The first day was dedicated to individual initiatives, and Wednesday’s presentations will focus on businesses, says Jesse Russell, sustainability project manager at Canadore College.
One of the goals of the summit is to raise awareness.
We want people to know that there are climate issues. We want people to know that people are hungry
insists Mr. Russell.
Mr. Russell also wants participants to leave with tools to be greener in their daily lives. We have brought together experts.
Once you know what to do, there’s no going back
believes for her part Hariett Madigan, founder and owner of Earth in a Nestan association of eco-responsible companies.
” Take action. You don’t have to do things perfectly. If every 52,000 [résidents de North Bay] cut their plastic consumption by a third, it would be a huge service to waterways. »
Ms Madigan says don’t see what the planet has to offer as resources to be overexploited, but rather as goods to be protected
.
A diversity of voices
Hariett Madigan explains that the featured speaker, Steve Kenzie, Chief Executive of the United Nations Global Compact in the UK, touched on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Participants were also able to learn more about local watershed protection, with a presentation from the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority.
This is crucial in my opinion, because water is the resource that we absolutely must protect.
says Madigan.
Ms. Madigan was notably responsible for finding and inviting speakers.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Aya Dufour
Lloyd Alter, who teaches sustainable design at Metropolitan University of Toronto, was also among the speakers.
He is the author of a book titled Living the 1.5 Lifestyle Degree [Vivre le style de vie à 1,5 degré, traduction libre] in which he recounts the year he spent trying to produce less CO2.
The title of his book refers to a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which states that global warming must be limited to 1.5 degrees Celcius.
They gave us a carbon budget, which is how much carbon dioxide we can add to the atmosphere by staying under that limit.
explains Alter.
If we divide this budget by the number of human beings, it gives a personal carbon budget, which will be 2.5 tons of carbon per year in 2030
he says.
” I tried to see if I could live a year emitting less than 2.5 tons of carbon, or about 6.84 kg per day. »
His car trip between Toronto and North Bay, for example, is the equivalent of 8 days of carbon consumption under this limit.
A large place was also given to the First Nations, underlines the founder of Earth in a Nestwho liked the presentation by Scott McLeod, Chief of the Nipissing First Nation.
We can learn so much from their culture, their circular way of working with their community and the environment
said Hariett Madigan.
” I read an interesting quote from an aboriginal author, Richard Wagamese. He said “we live because the rest lives too”. In other words, our lives do not exist without the planet. »
Jesse Russell and Hariett Madigan are happy with the turnout, especially amid the pandemic.
In addition to the people who came to Canadore College, several people were able to follow the summit virtually.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Aya Dufour
With COVID, it’s difficult
, admits Jesse Russell. The hybrid formula, including for speakers, allows more people to participate.
Ms. Madigan says there will be several other such events, to educate as many people as possible.
We hope we can help people find ways to live more sustainably on Earth
she concludes.
With information from Aya Dufour
Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca