Dear Neighbours,
We’ve been geeking out here at the Pocket Change Project for the past few years and have learned a ton that we’re eager to share with you but we thought it might be useful to do a kind of “back to basics “ post for those of you who don’t eat, sleep and dream GHG reductions.
What are GHG’s?
GHG stands for Greenhouse Gases. These are the gases (mostly CO2 but also methane and others) that are released when we burn fossil fuels (or in the case of methane, during the production of fossil fuels or when organic matter rots or cows “toot”). These gases form a kind of layer or blanket around the earth, trapping heat in our atmosphere (like a greenhouse). This is causing the planet to warm at a dangerous, exponential rate, wreaking havoc on all the eco-systems around the globe and threatening the very future of life on earth. Yup. Downer.
Many people don’t know that in Toronto, home heating and to a lesser extent, water heating, are the main culprits in the city’s GHG emissions. According to the City of Toronto, the gas we burn to heat our homes and buildings is responsible for 42% of the GTA’s total GHG emissions! 42%!
In contrast, the electricity we use comes from 90% non-GHG-emitting sources (a combination of hydro, wind, solar and nuclear). In fact, Ontario has one of the cleanest electrical grids on the planet!
So, it’s our home heating we really have to tackle. That’s where home energy retrofits come in.
Home Energy Retrofits - Doing what’s necessary to reduce our homes’ GHG emissions - from air sealing/insulation all the way to electrifying our home heating systems.
The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) - hands down the most respected source of climate science on the planet - says we have 10 years to cut our emissions in half and 30 years to cut them to zero or face irreversible climate catastrophe.
If we can figure out, as a neighbourhood, how to bring to bring down the costs and simplify the process of home energy retrofits, we can share our experience and knowledge with other neighbourhoods in the country and be part of the solution in a profound way, beyond just improving our own little pocket.
Stay tuned for ways to learn more and/or get involved in The Pocket Change Project!
Greenly yours,
The Pocket Change Executive Committee
