Michelle's Commitment to Reducing her Carbon Footprint

I am aware that my carbon footprint has increased due to increased air travel back and forth to Victoria, and increased car travel throughout my constituency.

To reduce this impact, whenever possible I,

• follow the 100- mile diet and support local farmers
• buy local
• buy second hand clothes
• donate used clothes and goods
• invest ethically
• recycle, reduce waste, reuse items, compost
• purchase carbon offsets with my Aeroplan Miles
• use cloth bags for shopping
• walk or cycle to work in both Victoria and Nelson
• hand-water my garden in the morning and evening
• keep my lawn and garden free of herbicides and pesticides
• turn off lights when not using them, and use halogen or LED lights throughout my home
• program my thermostat to turn down the heat in the evenings and when not at home
• don’t use air conditioning
• meet by video or telephone conferencing
• choose to use green website hosting
• turn off my vehicle instead of idling it
• drive a fuel efficient vehicle
• rent hybrid vehicles when in other regions of BC
• do laundry in cold water
• use a clothesline in the summer
• use all natural, non-toxic cleaning products, and
• enjoy tap water

I also took steps that increased my home and rental property's energy efficiency by 150%. Because reducing my impact on global warming is important to me, I continually endeavour to find new ways to decrease my ecological footprint and improve sustainability.