crisis,” says Mathers. “We also believe that it is better to take ‘imperfect action rather than perfect inaction’!”

On the website you can also add to the list of things we can do to reduce our carbon footprint.  New strategies will be added regularly as we grow our commitment to changing our behaviours in carbon reducing ways.

CAM is an inclusive, non-partisan group of citizens concerned about climate change in Muskoka who believe in working together to inspire individuals, groups, and every level of government to make the dramatic changes needed to meet this historic climate challenge.

CAM believes ‘it takes a village’ and in this spirit we invite you to join us in the 50% by 2030 Community Carbon Challenge. Visit our website climateactionmuskoka.org and take up the challenge. For more information write to climateactionmuskoka@gmail.com.

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Sue McKenzie for Climate Action Muskoka 647 884-1531

South Muskoka CAM Media contacts:  Sue McKenzie 647 884-1531 lensue@hotmail.com                                                                                         Linda Mathers 705 765-5772 mathers@muskoka.com

Huntsville CAM Media Contact:  Lesley Hastie 705 789-7143   hastielesley@gmail.com