The Roots & Shoots Chimp Tips Guide

Our Guide to Living Sustainably

With a world population of almost 7 billion people, war, famine, drought, fossil fuel emissions steadily increasing, agricultural wastes polluting our waterways, mining and logging threatening the planet's pristine wild spaces and the continued expansion of our cities and suburbs, the planet upon which we rely is in dire straits. So too are the extraordinary species which inhabit it, including ourselves. The question is...

What can we do about it?

Chimp Tip of the Day:

Chimp Tip #13: If you haven't heard of the BC Green Games, it's about time you check them out! Every year, schools from all over the province submit their projects to see which is truly is the greenest! There were some amazing projects, but there is one that is particularly relevant for the summertime and fall! Students from Brook Secondary School in Powell River, BC developed a "Bike to School" program in partnership with their principal, a local bike shop, and the mayor. Check out their video on the BC Green Games site to learn more about their program. You can do this in your school! Either way, bike to work and school! It will keep you healthy, minimize your carbon footprint, and is just plain awesome!

Past Chimp Tips:

Chimp Tip #12: Being a responsible consumer is not always the easiest thing to do. We've already discussed buying sustainable seafood, but we also want to continue to expand on that by providing advice about all sorts of food, hygiene products, electronics, and everything else under the sun, so you can become a more conscious consumer. For example, two major concern for our waterways, lakes and ponds are eutrophication (extreme and harmful algae growth) and toxic chemicals. Our advice is to seek out biodegradable shampoos, soaps and cleaning products! Look at the back of the product! What you want to see on the package is biodegradable, not tested on animals, and phosphate-free. In regards to phosphates, we Canadians have lagged behind the United States in regulating the use of "phosphates" in our detergents which cause eutrophication in our waterways!

Chimp Tip #11: Take it off! We're actually serious. When you're at home during the summer, shed a layer or two. Take off the sweater or jeans you're wearing and put on a t-shirt and some of those sweet retro shorts you have laying around the house. The opposite can be said for the wintertime. Put on clothes during the cold seasons and turn down the thermostat. Heating and cooling requires a great amount of energy. Do you folks remember the Ontario blackout a while ago? Well that was the result of people cranking their air conditioning all day long! We recommend that instead of turning up the AC, take off some layers to cool down. Nothing beats shorts, a t-shirt and a glass of ice-water! Air conditioning units not only use plenty of energy, they also use fluorocarbons which have historically caused great damage to the ozone layer. Not good!

Chimp Tip#10: Take a break from video games! Even environmentalists like to play a little video games here and there (ie. Donkey Kong), but especially during the summer when you can get outside and ditch the games! Video games use MORE energy than watching television or using the computer normally. Energy means more carbon into our atmosphere. More carbon in our atmosphere means we're contributing to climate change. Using carbon means you need more oil and gas for necessary things, which means we need to extract more oil, clear forests and inevitably spill oil into our waterways or oceans. Give it a shot, you'll feel better and protect the planet in the process!

Chimp Tip #9: If you have to drive, obey the 10-second rule!The 5-second rule is good too, but we're not talking about saving delicious potato chips and candy from the floor, we're talking about carbon. The 10-second rule is not especially effective on its own, but is part of a bigger anti-idling picture to prevent your car from emitting any more greenhouse gases than necessary. And we recommend that you DO NOT DRIVE A GAS GUZZLING VEHICLE. If you do have to drive a normal car, the rule-of-thumb is that the amount of gas it takes to start up your car/truck is roughly the same as 10 seconds of running time. If you are stopped and waiting for something for more than 10 seconds, turn off your vehicle! Over your driving career you'll prevent the emission of hundreds of kilograms of carbon, which will minimize your contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately climate change.

Chimp Tip # 8: Eating fish and seafood can be healthy and delicious, but we urge you to watch what you buy. As a country that has experienced the dramatic consequences of a fish stock crash (Newfoundland Cod Fishery Collapse of 1992), we should be aware of importance of our fisheries and the dangers of their collapse. Over 75% of the world's ocean and inland fisheries are either fully or overexploited pushing marine and freshwater ecosystems to the brink. In addition, fish and seafood farming can prove extremely stressful and damaging to local ecosystems. With this said, we can play a role in supporting those fisheries that work! Educate yourself! To start, download and print this little guide that you can stick in your wallet when you go shopping.

Chimp Tip #7: Meat-free Mondays! Eating less meat is one of the most significant changes you can make in your life to live more sustainably and prevent the suffering of animals. We know it's hard to completely cut meat out of your diet, but start with Mondays! Try out vegetarian options for your meals one day of the week. Why? 1) Beef, pork and other livestock is extremely water-intensive, using over 1000 times more water per unit of food than grains 2) Meat and dairy production represents 10% of anthropogenic (human-produced) greenhouse gas emissions 3) Clearing land for livestock is one of the leading causes of deforestation 4) Waste from livestock causes great damage to aquatic ecosystems. Try cutting back. It may be the decision that makes the most impact on your ecological footprint.

Photo credit: Photo courtesy Ontario Farm Animal Council

Chimp Tip #6: SLOW DOWN. Although some of you might not be drivers, we're sure you spend some time in cars and have some influence! We might not have chimpanzees darting in front of cars here in Canada, but we assure you there is some fascinating Canadian wildlife on our roadways. From snakes and turtles to grizzly bears and moose, every year millions of animals (and even pets) are killed on Canadian roads. So what's the solution? If you have to drive at night, slow down and use your high beams. Get everyone in the car to look out for eye-shine and movement on the sides of roadways. You never know what you might see while saving lives! Check out more tips in this interesting article.

(Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

Chimp Tip # 5: DO NOT THROW BATTERIES (and other household hazardous waste) IN THE GARBAGE. We can't say this enough! Household hazardous waste (ie. batteries, oil, paint) represents flammable, explosive, toxic and corrosive material which poses a danger to human beings and the environment through contaminating the air, soil and groundwater. These wastes can be recycled! Every municipality has access to some sort of hazardous household waste drop-off depot. If you're unsure, you can easily Google the nearest location. You might need to drive a ways to the depot, but believe us, a safe and health environment is worth it!

Chimp Tip #4: Make your backyard honey bee friendly. Honey bees are disappearing at an alarming rate. The result of a myriad of causes, from pesticide use to disease, this decline in honey bees has continued under the radar for years. Why though? Honey bees actually provide pollination services to 30% of North American crops, from apples and pears to soybean to sunflowers. Even when the honey bee population has halved over the past 50 years, our demand continues to grow. These animals are not only important for our food, but also the balance of natural ecosystems. So what can you do? Expand your gardens, plant more flowers, plant vegetables (nutritious and good for bees), and DO NOT USE PESTICIDES!

Chimp Tip #3: DRINK WATER FROM THE TAP! Use a glass or stainless steel bottle. But what if it's not water you're after? We know what it's like to enjoy an occasional pop. The Canadian Association of Medical Doctors and Dentists know it's not good for you, but what if you drink two a week? Think about all of the bottles you produce over a year. Americans actually consume about 200 billion bottles and cans a year! Making and recycling those bottles is energy intensive. This is not good. But have you ever thought about making your own? Check out this method and reduce your footprint while destroying your teeth.

Chimp Tip #2: Become aware of the decisions you make. Use that big brain of yours to make connections. Every time you make a decision, there are seemingly invisible consequences. Think about the bigger picture. When you run the tap needlessly, think about how much our rivers have changed, from the Colorado to the Yangtze. When you flick on the light, remember the smoke burning at a coal plant. When you're stuck in traffic, remember the visuals we've all seen of our smoggy cities. When you throw your banana peel in the garbage think about how being trapped under all that plastic puts it in a state of suspended animation; no decomposition, no entering the cycle of living things to which it belongs. Every decision you make affects not only yourself but others and our planet. Remember that as you move forward. We promise you, it helps.

Chimp Tip # 1: Remove your hands from the keyboard, stand up from your chair and walk out the nearest door. Take a deep breath. Become aware of what's around you. Listen. Look. Feel. Smell. Listen to the birds, the insects chirping. Watch the leaves of the trees blowing in the wind. Take another deep breath and smell the new blooms, the fallen needles, the ocean, or do you know that smell right after it rains? Smell that. You totally know that smell. Then look up at a blue sky or raindrops falling down. Do this ONCE a day. Every single day of your life. It will remind you what you are fighting for