I am not ignorant to other problems in the world, but the environment and sustainability are problems which concern me the most and thus are what I’m most passionate about.  Working on the design team of oqoqo, lululemon’s eco-friendly clothing line – has opened my eyes to a world of all things sustainable.  It’s so exciting! I have a long way to go still to make my own way of living completely sustainable, but over the past few years have changed many things that have helped to get me closer to that goal. 

If we continue to treat our planet like we have up till now there will be disastrous consequences, which could lead to the ULTIMATE genocide.  Articles, books and documentaries many of us have seen like “An inconvenient truth” have opened up our eyes to what may lie ahead if we don’t start being diligent about reversing the problem of global warming.  Glaciers melting, snowcaps disappearing, diseases breeding, natural disasters happening more frequently than ever before – we can no longer ignore these issues.  A dry remark by a writer named Jon Kabat-Zinn says it best I think: “If both coasts are underwater, that is going to be bad for the economy”.

With all this said, we have been making some progress towards a more sustained future.  The hybrid vehicle seems to be gaining in popularity everyday. We know this because every year there are a few new models to add to the collection. Biodiesel is also making headway, as a renewable resource and much cleaner way of fuelling a diesel engine.  The cost is just pennies more than gasoline and is so clean you can lick it off your gas cap!  There are more and more companies popping up that offer energy from renewable resources like wind and solar power, and others that are offsetting GHG emissions.

I believe the biggest differences being made though are by us as individuals, who are making more environmentally sound choices than ever before. We are inspiring our families, friends, workplaces, communities and governments to step up to the plate with us and fight climate change.  It has been recently proven by our media that the environment is the #1 concern on the minds of Canadians, above all other issues.  The government has also recently vowed to give 1.5 billion in new environmental funding, with most of the cash allocated to help provinces fight climate change.

There is still a long way to go in creating awareness among the whole planet.  As a western culture who is educated and conscious of these issues we have to act now to make a difference for our future generations.  As the world becomes more globalized other nations will be looking at us to set an example, and therefore we have to give them one that is sustainable and inspiring.