‘Count Me In’ Pledge

Why the Count Me In Pledge?

Be the solution. We can choose to become part of the solution, just by making our simple, everyday decisions differently. Sustainability is about recognizing that the environment underlies all social and economic concerns. This Pledge can help you reduce your ecological footprint (your demand on natural ecosystems and resources) and replace a sense of powerlessness with action and hope.

Small actions lead to big results. The Pledge is a reminder of how big changes can come from small ones. Local action and commitment can result in global patterns of change.

Build community. Signing the Pledge is joining a community of people who care! The Comox Valley Conservation Strategy and our partner groups share your concerns for sustainability and are working to address them.

Conservation

Support conservation of wildlife habitat.

Here's Why

Species extinction is occurring at the greatest rate in the history of our planet due to the loss of natural habitat.

Plant trees not pavement.

Here's Why

Trees sequester carbon and help reduce the impact of global warming. Trees provide wind protection, shade, and cool air, while adding beauty, privacy, and wildlife habitat to the landscape. Both deciduous and evergreen trees save energy in summer by directly cooling the air. This cooling happens as water evaporates from the leaf surfaces, much as our skin is cooled when we perspire. Pavement increases runoff and the effect of flooding unless costly infrastructure is put in place to control it.

Avoid use of pesticides/herbicides.

Here's Why

Many herbicides and pesticides are known carcinogens and may damage plants and insects that are beneficial. Pesticide use is thought to be a contributing factor in the reduction of populations of amphibians, honeybees and bats. As well, frequent use of pesticides and herbicides is creating strains of resistant plants and insects.

Put decals on windows to stop bird collisions.

Here's Why

Between one hundred million to one billion birds die each year due to collisions with human build structures in North America alone. The reflective nature of glass makes it a silent killer.

Erect bird feeders/houses in your garden.

Here's Why

Much habitat of native birds has been removed or altered by development or replaced by invasive species. This results in difficulty for many native birds to find adequate food in the winter or cavities for nesting.

Slow down when driving to avoid wildlife.

Here's Why

Because human travel corridors and animal travel routes frequently occur along the same valley bottoms, this concentration of human activity and wildlife leads to frequent wildlife vehicle collisions, which can happen anywhere, and at anytime. Sadly, each year in BC, over 19,500 animals are killed by collisions with vehicles. As well as the loss of wildlife, every year, 6 people are killed and 380 people are injured in this type of collision. SLOW DOWN!

Dispose properly of fishing line.

Here's Why

Improperly discarded fishing line may cause birds or other animals to become entangled resulting is devastating injury or a slow, painful death from suffocation, starvation or gangrene.

Leave old dead trees as wildlife habitat.

Here's Why

Old dead trees (snags) provide a site for new growth to establish itself while the remains provide compost for that new growth. Snags provide food for insect eaters like woodpeckers and insects and also provide nesting sites for a variety of species of birds and bats.

Don’t let pets disturb or kill wildlife. Use native plants and shrubs in your garden.

Here's Why

Native species are adapted to local climatic conditions and will use less water and energy to maintain. They also provide food and habitat for native wildlife: potentially species at risk. They add beauty to the landscape and preserve our natural heritage and serve as an important genetic resource for future food crops or other plant-derived products.

Pollution and Waste

Say NO to plastic water bottles and shopping bags.

Here's Why

Do you opt for paper or plastic when at the grocery store? Neither is a good choice. Twelve million barrels of oil are used to make 88.5 billion plastic bags. Less than 1 percent of plastic bags are recycled. Plastic bags are dangerous for wildlife, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths of marine animals. Paper bags aren’t a great alternative as it takes four times more energy to make them and they use valuable trees. The best choice is a reusable shopping bag. A reusable tote bag can last for years, is easier to carry, and makes a strong statement.

Use a handkerchief/towel instead of paper products

Here's Why

Paper towels create waste and consume trees. During your next trip to the grocery store, buy reusable microfiber towels instead. Wash them and reuse. If you absolutely have to use disposable towels, look for recycled products. If every household in the North America replaced just one roll of virgin fiber paper towels (70 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 544,000 trees.

Reduce consumption; buy used products - visit your local thrift stores, purchase from garage sales and yard sales.

Here's Why

It’s easy to buy recycled furniture or an entire wardrobe at one of many thrift stores. You can also set up clothing swaps with friends — and donate unwanted items to a thrift store. All of these efforts prevent clothing from ending up in landfills. You can also take something disposable and transform it into something new: your creativity will decrease the waste you send to landfills.

Use non-toxic cleansers and hygiene items.

Here's Why

Many household cleansers contain toxic or carcinogenic chemicals that pollute our waterways, lakes and drinking water supplies. Buy only non-toxic products.

Use rechargeable batteries.

Here's Why

Rechargeable batteries offer economic and environmental benefits compared to disposable ones. A set of four rechargeable batteries costs about $20 and a battery charger costs between $10 and $30. Each rechargeable battery can be charged 500 to a 1,000 times. Factoring in the charger, a set of four rechargeable AA batteries will cost around $50 for their serviceable life. Over the same time period, a comparable set of heavy-duty disposables with a discounted price of about $2 would cost $1,000 to $2,000. (bchydro.com)

Buy products with minimal packaging and plastic.

Here's Why

Avoid plastics and styrofoam: glass and metal are recyclable and have longer recycle lives.

Recycle and compost household wastes.

Here's Why

For every can of waste you discard, about 70 cans of waste are used in order to create that trash. The energy saved from recycling a single aluminum can is able to operate a television set for three hours. Composting is a good way to recycle almost all of your organic waste and at the same time produce a rich fertilizer for your garden or lawn. About one third of the space in landfills is taken up with organic waste from our yards and kitchens.

Buy bulk when possible.

Here's Why

Buying products that don’t spoil easily in bulk can reduce the amount of individual packaging and plastic that you are contributing to the landfill.

Bring your own reusable “doggy bag” to a restaurant.

Here's Why

Most restaurants use disposable Styrofoam or flimsy plastic containers to send home leftovers. Bring your own glass or reusable plastic container and avoid more waste.

Energy

Turn off lights and electronics when not in use.

Here's Why

A computer in sleep mode uses 87 percent less energy than a computer in screen-saver mode. It’s a myth that powering on and off your computer is harmful or requires more energy than simply leaving it on all the time. Some electronics draw electricity, even when they're turned off. This "phantom power" is estimated to waste $3 billion of electricity a year in the U.S.

Use high efficiency light bulbs.

Here's Why

Use lighbulbs that use the least amount of energy possible, and that have long lifespans. Read the labels.

Take stairs, not the elevator.

Here's Why

Taking stairs instead of elevators saves a small amount of energy, but it will also burn calories. As well, regular exercise, including simple measures like walking up stairs, can reduce the risks of many serious diseases.

Walk, bike or take transit; fly less.

Here's Why

Nearly 85% of all greenhouse gas emissions are as a result of fossil fuel combustion. Personal reliance on the automobile and frequent use of jet planes are a huge contributor to global warming.

Properly inflate car tires, avoid idling.

Here's Why

Increase your gas mileage by checking your tire pressure. More than a quarter of all cars and nearly one-third of all SUVs, vans and pickups have underinflated tires. If every North American kept his or her tires properly inflated, we could save 10.6 billion liters (2.8 billion gallons) of gasoline a year — and help curb global warming.

Work from home when possible.

Here's Why

Reduce your consumption of fossil fuels by avoiding travel to and from an office if it is unnecessary.

Take quicker, cooler showers.

Here's Why

Hot water heating can account for much of a household's total energy costs. Showers and baths can be the largest single contributor to overall hot water use in a home, accounting for 15% of total household energy use. A conventional showerhead can use up to 190 litres of hot water in a 10-minute shower. A low-flow showerhead can reduce this by half without sacrificing the "feel" of the shower. A family of three may take almost 1,000 showers per year. Replace your showerhead with a low-flow model, and you could save 26,600 litres of hot water and up to $100 annually on your energy costs.

Wash laundry in cold water, air dry.

Here's Why

Only 10% of the energy used by a typical washing machine powers the motor. The rest is used to heat the water, and most clothes will come clean in cold water. Most natural detergents today are made to clean clothes just as effectively in cooler water temperatures. The second biggest household energy user, after the fridge, is the clothes dryer. Hanging clothes to dry will save more energy than switching to a more energy-efficient dryer.

Lower thermostat in winter, avoid AC.

Here's Why

A simple way to minimize energy loss and reduce heating costs is to put on a sweater and cozy slippers and turn down the thermostat. Heat your home strategically: turn down the thermostat while out and overnight. Turning the heat down by just two degrees can reduce your home heating costs by 5%. Turn down the temperature by five degrees for eight hours each night, and you will save about 10% on your heating bill.

Switch to an on-demand/solar water heater or lower the temperature on it or insulate it.

Here's Why

An on-demand water heater can save up to 30% of the costs of running a normal water heater. There are various options with on-demand, from having a small system just for one appliance or part of the house, to having a whole house system. In most parts of B.C., solar hot water can be a terrific energy saving option. Solar hot water can meet up to 50% of hot water needs, and solar hot water can be connected to your existing hot water tank or even to an on demand system to make it even more efficient.

Buy energy efficient appliances and cars.

Here's Why

Appliances account for a large percentage of your home energy use. You can lower the energy draw of standard appliances by keeping them well-maintained, using them efficiently and unplugging them when they’re not in use. Using new, energy-efficient appliances will reduce your energy use even further. You can save about 15% of total dishwasher energy use by selecting the air-dry cycle or opening the dishwasher door instead of using the heat drying cycle. Replace your 1990 dishwasher with an ENERGY STAR® machine and save up to $40 a year.

Use human power over mechanical power.

Here's Why

Use stairs over elevators and escalators, use a push-mower over an electric or fuel-powered mower, use a broom over a leaf blower and get much-needed exercise and reduce noise pollution in your community.

Food and Drink

Buy seasonal local/organic food products.

Here's Why

Supporting local farmers keeps cash in the local economy. Food from local farms travels fewer miles and is less environmentally damaging than conventional produce. Organic farms don’t use pesticides, antibiotics, or other harmful chemicals. Going organic is a great way to stand behind organic farmers and support agricultural practices that are kinder to the environment.

Buy only sustainable seafood.

Here's Why

Choosing sustainable seafood is a simple and effective action that you can take every time you eat at a restaurant or buy seafood. Voting with your wallet sends a strong signal to government and industry leaders, telling them that you support responsible stewardship of our natural marine resources.

Buy fresh veggies/produce rather than frozen.

Here's Why

Freezing takes 10 times more energy.

Support Fair Trade coffees, teas and other goods.

Here's Why

Under fair trade, less money goes to "middlemen" and more goes to the actual producer, usually an independent farmer, member of a small co-operative or an artisan. More of your money goes toward improving the incomes of regular people.

Eat lower on the food chain; eat less red meat.

Here's Why

The livestock industry is one of the largest contributors to environmental degradation worldwide, and modern practices of raising animals for food contributes on a massive scale to air and water pollution, land degradation, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. The production of animal-based food requires far more energy per calorie produced than the production of grains, vegetables, legumes and nuts.

Avoid fast foods, over processed/packaged foods.

Here's Why

A diet high in fat and processed foods has been linked with cardiovascular disease. Most fast foods lack a high degree of nutrients and are over-packaged, wasting valuable resources.

Always take your own water bottle.

Here's Why

Instead of disposable water bottles, use refillable stainless steel, aluminum, or bio-plastic bottles for our safe and delicious tap water or your own organic beverages. Breaking the disposable bottled water habit reduces the use of fossil fuels and toxic greenhouse gases that result from manufacturing plastic bottles, 85% of which end up as landfill waste. The plastic needed to meet North Americans’ demand for bottled water requires more than 17 million barrels of oil a year. Plastic bottles can take a thousand years to degrade.

Business and Finance

Print less, double-sided and on reused paper.

Here's Why

Save trees and use less paper with double-sided printing and copying. Print only when absolutely necessary. Reusing is better than recycling! The average North American uses one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree worth of paper and wood products each year, so help bring that number down by reusing scrap paper.

Buy 100% recycled paper products.

Here's Why

Recycled paper saves trees, reduces energy and water consumption, requires less bleaching than virgin paper, and keeps paper out of the landfills.

Switch to socially responsible stocks/funds.

Here's Why

Don’t let your money support environmentally damaging activities and projects. Many ethical and environmental funds ensure ecological responsibility.

Avoid businesses that damage the environment.

Here's Why

Short term economic savings offered by environmentally-damagin companies will only have a larger long-term environmental cost that may be hidden for now.

Buy Community Way and spend it locally.

Here's Why

Community Way dollars (cw$) support environmental and community groups without you losing spending power. By buying cw$ you are exchanging the group's cw$ into Canadian$ thus contributing money towards their work. You are also supporting local business and the local economy as the money can only be spent within the Valley. All businesses on the community way system have donated goods and services to the respective community organizations; by shopping with them you know you are supporting a business that supports your community. For more information visit www.communityway.ca.

Water

Turn off water to brush teeth, lather body, shave.

Here's Why

Fresh water is a finite natural resource and it takes energy to treat, heat, and deliver it to your tap. Some faucets use as many as 19 liters (five gallons) of water a minute. Purchase an aerator to cut that to two liters per minute. Turn the water off when shaving, washing hands and brushing teeth. If 10,000 B.C. households turned off the bathroom faucet while shaving, washing hands, and brushing teeth, the energy savings would be equivalent to the energy used to power 200 average Canadian homes for a year.

Install low-flow toilets, shower heads.

Here's Why

If you replace your standard showerhead with a low-flow model, you could save 26,600 litres of hot water and up to $100 annually on your energy costs. Install dual-flush toilets or low-flush toilets that use six litres of water or less per flush. A Canada Housing Mortgage Corporation (CHMC) study found dual-flush toilets saved an average of 26% more water than the single-flush six-litre toilets and as much as 68% more water than conventional toilets used in single-family dwellings.

Fix leaky taps and plumbing.

Here's Why

A leaky faucet can waste over 11,350 litres of water every year. Fixing a leak in your hot water faucet can save up to $33 per year in energy costs. A leaky toilet can waste hundreds of litres of water per day. Worn-out washers are the main cause of leaks in faucets and showerheads and a new one generally costs about 25 cents. Simply cleaning off the flapper valve can often repair a leaky toilet. In some cases, you may have to replace the toilet's flapper or flush valve. These parts are generally inexpensive, easy to replace, and can be found in most hardware stores.

Have children take baths together.

Here's Why

Reduce household water and energy consumption by having young children bath together or one after the other – and make bath time more fun!

Let your lawn go brown or plant drought-resistant plants and native shrubs and ferns instead.

Here's Why

Local water use doubles in the summer as residents waste hundreds of thousands of litres of water on their lawns and gardens.

Participate

Get informed about local environmental issues.

Here's Why

An informed public can make better choices for their community.

Donate/volunteer for local conservation groups.

Here's Why

Local environmental groups are working with limited budgets and resources to make your community a better place to live – help them!

Spend time outdoors with a child.

Here's Why

Children spend far more time in front of television and computer screens today than they do walking in a forest or sitting by a rushing stream. Most children today have little or connection with the natural world. Children who have no experience with nature do not learn to care if it is diminished or lost altogether.

Write a letter to your Mayor, MLA or newspaper.

Here's Why

Our government needs to know that we are vigilant and that we care about our community and our future.

Encourage another person to pledge.

Here's Why

The more people who pledge to change their behavior – the bigger the change will be!

For more information:

Solution to Zero Waste

Take the “Solution to Zero Waste” Pledge provided by Comox Strathcona Waste Management.

BC Hydro

BC Hydro offers a wealth of information and tips for saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Visit their website for some great ideas: www.bchydro.com.

Sustainable Seafood Canada

Sustainable Seafood Canada has a great program about the benefits of sustainable seafood choices: www.seachoice.org.

Why the Count Me In Pledge?

Conservation

Pollution and Waste

Energy

Food and Drink

Business and Finance

Water

Participate

For more information:

Solution to Zero Waste

BC Hydro

Sustainable Seafood Canada

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