Only 170 people have tried Mississauga’s climate footprint tool

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Published August 30, 2022 at 1:04 pm

climate change mississauga
Photo by Kelly Sikkema

As extreme flooding and fires continue across the globe and closer to home, interest in climate change appears to be low in Mississauga.

Mississauga’s population is more than 700,000 people. Yet only 170 have tried a climate footprint tool launched in February 2021, said City of Mississauga spokesperson Irene McCutcheon in an email to inSauga.

The tool is part of the city’s Project Neutral, and is a carbon footprint calculator assessing home energy usage, transportation habits, food patterns and waste generation. It also provides a detailed breakdown of household climate impact, along with a comparison to other Ontario households. 

City officials were hopeful people would use it and reduce their environmental impact.

“Taking city-wide action on climate change means we need everyone to participate, from government to businesses and individuals,” Dianne Zimmerman, the city’s environment manager, said last year.

“Understanding where your carbon footprint comes from and how much greenhouse gas emissions are created from daily activities is crucial to taking action against climate change. This tool is the first step for all Mississauga residents to learn how they can make a positive difference and tackle climate change.”

In an effort to increase participation, the city is promoting the tool at upcoming events.

Project Neutral will be part of the Sept. 16 launch event of the city’s We Are Resilient travelling photo and story exhibition which explores climate change and climate action in Mississauga. The exhibit includes several calls to action.

The city is partnering with community organizations and schools in Mississauga to spread the message and use Project Neutral as an educational tool.

And the city is exploring new community partners and presentations in the fall.

In the near future, the city will also launch the “Citizen’s Cool Kit on Climate Change” to provide a do-it-yourself toolkit aimed as engaging people to take local climate action.

climate change mississauga

Government of Canada chart

In the past five years, several unprecedented events highlight the need to focus on climate change, according to the federal government’s Preparing for Climate Change: Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy report from May 2022.

In spring 2022, the Red River Valley and many other parts of central and southern Manitoba experienced some of the highest flood waters on record.

In 2021, record-breaking high temperatures caused one of the deadliest heat waves in British Columbia. This was followed by forest fires and then devastating flooding from rare atmospheric rivers, all within a few months.

The Ottawa River flooding in 2017 and 2019 both surpassed historic levels.

Also warmer temperatures in the north are making ice roads – like the Dettah across Yellowknife Bay – less reliable and affecting the supply of fuel, food and building material to many communities.

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