Foire Écosphère de Gatineau: reducing your footprint one step at a time

Small gestures, those that we are reminded to do on a daily basis to participate in the fight against climate change, are at the heart of the Reduce our footprint campaign, of the organization Vivre en ville, an ambassador present at the Foire Écosphère de Gatineau. .

Living in the city is very collective. We are really aiming for structuring choices, but we know that there is a good part of all the individual choices that also boost all the collective choices that we make.says Catherine Craig-St-Louis, urban planner at Vivre une ville, a non-profit organization that campaigns for viable communities in Quebec.

In Gatineau, for example, many homes are still heated with oil, even though there is a municipal program to encourage homeowners to change their heating system.

The eco-gestures program, which was updated and presented to the Gatineau Environment and Climate Change Commission on Thursday, promises a grant that could fund up to 75% of the replacement of the furnace.

This is a smart move, says urban planner Catherine Craig-St-Louis.

These are programs that do us good, that help us take the leap, otherwise we wait a few more yearsshe says.

Éric Ferland, general manager and founding member of the Ecosphere Fairs, has made it his mission to make people aware of the importance of the environment in order to get them to reduce their ecological footprint.

So that our children have the chance to have a beautiful planet, as currentlyhe summarized, Sunday, in an interview with Radio-Canada.

” As [Jacques] Parizeau has already said: the best energy is the one you don’t use »

The ecology of small gestures

But how not to be discouraged in front of a neighbor, who makes no effort? According to Jean Provencher, agent of social change, it is first necessary individually dare to take a step forwardto inspire others to do the same.

You don’t have to wait for others. This is often a ripple effect. I have people in my entourage that I managed to sensitizehe said.

Small gestures, although multiplied, can sometimes give the impression of preaching in the desert, but they can nevertheless constitute very practical solutions to everyday problems. Toys lying around and piling up in the basement are a good example.

Abdullah Diayo, a young father, found the idea of ​​giving toys a second life interesting, as his son would soon lose interest anyway.

The idea of ​​swapping toys in particular piqued my curiosity, he shared. And it was a great activity for my boy who has been playing with these toys for about thirty or forty minutessaid the resident who came to visit the kiosks of the Gatineau Ecosphere fair on Sunday.

Unlike adults, toddlers are not bothered by toys that have already been used, notes Fatima, a mother who came to swap toys for her baby.

At that age, I don’t think they really care whether they’re new or not. I think they’re more intrigued by the novelty aspectshe explains.

Reuse, recycling, recovery are the watchwords of the ecology of small gestures. However, “the first “r” that should be used is to refuse. Do I really need it deep down? “recalls Jean Provencher, agent of social change.

With information from Julien-David Pelletier