"It's also a great way to support local entrepreneurs," says Karas.īuying second-hand is another luxurious choice. Jason Karas, founder of Cambridge, Mass.-based -a gaming Web site that challenges users to reduce personal emissions through online competitions-says that drinking locally microbrewed beer is another way to shrink your footprint, for much the same reasons as eating regional food. Whether you begin visiting the farmer's market every Saturday to pick up local fruits and vegetables or, if you are able, dining at restaurants serving regional fare, eating locally allows you to eat well without funding the emissions used to import food from other countries and regions. Even if we cut that by a ton-which isn't difficult-it would make a huge difference."Įating locally grown food is one of the easiest ways to reduce your footprint. "But Americans emit 20 tons of carbon dioxide per year. "There's still inertia when it comes to making small changes," she says. 1 barrier blocking would-be waste-reducers. That's because Shimo-Barry says that lack of will, not austere alternatives, is the No. #ALEXANDRA SHIMO HOW TO#How To Live Green For A Day Nine Earth-Friendly Fixes For Your Home If your number is higher than you would like, there's good news-there are hundreds of ways you can shrink your carbon footprint, and many of them aren't as sacrificial as you might expect. A number below 6,000 (reflected in pounds per year) is excellent. If yes, add 0.Ī+B+C+D+E+F+G+H = your carbon footprint. H.) Do you recycle aluminum and tin? If no, add 166. G.) Do you recycle newspaper? If no, add 184. “We’ve known this for a long time, but I think with the pandemic, there is a growing realization not only that we can do better, but that we have to do so.F.) Multiply the number of flights-4 hours or more-by 4,400 They are expected to deal with social issues that they don’t have the training for,” says Hermer. “The police are often called as a last resort because the social services dealing with vulnerable populations either don’t exist or access to them is limited. Second, interviews with frontline workers and the police nationwide to understand what isn’t working and a report to be published in late summer with guidelines on how to do better. Such municipal, provincial and federal laws and their impact on this population will be published in June in the form of a national map. Hermer’s research will progress in two stages: first, understanding the laws that criminalize homelessness. Homelessness is a very visible expression of profound inequality and prejudice. But it would take a global pandemic to highlight the urgency with which this situation needs to be addressed. This situation had been apparent to many who study it, with a growing number of calls to end all national and provincial legislation that effectively punish the homeless for not having homes to go to, by criminalizing their use of public space. This forces the homeless into the criminal justice system, which puts everyone-the homeless, the police, courts and prisons-at risk of COVID-19. Once homeless, many are caught in a Catch-22: the police are called upon to fix what is largely a social and public health issue, by removing people from public spaces, for violating loitering or soliciting laws. The rise of precarious work and the decline in affordable housing have disproportionately impacted those who must already deal with mental and physical health issues and systemic racism. The Black Lives Matter protests emphasized just what is at stake: the homeless are largely made up of society’s most vulnerable populations, including Indigenous persons and those with physical and mental health challenges. “Homelessness is a very visible expression of profound inequality and prejudice.” “Visible minorities and Indigenous Peoples are vastly over-represented in the homeless population,” explains Hermer. Several worrying factors impacted their susceptibility: an inadequate shelter system, where social distancing has been a challenge, their increased likelihood to suffer from underlying health conditions, and the policing of the homeless, where many of the normal activities that this population undertake to stay alive are criminalized across Canada. Back in April, U of T Scarborough sociology professor Joseph Hermer observed a trend that is now playing out on Toronto's streets: how the spread of COVID-19 would impact the homeless, and the way that they are policed in public spaces.
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